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Bangladesh vs South Africa

Flag of Bangladesh

Bangladesh

175,686,899#8 · +1.22%/yr
vs
Flag of South Africa

South Africa

64,747,319#24 · +1.15%/yr

Bangladesh has 2.7× the population of South Africa: 175,686,899 vs 64,747,319, a gap of 110.9 million. Bangladesh is growing faster (+1.22% vs +1.15% a year), adding about 2,137,485 people a year against +744,395. At these source-year rates the modelled relative population gap is widening. Bangladesh is 25.3× as densely populated (1,319.2 vs 52.1 people per km²). People in Bangladesh live 8.6 years longer on average (74.9 vs 66.3). GDP per capita is 2.5× higher in South Africa ($6,598 vs $2,597).

Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (Bangladesh) and 2025 (South Africa); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.

Bangladesh vs South Africa — side by side

Flag of Bangladesh BangladeshFlag of South Africa South Africa
Population175,686,899202564,747,3192025
Growth rate / yr+1.22%2025+1.15%2025
Births per 1,00020.0202418.52024
Deaths per 1,0005.120249.22024
Children per woman2.1420242.212024
Life expectancy74.9 yrs202466.3 yrs2024
Aged 0–1427.6%202525.7%2025
Aged 65+6.7%20256.9%2025
Density1,319.2 /km²202352.1 /km²2023
Area147,570 km²20231,219,090 km²2023
Urban population33.2%202563.8%2025
Net migration / yr-402,1002025+146,3702025
GDP per capita$2,5972025$6,5982025
Country population rank (available records)#8#24
Base / world population (World Bank 2025)2.14%0.79%

Highlighted cell = the higher value (not "better"). Small print under each value is its own data year. Source: World Bank; country/territory population bases may have different years. These are not live counts.

Population since 1960

World Bank population history (not the separate UN WPP timeline). Bangladesh: 3.4× from 1960 to 2025; South Africa: 3.9× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.

046.6M93.1M139.7M186.2M1960197019801990200020102020BangladeshSouth Africa01042093134171960197019801990200020102020BangladeshSouth Africa

More comparisons

Regions: South Asia · Sub-Saharan Africa · rankings

Bangladesh: Bangladesh vs India, Bangladesh vs China, Bangladesh vs United States, Bangladesh vs Indonesia, Bangladesh vs Pakistan, Bangladesh vs Nigeria, Bangladesh vs Brazil, Bangladesh vs Russia.

South Africa: South Africa vs India, South Africa vs China, South Africa vs United States, South Africa vs Indonesia, South Africa vs Pakistan, South Africa vs Nigeria, South Africa vs Brazil, South Africa vs Bangladesh.

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This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.

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Interpretation reviewed 12 October 2026. Underlying reference years are stated on the page; this is not a fresh census or dataset refresh.