Jeanne Cilliers
Researcher
New estimates of settler life span and other demographic trends in South Africa, 1652-1948
Author
Summary, in English
To date, very little is known about the demography of European settlers in South Africa, since descriptions have been based on Ross's 1975 calculations of a small sample of 300 observations in the Cape Colony. In this paper we provide a broader and deeper account, using a dataset drawn from the Genealogical Institute of South Africa (2008) that includes information on 401,602 observations of settlers in South Africa and spans the period 1652 to 1948. We estimate useful descriptive statistics on key demographic indicators: population dynamics, age distribution, longevity, marriage patterns, and dependency burdens. These shed new light on the development and demographic transition of the South African settler population and enable international comparisons.
Publishing year
2012
Language
English
Pages
61-86
Publication/Series
Economic History of Developing Regions
Volume
27
Issue
2
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Topic
- Economic History
Keywords
- historical demography
- economic development
- population dynamics
- living standards
- family life
- life span
- age distribution
- marriage patterns
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 2078-0397