White people in South Africa
| White South Africans | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total population | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4,586,838 [1]
8.9% of South Africa's population[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions with significant populations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Throughout South Africa, but concentrated in urban areas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Languages | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Afrikaans 61%, English 33%, Other (mostly Portuguese) 3% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Christianity (87%), no religion (9%), Judaism (1%),Other (3%) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Related ethnic groups | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
White South African is a term which refers to people from South Africa who are of Caucasian descent. In linguistic, cultural and historical terms, they are generally divided into the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of mainly Dutch, German and French settlers, known as Afrikaners, and the English-speaking Anglo-Africans who share an Anglophone background (mainly of British and Irish descent).
White South Africans differ significantly from other white African groups due to not only their much larger population but because they have evolved into a different nation, such as the Afrikaners, who established a separate language, culture and church in Africa. They also differ as potentially being the last major white African ethnic group on the African continent. Their role in the South African economy and political life has remained, which differs from other African countries such as Kenya or Zimbabwe where whites retreated from the political spectrum. Whites currently number about 4.5 million, or about 9% of South Africa's population. It is estimated that as many as 800 000 whites have emigrated from the country since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Contents
Background
Demographics
Statistics South Africa estimated that, there were about 4,584,700 white people in South Africa, amounting to 9.2% of the country's population. White Speakers of Afrikaans sometimes refer to themselves as Afrikaners, but often also as "Afrikaans people". Unlike the Afrikaners, the English speakers have not constituted a coherent political or cultural entity in South Africa. Hence, the absence of a commonly accepted term to designate them, although 'English South African' or 'English-speaking South African' is used (see Anglo-African).
Approximately 87% of white South Africans are Christian, 9% have no religion, and 1% are Jewish. The largest Christian denomination is the Dutch Reformed Church (NGK), with 34% of the white population being members. Other significant denominations are the Methodist Church (8%), the Roman Catholic Church (7%), and the Anglican Church (6%).
Many white people have migrated to South Africa from other parts of Africa following the independence of those African nations or when those nations became hostile to them. Many Portuguese from Mozambique and Angola and white Zimbabweans emigrated to South Africa when their respective countries became independent. South Africa also remains a prime destination amongst British emigrants.
Meanwhile, many white South Africans also emigrated to Western countries over the past two decades, mainly to English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, with others settling in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil.
Distribution
According to Statistics South Africa, white Africans make up about 9.2% (July 2010) of the total population in South Africa. Major cities in South Africa themselves actually have a white majority while the municipality they lie in has a black majority due to the inclusion of neighboring townships. Their actual proportional share in municipalities is likely to be higher, given the undercount in the 2001 census.[2]
The following table shows the distribution of white people by province, according to the Community Survey 2007:
| Province | White population | Percentage of province | Percentage of whites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cape | 304,342 | 4.7 | 6.57 |
| Free State | 266,555 | 9.6 | 5.76 |
| Gauteng | 1,923,829 | 18.4 | 41.58 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 452,224 | 4.4 | 9.77 |
| Limpopo | 114,708 | 2.2 | 2.47 |
| Mpumalanga | 249,326 | 6.8 | 5.38 |
| North West | 236,467 | 7.2 | 5.11 |
| Northern Cape | 106,178 | 10.0 | 2.29 |
| Western Cape | 973,115 | 18.4 | 21.03 |
| Total | 4,626,744 | 9.1 | 100% |
Statistics
Historical Population
Statistics for the white population in South Africa vary greatly. Most sources show that the white population peaked in the period between 1989-1995 at around 5.2-5.6 million. Up to that point the white population largely increased due to high birth rates and immigration. However between the end of apartheid and the mid-2000s the white population decreased overall, with some sources showing an overall decline of 1 million whites. However ever since 2006 the population has fluctuated, rising and declining occasionally. It should be noted that the white population in some censuses are under-counted.
