Inequality and demography

Percept | July 2022

South Africa is widely regarded as the most unequal country in the world, ranking at the top of the global Gini index. The fact that South Africa’s population growth has outpaced projections in the 2012 National Development Plan (NDP) might, for some, suggest an added challenge to reducing inequality and achieving the country’s development goals. This report explores and complicates the relationship between South Africa’s inequality and its demography. The report’s overarching argument is that while understanding, and paying attention to, population dynamics is critical for South Africa’s development planning, we cannot rely on demography alone to shift inequality.

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