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• Population: 
 
total: 
38 000 000 (1997 est.) 
 
• Age structure: 
 
0-14 years: 
40% (female 8,842,764; male 9,091,722) 
 
15-64 years: 
56% (female 12,825,617; male 12,508,039) 
 
65 years and over: 
4% (female 1,047,285; male 780,032) 
 
• Population growth rate: 
 
total: 
1.51% (1997 est.) 
 
• Birth rate: 
33.39 births/1,000 population (1997 est.) 
 
• Death rate: 
7.42 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.) 
 
• Net migration rate: 
0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) 
 
• Infant mortality rate: 
45.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.) 
 
• Life expectancy at birth: 
 
total population: 
65.42 years 
 
male: 
62.68 years 
 
female: 
68.25 years (1997 est.) 
 
• Total fertility rate: 
4.35 children born/woman (1997 est.) 
 
• Nationality: 
 
noun: 
South African(s) 
 
adjective: 
South African 
 
• Ethnic divisions: 
black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6% 
 
• Religions: 
Christian (most whites and Coloreds and about 60% of blacks), Hindu (60% of Indians), Muslim 2% 
 
• Languages: 
eleven official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu 
 
• Literacy: 
age 15 and over can read and write  
 
total population: 
76% 
 
male: 
78% 
 
female: 
75% 
 
• Labor force: 
13.4 million economically active (1997 est.) 
 
by occupation: 
services 35%, agriculture 30%, industry 20%, mining 9%, other 6% 


• Women in the Labor Force:

37% (1997)