| Year | Total population | Annual % change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | 1,116,805 | N/A | 1904 Census |
| 1910 | 1,270,000  |
+2.3% | Eugene Larson |
| 1960 | 3,008,000 |
+2.7% | 1960 Census |
| 1965 | 3,408,000 |
+2.7% | Stats SA |
| 1970 | 3,792,848 |
+2.3% | 1970 Census |
| 1980 | 4,522,000 |
+1.9% | 1980 Census[3] |
| 1985 | 4,867,000 |
+1.5% | 1985 Census[3] |
| 1991 | 5,068,300 |
+0.7% | 1991 Census |
| 1996 | 4,434,700  |
-3.5% | 1996 Census |
| 2001 | 4,293,640 |
-0.6% | 2001 Census |
| 2006 | 4,365,300 |
+0.3% | Stats SA |
| 2009 | 4,472,100 |
+0.8% | Stats SA |
| 2010 | 4,584,700 |
+2.5% | Stats SA |
| 2011 | 4,586,838 |
+0.05% | SA Census |
| 2013 | 4,602,386 |
+0.34% |
Percentage by province 1996-2011
| Province | Percentage in 1996 | Percentage in 2001 | Percentage in 2007 | Percentage in 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cape | 5.4% | 4.7%
|
4.7%
|
4.7%
|
| Free State | 12.0% | 8.8%
|
9.6%
|
8.7%
|
| Gauteng | 22.0% | 19.9%
|
18.4%
|
15.6%
|
| KwaZulu-Natal | 6.5% | 5.1%
|
4.4%
|
4.2%
|
| Limpopo | 2.8% | 2.5%
|
2.2%
|
2.6%
|
| Mpumalanga | 7.9% | 6.5%
|
6.8%
|
7.5%
|
| North West | 8.4% | 6.7%
|
7.2%
|
7.3%
|
| Northern Cape | 11.0% | 12.4%
|
10.0%
|
7.1%
|
| Western Cape | 20.8% | 18.4%
|
18.4%
|
15.7%
|
| National | 10.9% | 9.6%
|
9.5%
|
8.9%
|
Population by province 1996-2011
| Province | White Population 1996 | White Population 2001 | White Population 2007 | White Population 2011 | Total change 1996-2011 | Total % change 1996-2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cape | 340,300 | 302,500
|
304,342
|
310,450
|
-29,850
|
-8.8%
|
| Free State | 316,020 | 238,200
|
266,555
|
239,026
|
-76,994
|
-24.4%
|
| Gauteng | 1,616,700 | 1,758,600
|
1,923,829
|
1,913,884
|
297,184
|
+18.4%
|
| KwaZulu-Natal | 547,100 | 480,700
|
452,224
|
428,842
|
-118,258
|
-21,1%
|
| Limpopo | 138,020 | 126,570
|
114,708
|
139,359
|
1,339
|
+1.0%
|
| Mpumalanga | 218,500 | 202,990
|
249,326
|
303,595
|
85,095
|
+38.9%
|
| North West | 281,800 | 245,850
|
236,467
|
255,385
|
-26,415
|
-9.4%
|
| Northern Cape | 92,440 | 102,020
|
106,178
|
81,246
|
-11,194
|
-12,1%
|
| Western Cape | 823,030 | 832,480
|
973,115
|
915,969
|
92,939
|
+11.3%
|
Population by province pre-1994
| Province | White Population in 1904 | White % in 1904 | White Population in 1960 | White % in 1960 | % increase 1904-1960 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transvaal | 297,277 | 23.4% | 1,455,372
|
23.4
|
489.6% |
| Orange Free State | 142,679 | 36.8% | 276,000
|
19.9%
|
193.4% |
| Cape Province | 579,741 | 24.1% | 1,001,000
|
18.7%
|
172.7% |
| Natal | 97,109 | 8.76% | 337,000
|
11.3%
|
347.0% |
Fertility rates
Contraception among white South Africans is stable or slightly falling: 80% used contraception in 1990, and 79% used it in 1998.[4] The following data shows some fertility rates recorded during South Africa's history. However, there are varied sources showing that the white fertility rate reached below replacement (2.1) by 1980. Likewise, recent studies show a range of fertility rates, ranging from 1.3 to 2.4. The Afrikaners tend to have a higher birthrate than that of other white people.
