State of the Environment : South Africa - Social Environment: State I


National State of the Environment Report - South Africa
Main Issues:	Climate	Terrestrial	Water	Marine	Social	Economic	Political	Home page

This part of the report contains the following sub-sections:
Overview	Introduction	Driving forces	Pressure	State	Impact	Response
Outcome	Linkages	Data issues	Conclusions	References	Indicators	Links

The status of the Social Environment: # 1

The Status of the Social Environment are discussed under the following headings:
The state of social and economic development		Poverty
Health	Access to health care	Indices of notifiable diseases
Main causes of death	Education	Employment

The total population was estimated at 40.58 million in 1996. The population growth rate is estimated at between 2% and 3% per year (Central Statistical Services 1995, Central Statistical Services 1996, Institute for Futures Research, 1997, Development Bank of Southern Africa 1996). The growth rate is the result of a decline in infant mortality rates, and a relatively high fertility rate (see Figure5.2). However, the growth rate is declining, although the absolute size of the population will continue to increase for some time yet.

Fig 5.2 Crude birth and crude death rate

Figure 5.2 Graph comparing crude birth rate & crude death rate.

The World Health Organisation recorded the Total Fertility Rate for South Africa in 1997 as 3.8. This compares to 2.0 in the United States, 1.4 in Austria, 2.2 in Brazil and 3.0 in Peru (World Health Organisation, 1998).

The movement of people from rural to urban areas and from inland to coastal areas, has the most significant impact on the environment. Figures 5.3a and 5.3b show areas where the population growth rate exceeds the total population growth rate for the country, which are assumed to have high migration rates.


Figure 5.3a Population growth rate 1980-1991	Figure 5.3b Population change 1970-1991

Fig 5.4 Urbanisation trends in South Africa

Figure 5.4 Movement from rural to urban areas 1904-1996

Figure 5.4 shows the increase in urbanisation of the South African population.

The average household size of the poorer sections of the population is high, and coloured households are particularly overcrowded. Research in the UShas shown that average household size has been declining with increased economic development (Pebley 1998).

Fig 5.5 Household size in South Africa (1996)

Figure 5.5 Household size in South Africa (1996)

The same trend is expected to occur in South Africa, and will create additional demand for urban residential land and municipal services. Figure 5.5 shows that the majority of households consists of five or less members. These figures do not include people living in hostels or institutions.

> Social Environment: State..#2

There is also information about the Social Environment in the following reports:
Metropolitan reports:
	Cape Metropolitan Council (1998 edition)	Durban Pilot Study
	Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council (1999 edition)	Greater Pretoria Metropolitan Council (1999 edition)