Every year, thousands of babies in South Africa never get to take their first breath, while many others die within days of birth. The latest report from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), Perinatal Deaths in South Africa, 2016–2020, highlights a concerning trend: stillbirths have more than doubled since 1997, reaching 15,908 in 2020. Early neonatal   read more »

Statistics South Africa’s Governance, Public Safety, and Justice Survey (GPSJS) 2023/24 reveals a decline in the sense of safety among individuals walking in their neighbourhoods during the day and at night since 2019/20. Respondents were asked how safe they felt walking in their neighbourhoods alone during the day and when it was dark. The sense   read more »

“Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo” (“You strike a woman, you strike a rock”) has become a powerful symbol of women’s strength and resistance. During Women’s Month, we celebrate the achievements of women in South Africa and the critical role they play in our society. Regrettably, women in SA continue to shoulder a disproportionate burden of unemployment,   read more »

South Africa’s population has now exceeded 63 million, according to the latest mid-year population estimates for 2024. The country’s population grew by approximately 835,513 individuals, marking a 1,33% increase from July 2023 to July 2024. The data reveals that over half of the population is female, totalling around 32 million people. Provincial population estimates indicate   read more »

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have emerged as a major global health challenge, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. A new report released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), Non-communicable diseases: Findings from death notifications (2008-2018), explores the changing landscape of NCDs in South Africa over time, highlighting key trends and insights. Data from the World Health Organization   read more »

In 2018, females accounted for 51,3% of cancers diagnosed in South Africa while males accounted for 48,6%. The median age at diagnosis of cancer was 59 years for females and 64 years for males. However, the median age at death due to cancer was 62 for females and 64 for males, suggesting that cancer in   read more »

South Africa has several transformative and progressive policies and legislations aimed at advancing women’s empowerment and gender equality. A review of some indicators suggests that there is an improvement in the quality of life of women over the years. However, women are still faced with adverse health outcomes such as sexually transmitted illnesses, gender-based violence   read more »

In South Africa, adolescents aged 10-19 represent a significant proportion of the population at 17,4% and contribute to 2,1% of the total mortality. The health and well-being of adolescents is of particular importance in society as they represent the future work force and contributors to potential economic productivity. However, adolescents may face many challenges such   read more »

Education is deemed to be a basic human right but, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed not only the way we live, but also the way we learn. First-time learners were destined to experience learning in a very different way than their predecessors. In South Africa, school closures were announced on 18 March 2020, interrupting   read more »

As stipulated in Treasury Instruction No 11. of 2021, and in the interests of transparency, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has published information related to PPE procurement by the department for the period March 2020 and ongoing, on its website. The information can be accessed here . This information will be updated on a monthly   read more »