The population has grown and with it unemployment

The population rose to 44.8 million from 40.5 million.

The results - released ahead of next year's general elections - show that the average living standards of South Africans have improved.

More South Africans had access to education, clean water and electricity in 2001 compared to five years earlier.

Around 70% of homes had electricity in 2001 compared with 58% in 1996.

President Thabo Mbeki says that the results show that the country was 'not standing still'.

However, the census shows enormous disparities between racial groups.

About 30% of white South Africans had a higher education qualification, compared to just 5% of black South Africans.

Unemployment

The population shot up despite estimates that hundreds of thousands may have died during the period from HIV/Aids.

South Africa has the largest HIV-infected population in the world, with around 4.8 million people believed to have the HIV virus that causes Aids.

Unemployment remained a big problem despite an average economic growth of 2.7% over the period.

The census put unemployment at about 42% of the total number of South Africans who are eligible for employment.

The Statistician-General, Mr Pali Lehola, says the unemployment figure could be lower because people in the informal sector and agriculture defined themselves as unemployed.

Undercounting

The census also found out that the number of white people in South Africa, where the white-ruled apartheid system operated until 1994, fell to 10% from 11% five years earlier.

Many white South Africans have emigrated in recent years.

But Mr Lehola also expressed uncertainty over figures for white South Africans because of undercounting.

He said that some South Africans live behind high security walls and keep fierce guard dogs that could have kept away census officials.