📜 A long story
South Africa, 1800 → today
South Africa grew from 1.45 million in 1800 to 63.2 million; a newborn can expect 23 more years of life than in 1950, and output per person is 7.5× its 1800 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 1.45 million people lived in South Africa.
1900
5.16 million people.
3.6× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1849.
1950
13 million people.
2.5× the 1900 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1921.
2023
63.2 million people, the latest year in this series.
4.8× the 1950 level
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1955.
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 1980.
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1950
In 1950, a newborn in South Africa could expect to live 43.1 years, on average.
2023
66.1 years, the latest year in this series.
+23 years since 1950
Passed 50 years in 1957.
Passed 60 years in 1980.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 7.4 years between 1995 and 2003 (61.6 years → 54.2 years).
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1800
In 1800, South Africa produced about Int$1,530 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$1,490.
about the same as in 1800
The sharpest fall in the data: down 47% between 1880 and 1885 (Int$2,290 → Int$1,210).
1950
Int$4,040.
2.7× the 1900 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1937.
2022
Int$11,400, the latest year in this series.
2.8× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 2001.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1884
In 1884, fossil fuels and industry in South Africa emitted about 0.0051 t of CO₂ per person.
1950
4.7 t.
921× the 1884 level
Reached twice the 1884 level in 1886.
Reached 5 times the 1884 level in 1889.
Reached 10 times the 1884 level in 1890.
Reached 20 times the 1884 level in 1892.
Reached 50 times the 1884 level in 1893.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 62% between 1898 and 1900 (1.2 t → 0.5 t).
2024
6.9 t, the latest year in this series.
1.5× the 1950 level
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in South Africa had spent 0.7 years in school, on average.
1900
1.2 years.
+0.54 years since 1870
1950
4.2 years.
+3 years since 1900
Passed 2 years in 1920.
Passed 4 years in 1950.
2015
10.2 years, the latest year in this series.
+6 years since 1950
Passed 6 years in 1990.
Passed 8 years in 1995.
Passed 10 years in 2015.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).