South Africa sees decline in births for 2023, this was the surname that topped the list

Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) has revealed in its Recorded Live Births data that South Africans registered a total of 932 138 births with the Department of Home Affairs in 2023.

Of these, 848 337 (91%) were for births that occurred in 2023. This as 83 801 (9%) were late registrations of births from previous years.

This represents a decrease from 998 362 births registered in 2022.

In 2023, parents registered 80.7% of all births within the legally mandated 30-day period. While this demonstrates an overall improvement in timely registration, challenges persist among young mothers (aged 10-19) and older mothers (aged 50-54), where registration rates within the 30-day window remained below 60%.

Birth registrations by age of mother

The data revealed demographic shifts in maternal age, with the median age of mothers increasing to 28.3 years in 2023. This is the highest since 2004.

“This rise reflects broader global trends, where women are increasingly delaying childbirth due to several factors. These include education, career aspirations and improved access to family planning,” said StatsSA.

Births to mothers aged 20-34 accounted for nearly 70% of all births, indicating that this remains the dominant reproductive age group.

Regarding the seasonality of births, March recorded the highest number of births (67 829). It was followed closely by January (66 311) and May (66 131).

“Understanding seasonal patterns can help healthcare facilities prepare for peak periods and ensure that adequate maternal and newborn care services are available when they are most needed.”

Birth registrations by provinces

Gauteng registered the highest number of total births at 219 023. This is followed by KwaZulu-Natal (205 831), Limpopo (114 688) and Eastern Cape (101 901).

For other provinces, total birth registrations were below 100 000. In all the provinces, there were more births registered within the first 30 days.

Gauteng had the highest number of births registered within 30 days at 175 577, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 151 001 and Limpopo at 102 325.

Northern Cape had the lowest number of births registered within 30 days at 20 094. KwaZulu-Natal had the highest number of births registered within 31-364 days at 37 495, followed by Gauteng at 16 661.

KwaZulu-Natal also recorded the highest number of births to teenage mothers aged 17 years and under. This is followed by Limpopo and the Eastern Cape.

Sex ratio by province

According to StatsSA, sex ratio at birth is defined as the number of male births per 100 female births in a population.

“A ratio of 100 indicates an equal number of male births for every female birth, whereas a number less than 100 indicates relatively more female births and a number above 100 indicates more male births.”

South Africa had a sex ratio of 102 males per 100 females, indicating that there were more male birth registrations than female birth registrations in 2023.

Seven provinces, with the exception of Western Cape and Mpumalanga – had the same sex ratio (102) as the national ratio.

Western Cape had the highest sex ratio with 103 male birth registrations per 100 female birth registrations. Mpumalanga had the lowest ratio with 99 male birth registrations per 100 female birth registrations.

Baby names

Regarding baby names, the 2023 data revealed some clear favourites. For boys, Lethabo, Nkazimulo, and Lubanzi led the pack, while Onalerona, Melokuhle and Lisakhanya were the top names for girls.

Lethabo, Melokuhle and Omphile were popular for both boys and girls.

Junior and Precious were the leading second names among males and females, respectively. The majority of second names for both males and females were in English, as opposed to native language first names.

According to the data, the Dlaminis recorded the highest births in 2023, closely followed by the Ndlovus and Nkosis.

Nine of the common surnames were from the Nguni clans, Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swati.

Mokoena, which featured as the seventh-most popular surname, was the only non-Nguni surname.

Birth registrations ‘critical’

Birth registrations provide a child with a legal identity, which is a prerequisite for accessing a range of fundamental rights such as the right to education, healthcare, social welfare and protection.

Without a legal identity, children are often excluded from vital services, which can affect their development and overall well-being.

“The data collected during the registration process is important for national planning,” said StatsSA.

“It allows the government to estimate population growth, allocate resources more effectively, and shape policies that respond to the needs of citizens.”