JOHANNESBURG, July 30 -- The South African population has now exceeded 63 million, said Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) Tuesday.

According to the Mid-Year Population Estimates released by Stats SA Tuesday, the country's population has grown by 835,513 in one year to reach 63.02 million people, marking a 1.33 percent increase from July 2023 to July 2024.

"The data reveals that over half of the population is female, totaling around 32 million people," said Stats SA in a statement.

"Provincial population estimates indicate that Gauteng remains the most populous province with nearly 16 million residents. KwaZulu-Natal follows with a population of 12.3 million," it said. "Together, these two provinces account for about 45 percent of South Africa's total population. In contrast, Northern Cape is the least populated province, housing just under 1.4 million people."

As for life expectancy, Stats SA noted that life expectancy in South Africa has increased significantly, reflecting advances in medicine, public health, and socioeconomic development.

"According to the report, life expectancy at birth is now 66.5 years, a significant increase from the estimated 53.6 years in 2005," said the statistics agency.

It elaborated that the life expectancy at birth for 2024 is estimated at 63.6 years for males and 69.2 years for females.

Stats SA attributed this improvement to three key trends, including the expanded rollout of antiretroviral therapy, the uptake of vaccinations and treatments for COVID-19, and the decrease in the infant mortality rate (IMR).

"The decrease in the IMR from an estimated 57 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2002 to 22.9 per 1,000 live births in 2024, has a direct impact on the improvement of life expectancy at birth. These indices reflect improvements in the overall health and living conditions of the population," it said. "According to the 2024 estimates, about 27.5 percent of the population is under 15 years old, while approximately 9.7 percent (6.1 million) are aged 60 years or older."

  - Xinhua