Pakistan vs South Africa
Pakistan has 3.9× the population of South Africa: 255,219,554 vs 64,747,319, a gap of 190.5 million. Pakistan is growing faster (+1.56% vs +1.15% a year), adding about 3,981,282 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 4.4% in Pakistan, while Pakistan has more children (36.2% under 15 vs 25.7%). Pakistan is 6.2× as densely populated (321.1 vs 52.1 people per km²). People in Pakistan live 1.5 years longer on average (67.8 vs 66.3). GDP per capita is 4.1× higher in South Africa ($6,598 vs $1,596).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (Pakistan) and 2025 (South Africa); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
Pakistan vs South Africa — side by side
 Pakistan |  South Africa | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 255,219,5542025 | 64,747,3192025 |
| Growth rate / yr | +1.56%2025 | +1.15%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 27.42024 | 18.52024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 6.42024 | 9.22024 |
| Children per woman | 3.552024 | 2.212024 |
| Life expectancy | 67.8 yrs2024 | 66.3 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 36.2%2025 | 25.7%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 4.4%2025 | 6.9%2025 |
| Density | 321.1 /km²2023 | 52.1 /km²2023 |
| Area | 796,100 km²2023 | 1,219,090 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 39.5%2025 | 63.8%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | -1,235,3362025 | +146,3702025 |
| GDP per capita | $1,5962025 | $6,5982025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #5 | #24 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 3.11% | 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). Pakistan: 5.6× 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
Regions: Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan · Sub-Saharan Africa · rankings
Pakistan: Pakistan vs India, Pakistan vs China, Pakistan vs United States, Pakistan vs Indonesia, Pakistan vs Nigeria, Pakistan vs Brazil, Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Pakistan 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.