Ethiopia vs South Africa
Ethiopia has 2.1× the population of South Africa: 135,472,051 vs 64,747,319, a gap of 70.7 million. Ethiopia is growing faster (+2.55% vs +1.15% a year), adding about 3,455,994 people a year against +744,395. At these source-year rates the modelled relative population gap is widening. South Africa is the older society: 6.9% aged 65+ against 3.3% in Ethiopia, while Ethiopia has more children (38.8% under 15 vs 25.7%). Ethiopia is 2.2× as densely populated (114.0 vs 52.1 people per km²). People in Ethiopia live 1.3 years longer on average (67.6 vs 66.3). GDP per capita is 7.1× higher in South Africa ($6,598 vs $933).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (Ethiopia) and 2025 (South Africa); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
Ethiopia vs South Africa — side by side
 Ethiopia |  South Africa | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 135,472,0512025 | 64,747,3192025 |
| Growth rate / yr | +2.55%2025 | +1.15%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 31.52024 | 18.52024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 5.92024 | 9.22024 |
| Children per woman | 3.912024 | 2.212024 |
| Life expectancy | 67.6 yrs2024 | 66.3 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 38.8%2025 | 25.7%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 3.3%2025 | 6.9%2025 |
| Density | 114.0 /km²2023 | 52.1 /km²2023 |
| Area | 1,136,240 km²2023 | 1,219,090 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 24.1%2025 | 63.8%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | +24,0542025 | +146,3702025 |
| GDP per capita | $9332025 | $6,5982025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #10 | #24 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 1.65% | 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). Ethiopia: 6.3× 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.
More comparisons
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa · rankings
Ethiopia: Ethiopia vs India, Ethiopia vs China, Ethiopia vs United States, Ethiopia vs Indonesia, Ethiopia vs Pakistan, Ethiopia vs Nigeria, Ethiopia vs Brazil, Ethiopia vs Bangladesh.
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.