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Population Registration Act, 1950

1950 · 20th century

The Population Registration Act of 1950 required every South African to be classified and registered by race, as white, coloured or native, later black, with Indians added as a subgroup. Classification, decided by appearance, descent and social acceptance, determined where people could live, work and study under apartheid and divided families. It was the foundation of apartheid legislation until its repeal in 1991.

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APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Population Registration Act, 1950. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/population-registration-act-1950
MLA: “Population Registration Act, 1950.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/population-registration-act-1950. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Population Registration Act, 1950.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/population-registration-act-1950.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Population Registration Act, 1950’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/population-registration-act-1950 (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