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South Africa Demographics

Population of South Africa (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of South Africa

South Africa Population
65,453,084
see live
Yearly Change
+1.09%
Global Share
0.79%
Global Rank
24

Median Age

The median age in South Africa is 28.9 years (2026).

Fertility in South Africa

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility: the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
2.2
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in South Africa

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
66.7
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
70.2
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
63.1
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in South Africa


Infant Mortality
21.9
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
29.9
(per 1,000 live births)


South Africa Urban Population

Currently, 66.9% of the population of South Africa is urban (43,798,697 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in South Africa is 54 people per Km2 (140 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 1,213,090 Km2 (468,376 sq. miles).

Largest cities by Population in South Africa

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

Rank Urban Area Population Estimate (2025)
1 Johannesburg 7,077,175
2 Cape Town 4,508,921
3 Durban 3,177,927
4 Pretoria 1,836,166
5 Klipgat 1,300,816
6 Tembisa 1,298,512
7 Evaton 773,229
8 Gqeberha 661,220
9 Masetjhaba View 522,402
10 Bloemfontein 496,295
11 Polokwane 451,786
12 Chief Albert Luthuli Park 441,204
13 Edendale 342,930
14 Kanyamazane 292,211
15 Madadeni 277,281
16 Kimberley 271,078
17 Paarl 259,665
18 Vanderbijlpark 257,093
19 Centurion 255,900
20 Reeston 244,390
21 Somerset West 239,943
22 Rustenburg 220,723
23 eMalahleni 220,586
24 Botshabelo-N 218,046
25 Lenasia 214,770
26 Ennerdale 210,428
27 Middelburg 209,906
28 Diepsloot 196,763
29 Phuthaditjhaba 182,141
30 George 179,907
More info

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.