Aids may be shrinking SA's population

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South Africa's population may be growing at only a third of the official estimate - largely because of HIV and Aids.

Academics have warned that if the latest figures - projecting a decline - are correct, this could have a negative impact on the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals - as poverty and inequality are likely to be exacerbated.

The latest United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report puts South Africa's population growth rate at 0,6 percent, indicating a concrete decline for the first time.

The report estimates that the country will have five million fewer people in 2050 with a little more than 40 million people, compared with previous projections of twice as many. The world's population is expected to grow by a third (2,5 million people) in that time.

IOL