15 fascinating facts about bor

15 fascinating facts about born frees

South Africa’s Institute for Race Relations releases facts and figures about South Africans born in a democratic South Africa and now want you to consider it – and start a debate.

15 fascinating facts about bor

Born frees are South Africans born in or after 1990. The Institute for Race Relations (IRR) has recently published a report about born frees to stimulate debate about young people and social, financial and political issues in South Africa.

Here are 15 of their facts and/or findings that should be considered before entering the debate:

  1. Born frees number 27 million and constitute half the country’s population.
  2. Having lost one or both of their parents, some 3.24 million of the country’s 18.57 million children are orphans.
  3. Only 40% of boys, and 49% of girls, born this year can expect to survive to their 65th birthday.
  4. Of the 1.09 million born frees who need antiretroviral treatment, only 25% are receiving it.
  5. More than 61% of born frees receive child support grants from the State.
  6. A third of children aged between 15 and 19 live in households where no one is employed.
  7. Unemployment among male born frees of working age (including discouraged workers) is running at 67%, and among their female equivalents at 75%.
  8. South Africa accounts for 0.77% of the world’s population but 1.9% of its youth unemployment.
  9. Although Africans now account for more than two thirds of university students, only 16% of Africans between the ages of 20 and 24 are enrolled at university.
  10. Only 38% of students admitted to university are likely to obtain their three or four-year degrees within five years. Some 51% are unlikely to graduate at all.
  11. Born frees between the ages of 15 and 24 are running 74,000 micro-businesses.
  12. People between the ages of 14 and 25 account for 29% of the country’s prison population and 45,000 born frees are in prison at any one time.
  13. Born frees account for 49% of support for the Economic Freedom Fighters, against 30% of African National Congress support and 14% of Democratic Alliance support.
  14. The youth desk in the Presidency says young people feel politically excluded because of high unemployment and their ability to participate economically.
  15. The youth desk in the Presidency says young people feel politically excluded because of high unemployment and their inability to participate economically.