South Africa vs Vietnam
Vietnam has 1.6× the population of South Africa: 101,598,527 vs 64,747,319, a gap of 36.9 million. South Africa is growing faster (+1.15% vs +0.60% a year), adding about 744,395 people a year against +612,685. Using continuous exponential growth from the stated base year, if these rates held, South Africa would overtake Vietnam in about 82 years (from the 2025 population bases, around 2107) — a projection, not a forecast. Vietnam is the older society: 9.5% aged 65+ against 6.9% in South Africa, while South Africa has more children (25.7% under 15 vs 22.9%). Vietnam is 6.1× as densely populated (320.2 vs 52.1 people per km²). People in Vietnam live 8.4 years longer on average (74.7 vs 66.3). GDP per capita is 1.3× higher in South Africa ($6,598 vs $5,066).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (South Africa) and 2025 (Vietnam); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
South Africa vs Vietnam — side by side
 South Africa |  Vietnam | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,3192025 | 101,598,5272025 |
| Growth rate / yr | +1.15%2025 | +0.60%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 18.52024 | 13.42024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 9.22024 | 6.62024 |
| Children per woman | 2.212024 | 1.902024 |
| Life expectancy | 66.3 yrs2024 | 74.7 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 25.7%2025 | 22.9%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 6.9%2025 | 9.5%2025 |
| Density | 52.1 /km²2023 | 320.2 /km²2023 |
| Area | 1,219,090 km²2023 | 331,338 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 63.8%2025 | 38.8%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | +146,3702025 | -48,1712025 |
| GDP per capita | $6,5982025 | $5,0662025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #24 | #16 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 0.79% | 1.24% |
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). South Africa: 3.9× from 1960 to 2025; Vietnam: 3.1× 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: Sub-Saharan Africa · East Asia & Pacific · rankings
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.
Vietnam: Vietnam vs India, Vietnam vs China, Vietnam vs United States, Vietnam vs Indonesia, Vietnam vs Pakistan, Vietnam vs Nigeria, Vietnam vs Brazil, Vietnam vs Bangladesh.
Compare anything
Pick any two. The result renders instantly from the same live data as the map, and the URL updates so you can share it.
What changed during your lifetime?
Turn these figures into a private, five-scene personal world story.
Compare like with like
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.