South Africa Population (LIVE)

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South Africa Population (1950 - 2024)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of South Africa is 64,281,384 as of Thursday, November 14, 2024, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • South Africa 2024 population is estimated at 64,007,187 people at mid year.
  • South Africa population is equivalent to 0.78% of the total world population.
  • South Africa ranks number 24 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in South Africa is 53 per Km2 (137 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 1,213,090 Km2 (468,376 sq. miles).
  • 66.3 % of the population is urban (42,416,701 people in 2024).
  • The median age in South Africa is 28.5 years.
1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of South Africa (2024 and historical)

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationSouth Africa
Global Rank
2024 64,007,187 1.26 % 794,803 166,972 28.5 2.21 53 66.3 % 42,416,701 0.78 % 8,161,972,572 24
2023 63,212,384 1.34 % 833,974 228,222 28.2 2.22 52 66.0 % 41,711,727 0.78 % 8,091,734,930 24
2022 62,378,410 1.42 % 875,807 233,284 27.9 2.23 51 65.7 % 40,998,414 0.78 % 8,021,407,192 24
2020 60,562,381 1.64 % 974,496 369,901 27.3 2.26 50 65.3 % 39,550,889 0.77 % 7,887,001,292 24
2015 56,723,537 1.62 % 875,897 641,150 25.4 2.36 47 63.2 % 35,844,349 0.76 % 7,470,491,872 24
2010 52,344,051 1.13 % 570,804 68,563 23.6 2.45 43 61.3 % 32,094,811 0.75 % 7,021,732,148 24
2005 49,490,033 0.97 % 466,063 31,286 22.1 2.51 41 58.7 % 29,065,720 0.75 % 6,586,970,132 24
2000 47,159,719 1.15 % 523,633-136,794 20.8 2.41 39 55.2 % 26,015,136 0.76 % 6,171,702,993 25
1995 44,541,554 1.80 % 759,057 -98,403 20.5 3.17 37 51.5 % 22,932,019 0.77 % 5,758,878,982 25
1990 40,746,268 3.06 % 1,140,835 259,718 20.3 3.72 34 48.0 % 19,545,369 0.76 % 5,327,803,110 25
1985 35,042,093 3.49 % 1,104,647 244,940 19.4 4.50 29 47.5 % 16,653,360 0.72 % 4,868,943,465 28
1980 29,518,857 2.82 % 765,583 258,127 18.4 4.78 24 48.8 % 14,411,610 0.66 % 4,447,606,236 28
1975 25,690,940 2.89 % 682,191 38,809 17.9 5.19 21 49.1 % 12,610,547 0.63 % 4,070,735,277 29
1970 22,279,984 3.14 % 638,121 61,514 17.7 5.63 18 49.0 % 10,919,359 0.60 % 3,694,683,794 29
1965 19,089,380 3.03 % 529,842 82,514 17.8 5.89 16 49.4 % 9,422,320 0.57 % 3,334,533,703 31
1960 16,440,172 2.50 % 381,361 18,891 17.9 6.11 14 49.5 % 8,138,204 0.55 % 3,015,470,894 31
1955 14,533,365 2.19 % 298,975 -2,747 18.6 6.13 12 47.0 % 6,829,341 0.53 % 2,740,213,792 31
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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South Africa Population Forecast

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationSouth Africa
Global Rank
2025 64,747,319 1.35 % 836,988 146,370 28.7 2.19 53 66.6 % 43,112,579 0.79 % 8,231,613,070 24
2030 68,161,359 1.03 % 682,808 141,259 29.6 2.10 56 68.2 % 46,457,072 0.80 % 8,569,124,911 23
2035 71,234,752 0.89 % 614,679 160,676 30.2 2.04 59 69.7 % 49,631,106 0.80 % 8,885,210,181 22
2040 74,035,624 0.77 % 560,174 158,149 31.0 1.98 61 71.1 % 52,625,241 0.81 % 9,177,190,203 22
2045 76,681,450 0.70 % 529,165 163,729 31.8 1.94 63 72.3 % 55,447,449 0.81 % 9,439,639,668 24
2050 79,177,328 0.64 % 499,176   32.3 1.89 65 73.3 % 58,056,843 0.82 % 9,664,378,587 23
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

South Africa Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of South Africa
Life Expectancy
66.31 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
22.9
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
31.2
(per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in South Africa

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

# CITY NAME POPULATION
1 Johannesburg 5,635,127
2 Cape Town 4,710,000
3 Durban 3,120,282
4 Soweto 1,695,047
5 Pretoria 1,619,438
6 Port Elizabeth 1,050,078
7 Pietermaritzburg 750,845
8 Benoni 605,344
9 Bloemfontein 556,000
10 Thembisa 511,655
11 East London 478,676
12 Vereeniging 474,681
13 Boksburg 445,168
14 Welkom 431,944
15 Newcastle 404,838
16 Krugersdorp 378,821
17 Diepsloot 350,000
18 Randburg 337,053
19 Roodepoort 326,416
20 Botshabelo 309,714
21 Brakpan 305,692
22 Uitenhage 291,052
23 Emalahleni 262,491
24 Richards Bay 252,968
25 Vanderbijlpark 246,754
26 Centurion 236,580
27 Mdantsane 205,504
28 Paarl 190,000
29 Springs 186,394
30 Carletonville 182,304
31 Klerksdorp 178,921
32 Mthatha 164,848
33 George 157,394
34 Westonaria 156,831
35 Middelburg 154,706
36 Vryheid 150,012
37 Pinetown 144,026
38 Kimberley 142,089
39 eMbalenhle 141,741
40 Nigel 140,644
41 Mpumalanga 140,121
42 Bhisho 137,287
43 Randfontein 133,654
44 Worcester 127,597
45 Rustenburg 124,064
46 Polokwane 123,749
47 Potchefstroom 123,669
48 Virginia 122,502
49 Brits 122,497
50 Alberton 121,536
51 Queenstown 118,599
52 Mabopane 110,972
53 Mbombela 110,159
54 Phalaborwa 109,468
55 Kroonstad 103,992
56 Mokopane 101,090
57 Kutloanong 95,008
58 Stellenbosch 94,263
59 Stilfontein 93,110
60 King William's Town 93,072
61 Delmas 92,046
62 Grahamstown 91,548
63 Ga-Rankuwa 90,945
64 Bela Bela 90,210
65 Midrand 87,387
66 Louis Trichardt 86,854
67 Dundee 84,413
68 Piet Retief 84,349
69 Phuthaditjhaba 84,258
70 Bethlehem 83,654

See also

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Notes

The South Africa Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of South Africa delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of South Africa (1950 - 2023) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2023.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2023. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.


Yearly % Change: For 2023: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2023: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by South Africa in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.