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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs a result, most youth continue to rely on public health institutions, which remain the most used facilities across both surveys. Public health clinics have become the primary point of care, with utilisation increasing from 68,9% in 2014\/15 to 75% in 2022\/23. In contrast, visits to private doctors and specialists declined from 17,6% to 13,2% over the same period, highlighting a growing reliance on public healthcare services among young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some positive shifts are also evident in reproductive health indicators. Data on teenage births shows a general decline in the number of births among those aged 15\u201319 years between 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mortality data shows distinct patterns by sex and age. Young men are disproportionately affected by non-natural causes of death. Among youth aged 15\u201329 years, about half (47,7%) of all deaths are attributed to non-natural causes. The highest proportion is seen among males aged 20\u201324 years, where 61,7% of deaths fall into this category. Among females, the peak occurs earlier, in the 15\u201319 age group, where 32,0% of deaths are linked to non-natural causes, largely driven by external factors, such as assault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Across all reporting years (2022 and 2023), tuberculosis, HIV-related illnesses, and assault remain the three leading underlying causes of death among young people. These persistent trends highlight ongoing health risks faced by youth, even as some indicators, such as perceived wellbeing and teenage pregnancy, show signs of improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taken together, the data presents a mixed picture. While many young people report feeling healthy and increasingly positive about their wellbeing, barriers to healthcare access and the continued impact of the leading causes of death remain notable in the data, underscoring the gap between perceived health and the underlying risks as reflected in the data. For more information, refer to the various reports on the Stats SA website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mid-Year Population Estimates 2025<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Living Conditions Survey 2014\/15<\/a>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Income and Expenditure Survey 2022\/23<\/a>,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recorded Live Births 2023<\/a> and 2024<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mortality and causes of death 2022<\/a> and 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" South Africa\u2019s youth face a combination of health challenges and reality. While many young people describe themselves as healthy and hopeful, their lived experience reveal a more complex story shaped by financial pressures, limited access to quality health services, and everyday life challenges. Recent data reveals shifting patterns in how young people experience health, access read more »<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n