Africa News

Survey: South Africa's murder rate down, literacy up

Feb 23, 2011, 12:05 GMT

Johannesburg - Development indicators, including murder and literacy rates, in South Africa are showing a positive trend, according to an independent survey released on Wednesday.

The index, which tracks six areas, showed that murder was down by about eight per cent from 2009, while other violent crime had also dropped, albeit marginally, the South African Institute for Race Relations (SAIRR), which complied the index, said.

The number of serious crimes per 100,000 people decreased from 4,313 to 4,298, while the number of murders per 100,000 people dropped from 37 to 34, the South African Development Index showed.

Education in terms of literacy and pass rates had also improved, with university entrance passes up by just over 18 per cent. But the economic, gender, health and living-condition indicators had all declined marginally.

The economic score, which included the gross domestic product (GDP) and unemployment rate, declined largely due to the increased unemployment rate, especially among the young.

'South Africa's GDP was seasonally adjusted and annualized at constant 2005 prices. It increased from 1,590,939 million rand in the second quarter of 2010 to 1,598,755 million rand in the third quarter,' said Ashwin Pienaar, a researcher at the SAIRR.

The health sector's lower score was attributed to increased infant mortality, increased HIV infections and declining female life expectancy.