SA province that recorded the highest number of births among mothers under 17
Which SA province that recorded the highest number of births among mothers under 17? Photo: Joseph Maramba

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SA province that recorded the highest number of births among mothers under 17

Stats SA has released data on births registered in 2022, offering insights into demographics, healthcare trends and societal changes.

By Nick Pawson
13-12-23 17:49
in Featured
SA province that recorded the highest number of births among mothers under 17
Which SA province that recorded the highest number of births among mothers under 17? Photo: Joseph Maramba

Live births statistics provide a crucial glimpse into the dynamics of human populations. Understanding live birth statistics is not merely an exercise in number-crunching; it is a gateway to comprehending the health and wellbeing of populations, Stats SA wrote.

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CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS ON BIRTHS

The data released on Recorded Live Births indicates that South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs registered a total of 998 362 births in 2022. Of these registrations, about 911 986 (91,3%) represent births that occurred in 2022, while 86 376 (8,7%) were late registrations for births that occurred in previous years.

The median age of mothers rose to 28,2 years in 2022, marking the highest median age documented since 1999. Nearly 70% percent of all births in 2022 were attributed to mothers aged 20–34 years.

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KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of births among mothers aged 17 years or younger, followed by Eastern Cape and Limpopo.

The highest proportion of births occurred during the month of March (9,2%), followed by January (8,9%).

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78,0% of total births that occurred in 2022 were registered within the legal requirement of 30-day period after birth occurrence. Although registration within 30 days improved over time, 35,6% of teenage mothers (10-14 years) registered their births a year and above later.

The highest proportion of births were registered in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, at 23,2% and 22,0% respectively, followed by Limpopo at 12,4%. The provinces with lower birth registrations in 2022 were Free State at 4,7% and Northern Cape at 2,5%.

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According to the Recorded Live Births in 2022, the three most popular first names for males were Lethabo, followed by Lubanzi and Melokuhle. Among females, the most prevalent first names were Onalerona, Melokuhle, and Lisakhanya.

While Lethabo remains the most favoured boy’s name, ranking first in 2021 and 2022, Nkazimulo has taken its first steps to crack the top 10 from number 20, while Onalerona zoomed up the ranks from #27 in 2021 to #1-ranked female baby name in 2022.

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