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New estimates of settler life span and other demographic trends in South Africa, 1652-1948

Cilliers, Jeanne LU and Fourie, Johan (2012) In Economic History of Developing Regions 27(2). p.61-86
Abstract
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... (More)
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. (Less)
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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
historical demography, economic development, population dynamics, living standards, family life, life span, age distribution, marriage patterns
in
Economic History of Developing Regions
volume
27
issue
2
pages
61 - 86
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:84897456183
ISSN
2078-0397
DOI
10.1080/20780389.2012.745663
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
843b4c3e-5067-41fd-88e9-639ccdf6b599
date added to LUP
2022-10-28 10:34:23
date last changed
2022-10-29 04:04:23
@article{843b4c3e-5067-41fd-88e9-639ccdf6b599,
  abstract     = {{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.}},
  author       = {{Cilliers, Jeanne and Fourie, Johan}},
  issn         = {{2078-0397}},
  keywords     = {{historical demography; economic development; population dynamics; living standards; family life; life span; age distribution; marriage patterns}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{61--86}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Economic History of Developing Regions}},
  title        = {{New estimates of settler life span and other demographic trends in South Africa, 1652-1948}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20780389.2012.745663}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/20780389.2012.745663}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}