South Africa Population
South Africa had an estimated population of 64,747,319 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 24th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.79% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +1.15% a year.
South Africa at a glance
How South Africa's population is changing
South Africa's population is growing: +1.15% a year, which works out to about +744,395 people per year, or +2,038 a day. Births (18.5 per 1,000) and deaths (9.2 per 1,000) alone would give +0.92% a year; net migration adds about 146,370 people a year (+0.23%). Roughly one in every 127 people on Earth lives in South Africa.
Population of South Africa since 1960
In 1960, South Africa had 16,440,172 people. By 2025 that was 64,747,319 — 3.9× larger. The fastest growth came between 1979 and 1989, when the population rose by 38%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 16,440,172 | — |
| 1970 | 22,279,984 | +35.5% |
| 1980 | 29,518,857 | +32.5% |
| 1990 | 40,746,268 | +38.0% |
| 2000 | 47,159,719 | +15.7% |
| 2010 | 52,344,051 | +11.0% |
| 2020 | 60,562,381 | +15.7% |
| 2025 | 64,747,319 | +6.9% |
South Africa from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put South Africa at about 1,447,911 people in 1800; the UN estimates 64,747,319 in 2025 (45× 1800) and projects 94,314,443 for 2100 in its medium scenario. That is still 46% growth over the rest of this century.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 1,447,911 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 2,986,678 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 5,163,858 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 13,038,501 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 47,159,715 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 64,747,319 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 79,177,332 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 88,323,149 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 94,314,443 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in South Africa
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 64,747,319. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 7,077,175 | UN urban centre | 10.93% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Cape Town | 4,772,846 | GeoNames settlement | 7.37% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 3 | Durban | 3,338,026 | GeoNames settlement | 5.16% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Pretoria | 1,836,166 | UN urban centre | 2.84% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Soweto | 1,695,047 | GeoNames settlement | 2.62% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Gqeberha | 1,050,078 | GeoNames settlement | 1.62% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Soshanguve | 872,309 | GeoNames settlement | 1.35% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Pietermaritzburg | 839,327 | GeoNames settlement | 1.30% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Evaton | 773,229 | UN urban centre | 1.19% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 10 | Benoni | 605,344 | GeoNames settlement | 0.93% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How South Africa compares
South Africa has almost the same population as France (68,720,337).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs South Africa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #22 |  United Kingdom | 69,487,000 | +7% | compare → |
| #23 |  France | 68,720,337 | +6% | compare → |
| #25 |  Italy | 58,915,656 | −9% | compare → |
| #26 |  Kenya | 57,532,493 | −11% | compare → |
Compare South Africa with any country →
Same region (Sub-Saharan Africa): Nigeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan.
Explore around South Africa
Land neighbours (6)
Mozambique 35,631,653 · 1.8× smaller · compare
Zimbabwe 16,950,795 · 3.8× smaller · compare
Namibia 3,092,816 · 20.9× smaller · compare
Botswana 2,562,122 · 25.3× smaller · compare
Lesotho 2,363,325 · 27.4× smaller · compare
Eswatini 1,256,174 · 51.5× smaller · compare
South Africa's 6 neighbours together hold 61,856,885 people — 1.0× South Africa's population. The most populous is Mozambique (35,631,653).
In its region
South Africa is the 5th most populous of the 48 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, holding 4.9% of the region's 1,321,654,217 people.
Rankings featuring South Africa
Cities
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Soweto, Gqeberha, Soshanguve, Pietermaritzburg — all South Africa's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · South Africa when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
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.