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Philippines vs South Africa

Flag of Philippines

Philippines

116,786,962#14 · +0.81%/yr
vs
Flag of South Africa

South Africa

64,747,319#24 · +1.15%/yr

Philippines has 1.8× the population of South Africa: 116,786,962 vs 64,747,319, a gap of 52.0 million. South Africa is growing faster (+1.15% vs +0.81% a year), adding about 744,395 people a year against +947,122. Using continuous exponential growth from the stated base year, if these rates held, South Africa would overtake Philippines in about 174 years (from the 2025 population bases, around 2199) — a projection, not a forecast. South Africa is the older society: 6.9% aged 65+ against 5.7% in Philippines, while Philippines has more children (27.1% under 15 vs 25.7%). Philippines is 7.4× as densely populated (385.3 vs 52.1 people per km²). People in Philippines live 3.6 years longer on average (69.9 vs 66.3). GDP per capita is 1.6× higher in South Africa ($6,598 vs $4,171).

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

Philippines vs South Africa — side by side

Flag of Philippines PhilippinesFlag of South Africa South Africa
Population116,786,962202564,747,3192025
Growth rate / yr+0.81%2025+1.15%2025
Births per 1,00015.9202418.52024
Deaths per 1,0006.320249.22024
Children per woman1.8920242.212024
Life expectancy69.9 yrs202466.3 yrs2024
Aged 0–1427.1%202525.7%2025
Aged 65+5.7%20256.9%2025
Density385.3 /km²202352.1 /km²2023
Area300,000 km²20231,219,090 km²2023
Urban population55.8%202563.8%2025
Net migration / yr-149,3152025+146,3702025
GDP per capita$4,1712025$6,5982025
Country population rank (available records)#14#24
Base / world population (World Bank 2025)1.42%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). Philippines: 4.2× 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.

030.9M61.9M92.8M123.8M1960197019801990200020102020PhilippinesSouth Africa01112223334441960197019801990200020102020PhilippinesSouth Africa

More comparisons

Regions: East Asia & Pacific · Sub-Saharan Africa · rankings

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

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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.