South Africa has held three official censuses in its democratic history: in 1996, 2001 and 2011. In the 15 years from 1996 to 2011, the country’s population rose from 40.6 million people to 51.8 million people.

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Read more: South Africa’s population

In 1994 South Africa held its first democratic election. All adults, in a country previously divided by apartheid, were for the first time allowed to vote for a single government.

Two years later, in 1996, South Africa counted its total population in the country’s first democratic census.

Census figures reveal a significant shift in the country’s population, and racial profile.

In 1996 South Africa had a population of just over 40.6 million people. Census 2011 recorded a population of 51.8 million people.

In the 15 years from Census 1996 to Census 2011, the black population increased by 9.9 million, the coloured population by 1 million, the Indian population by 240,000 – and the white population by 150,000.

Here are the figures for the four censuses, and the most recent population estimates.

Census 1996

• Total: 40,583,573
• Black: 31,127,631 (76.7%)
• Coloured: 3,600,446 (8.9%)
• White: 4,434,697 (10.9%)
• Indian or Asian: 1,045,596 (2.6%)

Census 2001

• Total: 44,819,778
• Black: 35,416,166 (79.0%)
• Coloured: 3,994,505 (8.9%)
• White: 4,293,640 (9.6%)
• Indian or Asian: 1,115,467 (2.5%)

Census 2011

• Total: 51,770,560
• Black: 41,000,938 (79.2%)
• Coloured: 4,615,401 (8.9%)
• White: 4,586,838 (8.9%)
• Indian or Asian: 1,286,930 (2.5%)

Mid-year population estimates 2017

• Total: 56,521,900
• Black: 45,656,400 (80.8%)
• Coloured: 4,962,900 (8.8%)
• White: 4,493,500 (8.0%)
• Indian or Asian: 1,409,100 (2.5%)

Researched, written and designed by Mary Alexander.
Updated 11 April 2019.

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