A drop in life expectancy of 3.1 and 3.8 years for men and women in South Africa

Cape Town – While the pandemic has caused a significant increase in the number of deaths over the past year, according to Statistics SA (StatsSA), the current mid-year population is estimated at 60.14 million people.

According to the report, life expectancy at birth for 2021 is estimated at 59.3 years for men and 64.6 years for women, which is a decrease of 3.1 and 3.8 years respectively from to 2020. The crude death rate also increased by 2.9 deaths per 1,000. of the population over the same period.

The report further shows that the estimated global HIV prevalence rate is around 13.7% among the South African population. The total number of people living with HIV is estimated to be around 8.2 million in 2021. For adults aged 15 to 49, an estimated 19.5% of the population is HIV positive.

Chief Demographic Analysis Director Diego Iturralde said HIV / AIDS impacts people in terms of causing loss of life during years of economic activity.

“HIV / AIDS is also a disease that has an impact on health compared to other diseases such as tuberculosis, cancers, infectious diseases as well as non-communicable diseases by making you more vulnerable compared to a person. suffering from these diseases which is seronegative. “Iturralde said.

According to the report, there has also been a decrease in international migration, reflecting the travel limitations of Covid-19 and their consequent effect on migration patterns from March 2020.

While migration is seen as essential for demographic activity as it affects the age structure and distribution of the provincial population, Iturralde said international migrants bring beneficial business elements to society and the well-being of the people. savings.

“International migration is not only a key demographic phenomenon, but also a development phenomenon. International migrants bring with them entrepreneurial skills that contribute to our economy. Most international migrants come from the SADC region and MYPE estimates that by the end of 2016-21 (which is now) we will have around 4 million foreign born people.

“Population growth at the macro level creates economies of scale, while at the household level people choose their family size based on their living conditions. Poor families choose large families as a safety net to look after their old age, while richer families consider the marginal cost of raising a child so that it can be self-sufficient.

“The best way to create a sustainable environment for all is to empower women to take control of their bodies using family planning mechanisms available to them is the best way for the development of the population. The type of family planning is related to what is available to a woman where she lives and according to her socio-economic situation, ”Iturralde said.

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