This is despite evidence that life expectancy was on the increase pre-2021.

The average life expectancy for males is estimated at 59,3 years in 2021, with females living on an average of 64,6 years. 

The drastic increase in the crude death rate from 8,8 deaths per 1 000 population in 2020 to 11,5 deaths per 1 000 population in 2021 is influenced by Covid-19 mortality rates in the country in the year since the pandemic broke out.  

The infant mortality rate for 2021 is estimated at 24,1 per 1 000 live births.

“The impact of COVID-19 on conception and subsequently the expected births in 2021 is anticipated to decline given the escalation in economic uncertainty,” Stats SA said in the mid-year population estimates on Monday. 

“With declining fertility and a dramatic increase (34%) in deaths in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of natural increase in South Africa dropped drastically from 1,1% in 2020 to 0,8% in 2021.”

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The report also shows the impact of Covid on life expectancy internationally. 

“Using excess deaths, we can determine the impact of the pandemic on life expectancy across countries (Goldstein and Lee, 2020). Internationally we have already seen a decline in life expectancy at birth between 2019 and 2020 in 25 of the 27 countries for which there is high quality vital statistics on death available (Aburto et al., 2021).  

“Life expectancy for 2020 is estimated to have declined between 2 to 3 years in the United States (Aburto, 2021, Lee and Goldstein, 2020). In England and Wales, life expectancy at birth has been estimated to decline by 0,9 year for women and 1,6 years men (Aburto et al., 2021). It is clear that in developing countries devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, reversals in life expectancy due to the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to be greater.”

According to the stats, South Africa’s population sits at 60,14 million.  

Approximately 51.1% (at least 30,75 million) of the population is female.  

• Gauteng still comprises the largest share of the South African population: approximately 15,81 million people (26.3%).
• KwaZulu-Natal has the second largest population, with an estimated 11,5 million people (19.1%).
• Northern Cape has the smallest population, with a population of approximately 1,30 million people (2.2%)

About 28% of the population is aged younger than 15 years and approximately 9,2% is 60 years or older.