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Namibia vs. South Africa

Demographics

NamibiaSouth Africa
Population2,678,191 (July 2021 est.)

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
56,978,635 (July 2021 est.)

note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Age structure0-14 years: 35.68% (male 473,937/female 464,453)

15-24 years: 20.27% (male 267,106/female 265,882)

25-54 years: 35.47% (male 449,132/female 483,811)

55-64 years: 4.68% (male 54,589/female 68,619)

65 years and over: 3.9% (male 43,596/female 58,948) (2020 est.)
0-14 years: 27.94% (male 7,894,742/female 7,883,266)

15-24 years: 16.8% (male 4,680,587/female 4,804,337)

25-54 years: 42.37% (male 12,099,441/female 11,825,193)

55-64 years: 6.8% (male 1,782,902/female 2,056,988)

65 years and over: 6.09% (male 1,443,956/female 1,992,205) (2020 est.)
Median agetotal: 21.8 years

male: 21.1 years

female: 22.6 years (2020 est.)
total: 28 years

male: 27.9 years

female: 28.1 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate1.83% (2021 est.)0.95% (2021 est.)
Birth rate25.33 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)18.89 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Death rate7.07 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)9.27 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Net migration rate0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)-0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sex ratioat birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.8 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 0.97 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Infant mortality ratetotal: 30.38 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 32.47 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 28.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
total: 26.82 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 29.9 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 23.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
Life expectancy at birthtotal population: 65.87 years

male: 63.9 years

female: 67.9 years (2021 est.)
total population: 65.04 years

male: 63.68 years

female: 66.42 years (2021 est.)
Total fertility rate3.03 children born/woman (2021 est.)2.2 children born/woman (2021 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate11.6% (2020 est.)19.1% (2020 est.)
Nationalitynoun: Namibian(s)

adjective: Namibian
noun: South African(s)

adjective: South African
Ethnic groupsOvambo 50%, Kavangos 9%, Herero 7%, Damara 7%, mixed European and African ancestry 6.5%, European 6%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, San 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana .5%Black African 80.9%, Colored 8.8%, White 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2018 est.)

note: colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry who developed a distinct cultural identity over several hundred years
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS210,000 (2020 est.)7.8 million (2020 est.)
ReligionsChristian 80% to 90% (at least 50% Lutheran), indigenous beliefs 10% to 20%Christian 86%, ancestral, tribal, animist, or other traditional African religions 5.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other 1.5%, nothing in particular 5.2% (2015 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths3,000 (2020 est.)83,000 (2020 est.)
LanguagesOshiwambo languages 49.7%, Nama/Damara 11%, Kavango languages 10.4%, Afrikaans 9.4% (also a common language), Herero languages 9.2%, Zambezi languages 4.9%, English (official) 2.3%, other African languages 1.5%, other European languages 0.7%, other 1% (2016 est.)

note: Namibia has 13 recognized national languages, including 10 indigenous African languages and 3 European languages
isiZulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa (official) 14.8%, Afrikaans (official) 12.2%, Sepedi (official) 10.1%, Setswana (official) 9.1%, English (official) 8.1%, Sesotho (official) 7.9%, Xitsonga (official) 3.6%, siSwati (official) 2.8%, Tshivenda (official) 2.5%, isiNdebele (official) 1.6%, other (includes Khoi, Nama, and San languages) 2%; note - data represent language spoken most often at home (2018 est.)

major-language sample(s):
Die Wereld Feite Boek, n' onontbeerlike bron vir basiese informasie. (Afrikaans)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)
Literacydefinition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 91.5%

male: 91.6%

female: 91.4% (2018)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 87%

male: 87.7%

female: 86.5% (2017)
Major infectious diseasesdegree of risk: high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases: malaria