| Year | Total fertility rate[5] | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3.5 |
SARPN |
| 1970 | 3.1 |
SARPN |
| 1980 | 2.4 |
SARPN |
| 1989 | 1.9 |
UN.org |
| 1990 | 2.1 |
SARPN |
| 1996 | 1.9 |
SARPN |
| 1998 | 1.9 |
SARPN |
| 2001[6] | 1.8 |
hst.org.za |
| 2006[6] | 1.8 |
hst.org.za |
| 2011 | 1.63(?) |
Census 2011 |
Life expectancy
The average life expectancy at birth for males and females
| Year | Average life expectancy | Male life expectancy | Female life expectancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980[7] | 70.3 | 66.8 | 73.8 |
| 1985[8] | 71 | ? | ? |
| 1997 | 73.5 | 70 | 77 |
| 2009[9][10] | 71 | ? | ? |
Unemployment
| Province | (strict) White unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| Eastern Cape[11] | 4.5% |
| Free State | |
| Gauteng[12] | 8.7% |
| KwaZulu-Natal[13] | 8.0% |
| Limpopo[14] | 8.0% |
| Mpumalanga[13] | 7.5% |
| North West | |
| Northern Cape[15] | 4.5% |
| Western Cape | 2.0% |
| Total |
Percentage of workforce
| Province | Whites % of the workforce | Whites % of population |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Cape[11] | 10% | 4% |
| Free State | ||
| Gauteng[16] | 25% | 18% |
| KwaZulu-Natal[13] | 11% | 6% |
| Limpopo[14] | 5% | 2% |
| Mpumalanga | ||
| North West | ||
| Northern Cape[15] | 19% | 12% |
| Western Cape[17] | 22% | 18% |
| Total |
Religion
Religion among white South Africans remains high compared to other white ethnic groups, but likewise it has shown a steady proportional drop in both membership and church attendance with until recently the majority of white South Africans attending regular church services.
| Religion | Number | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| - Christianity | 3 726 266 | 86.8% |
| - Dutch Reformed churches | 1 450 861 | 33.8% |
| - Pentecostal/Charismatic/Apostolic churches | 578 092 | 13.5% |
| - Methodist Church | 343 167 | 8.0% |
| - Catholic Church | 282 007 | 6.6% |
| - Anglican Church | 250 213 | 5.8% |
| - Other Reformed churches | 143 438 | 3.3% |
| - Baptist churches | 78 302 | 1.8% |
| - Presbyterian churches | 74 158 | 1.7% |
| - Lutheran churches | 25 972 | 0.6% |
| - Other Christian churches | 500 056 | 11.6% |
| Judaism | 61 673 | 1.4% |
| Islam | 8 409 | 0.2% |
| Hinduism | 2 561 | 0.1% |
| No religion | 377 007 | 8.8% |
| Other or undetermined | 117 721 | 2.7% |
| Total | 4 293 637 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.statssa.gov.za/Census2011/Products/Census_2011_Fact_sheet.pdf
- ↑ "Where have all the whites gone?". Pretoria News. 2005-10-08. http://www.pretorianews.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20051008105843418C861797. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rounded to nearest thousand
- ↑ http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0000104/page4.php
- ↑ http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0000104/page2.php
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.hst.org.za/healthstats/5/data/eth
- ↑ http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/cde/cdewp/88-25.pdf SSC.wisc.edu, pg.34
- ↑ http://www.israel21c.org/opinion/israel-and-the-apartheid-lie
- ↑ http://www.skillsportal.co.za/asgisa/14092010-Zwelinzima-Vavi-address-Nedlac-Summit.htm
- ↑ http://links.org.au/node/1851
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15617/1/bp050002.pdf
- ↑ http://www.fin24.com/Business/Gauteng-life-a-mixed-bag-20100527
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 http://www.elsenburg.com/PROVIDE/reports/backgroundp/BP2009_1_8_%20MP%20Demographics.pdf
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15607/1/bp050009.pdf
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15612/1/bp050003.pdf
- ↑ http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15615/1/bp050007.pdf
- ↑ http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/15619/1/bp050001.pdf
- ↑ Table: Census 2001 by province, gender, religion recode (derived) and population group. Census 2001. Statistics South Africa. Retrieved on 2 February 2012.
