The state of the population in the Western Cape province

Abstract

The slogan 'Home for all' is associated with the Western Cape provincial government and the creation of a sustainable 'home for all' is the driving goal. In order to achieve this, however, it is crucial to examine the issues impacting on and impacted by the diverse population of the province.

The State of the Population in the Western Cape Province embraces a multi-sectoral approach to understanding these issues and demonstrates the critical interplay between population and sustainable development.

An overview of salient demographic features and a review of the policy frameworks that have influenced population and planning in the Western Cape set the context for a detailed analysis of the population data currently available. The analysis focuses on the levels and determinants of population vulnerability such as mortality, child maltreatment, levels of ageing, HIV/AIDS, non-citizen populations and risk factors in education, and draws attention to the implications for policy.

Written by researchers and academics with local and international experience in fields ranging from sociology, public health and medical demography to urban planning, education and psychology, the volume will be immensely valuable to policy-makers and planners. It is also hoped that Social Science and Development Studies students will find much to interrogate and will be inspired to contribute to future, more comprehensive works on population as new data becomes available.