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
degree of risk: intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact diseases: schistosomiasis

note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout South Africa; as of 6 June 2021, South Africa has reported a total of 2,302,304 cases of COVID-19 or 3,881.9 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with 113.1 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 19 July 2021, 7.38% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Education expenditures3.1% of GDP (2014)6.5% of GDP (2019)
Urbanizationurban population: 53% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
urban population: 67.8% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Drinking water sourceimproved: urban: 98.9% of population

rural: 80.8% of population

total: 89.7% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.1% of population

rural: 19.2% of population

total: 10.3% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 98.9% of population

rural: 87.4% of population

total: 95.5% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.1% of population

rural: 12.6% of population

total: 4.5% of population (2017 est.)
Sanitation facility accessimproved: urban: 72.9% of population

rural: 22% of population

total: 46.9% of population

unimproved: urban: 27.1% of population

rural: 78% of population

total: 53.1% of population (2017 est.)
improved: urban: 95.6% of population

rural: 80.9% of population

total: 90.6% of population

unimproved: urban: 4.4% of population

rural: 19.1% of population

total: 9.4% of population (2017 est.)
Major cities - population446,000 WINDHOEK (capital) (2021)9.897 million Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni), 4.710 million Cape Town (legislative capital), 3.176 million Durban, 2.655 million PRETORIA (administrative capital), 1.267 million Port Elizabeth, 909,000 West Rand (2021)
Maternal mortality rate195 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)119 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight13.2% (2013)5.5% (2017)
Health expenditures8% (2018)8.3% (2018)
Physicians density0.42 physicians/1,000 population (2018)0.91 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density2.7 beds/1,000 population (2009)2.3 beds/1,000 population (2010)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate17.2% (2016)28.3% (2016)
Demographic profile

Planning officials view Namibia's reduced population growth rate as sustainable based on the country's economic growth over the past decade. Prior to independence in 1990, Namibia's relatively small population grew at about 3% annually, but declining fertility and the impact of HIV/AIDS slowed this growth to 1.4% by 2011, rebounding to close to 2% by 2016. Namibia's fertility rate has fallen over the last two decades - from about 4.5 children per woman in 1996 to 3.4 in 2016 - due to increased contraceptive use, higher educational attainment among women, and greater female participation in the labor force. The average age at first birth has stayed fairly constant, but the age at first marriage continues to increase, indicating a rising incidence of premarital childbearing.

The majority of Namibians are rural dwellers (about 55%) and live in the better-watered north and northeast parts of the country. Migration, historically male-dominated, generally flows from northern communal areas - non-agricultural lands where blacks were sequestered under the apartheid system - to agricultural, mining, and manufacturing centers in the center and south. After independence from South Africa, restrictions on internal movement eased, and rural-urban migration increased, bolstering urban growth.

Some Namibians - usually persons who are better-educated, more affluent, and from urban areas - continue to legally migrate to South Africa temporarily to visit family and friends and, much less frequently, to pursue tertiary education or better economic opportunities. Namibians concentrated along the country's other borders make unauthorized visits to Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, or Botswana, to visit family and to trade agricultural goods. Few Namibians express interest in permanently settling in other countries; they prefer the safety of their homeland, have a strong national identity, and enjoy a well-supplied retail sector. Although Namibia is receptive to foreign investment and cross-border trade, intolerance toward non-citizens is widespread.

South Africa's youthful population is gradually aging, as the country's total fertility rate (TFR) has declined dramatically from about 6 children per woman in the 1960s to roughly 2.2 in 2014. This pattern is similar to fertility trends in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and sets South Africa apart from the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, where the average TFR remains higher than other regions of the world. Today, South Africa's decreasing number of reproductive age women is having fewer children, as women increase their educational attainment, workforce participation, and use of family planning methods; delay marriage; and opt for smaller families.

As the proportion of working-age South Africans has grown relative to children and the elderly, South Africa has been unable to achieve a demographic dividend because persistent high unemployment and the prevalence of HIV/AIDs have created a larger-than-normal dependent population. HIV/AIDS was also responsible for South Africa's average life expectancy plunging to less than 43 years in 2008; it has rebounded to 63 years as of 2017. HIV/AIDS continues to be a serious public health threat, although awareness-raising campaigns and the wider availability of anti-retroviral drugs is stabilizing the number of new cases, enabling infected individuals to live longer, healthier lives, and reducing mother-child transmissions.

