SA’s older age population swells to 6,6m
Women outnumber men as ageing trends reshape family life and care needs.
South Africa is quietly becoming a country where more people are living into their later years, bringing fresh opportunities for wisdom and family bonds alongside new pressures on care, support systems and daily well-being.
The older population has grown from 3,6m (7,7% of the total) in 2002 to 6,6m (10,5%) in 2025, an increase of 3m people over 23 years.
This is according to Statistics South Africa’s latest Marginalised Groups Series VIII report on healthy ageing.
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The rise is driven by falling fertility rates, longer life expectancy and better living conditions. Ageing indices have climbed across all population groups, with the white older population showing the biggest increase.
Older women continue to outnumber older men. In 2025, there were just 65 older men for every 100 older women, down from 67 in 2002. Older women are therefore more likely to be widowed, live alone or head extended households with heavier caregiving responsibilities, while older men are more often married and living with a spouse.
Households headed by older persons rose from 19,3% in 2002 to 20,6% in 2024. Extended-family homes, which include adult children, grandchildren and other relatives, make up more than 50% of these households, well above the national average of 31,7%.
Women live longer than men, with life expectancy at 69,6 years compared with 64,0 years. Medical aid coverage among older people edged up to 21,9% in 2024, still higher than the national rate.
Public hospitals and clinics remain the main source of care, used by 68,5% of older persons.
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High blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis are the most common chronic conditions, with hypertension a leading cause of death. Disability rates among older people fell from 27,5% in 2011 to 25,0% in 2022, though the highest prevalence is still among older black Africans at 27,0%.
Grants are the main income source for 60,1% of older-person-headed households, followed by salaries and wages at 21,0%.
Poverty rates among older persons have declined across all three national poverty lines since 2006, yet labour-market participation remains low. Older men are more likely to work in skilled occupations, while older women are concentrated in domestic work.
Living conditions have improved markedly. Formal housing among older persons increased from 75,8% in 2002 to 91,3% in 2024, informal dwellings declined, and access to electricity, sanitation and internet advanced sharply, internet access reaching 86,6% in 2024.
Despite these gains, challenges remain: uneven healthcare access, limited medical aid coverage, low employment rates and ongoing concerns about safety and economic vulnerability.
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