Migration to South Africa began in the second half of the 17th century when traders from the Dutch East India Company settled in the Cape and started using slaves from South and southeast Asia (mainly from India but also from present-day Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia) and southeast Africa (Madagascar and Mozambique) as farm laborers and, to a lesser extent, as domestic servants. The Indian subcontinent remained the Cape Colony's main source of slaves in the early 18th century, while slaves were increasingly obtained from southeast Africa in the latter part of the 18th century and into the 19th century under British rule.

After slavery was completely abolished in the British Empire in 1838, South Africa's colonists turned to temporary African migrants and indentured labor through agreements with India and later China, countries that were anxious to export workers to alleviate domestic poverty and overpopulation. Of the more than 150,000 indentured Indian laborers hired to work in Natal's sugar plantations between 1860 and 1911, most exercised the right as British subjects to remain permanently (a small number of Indian immigrants came freely as merchants). Because of growing resentment toward Indian workers, the 63,000 indentured Chinese workers who mined gold in Transvaal between 1904 and 1911 were under more restrictive contracts and generally were forced to return to their homeland.

In the late 19th century and nearly the entire 20th century, South Africa's then British colonies' and Dutch states' enforced selective immigration policies that welcomed "assimilable" white Europeans as permanent residents but excluded or restricted other immigrants. Following the Union of South Africa's passage of a law in 1913 prohibiting Asian and other non-white immigrants and its elimination of the indenture system in 1917, temporary African contract laborers from neighboring countries became the dominant source of labor in the burgeoning mining industries. Others worked in agriculture and smaller numbers in manufacturing, domestic service, transportation, and construction. Throughout the 20th century, at least 40% of South Africa's miners were foreigners; the numbers peaked at over 80% in the late 1960s. Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, and Eswatini were the primary sources of miners, and Malawi and Zimbabwe were periodic suppliers.

Under apartheid, a "two gates" migration policy focused on policing and deporting illegal migrants rather than on managing migration to meet South Africa's development needs. The exclusionary 1991 Aliens Control Act limited labor recruitment to the highly skilled as defined by the ruling white minority, while bilateral labor agreements provided exemptions that enabled the influential mining industry and, to a lesser extent, commercial farms, to hire temporary, low-paid workers from neighboring states. Illegal African migrants were often tacitly allowed to work for low pay in other sectors but were always under threat of deportation.

The abolishment of apartheid in 1994 led to the development of a new inclusive national identity and the strengthening of the country's restrictive immigration policy. Despite South Africa's protectionist approach to immigration, the downsizing and closing of mines, and rising unemployment, migrants from across the continent believed that the country held work opportunities. Fewer African labor migrants were issued temporary work permits and, instead, increasingly entered South Africa with visitors' permits or came illegally, which drove growth in cross-border trade and the informal job market. A new wave of Asian immigrants has also arrived over the last two decades, many operating small retail businesses.

In the post-apartheid period, increasing numbers of highly skilled white workers emigrated, citing dissatisfaction with the political situation, crime, poor services, and a reduced quality of life. The 2002 Immigration Act and later amendments were intended to facilitate the temporary migration of skilled foreign labor to fill labor shortages, but instead the legislation continues to create regulatory obstacles. Although the education system has improved and brain drain has slowed in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, South Africa continues to face skills shortages in several key sectors, such as health care and technology.

South Africa's stability and economic growth has acted as a magnet for refugees and asylum seekers from nearby countries, despite the prevalence of discrimination and xenophobic violence. Refugees have included an estimated 350,000 Mozambicans during its 1980s civil war and, more recently, several thousand Somalis, Congolese, and Ethiopians. Nearly all of the tens of thousands of Zimbabweans who have applied for asylum in South Africa have been categorized as economic migrants and denied refuge.

Contraceptive prevalence rate56.1% (2013)54.6% (2016)
Dependency ratiostotal dependency ratio: 67.9

youth dependency ratio: 61.8

elderly dependency ratio: 6

potential support ratio: 16.6 (2020 est.)
total dependency ratio: 52.2

youth dependency ratio: 43.8

elderly dependency ratio: 8.4

potential support ratio: 11.9 (2020 est.)

Source: CIA Factbook