South Africa Population (LIVE)

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South Africa Population (1950 - 2024)

Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)

Population of South Africa (2024 and historical)

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	South Africa Global Rank
2024	61,020,221	1.00 %	605,726	58,496	27.8	2.29	50	69.5 %	42,416,701	0.75 %	8,118,835,999	24
2023	60,414,495	0.87 %	520,610	58,496	27.6	2.32	50	69.0 %	41,711,727	0.75 %	8,045,311,447	24
2022	59,893,885	0.84 %	501,630	58,496	27.4	2.34	49	68.5 %	40,998,414	0.75 %	7,975,105,156	24
2020	58,801,927	1.23 %	714,872	30,852	26.9	2.40	48	67.3 %	39,550,889	0.75 %	7,840,952,880	25
2015	55,876,504	1.53 %	818,317	644,996	25.3	2.36	46	64.1 %	35,844,349	0.75 %	7,426,597,537	24
2010	51,784,921	1.10 %	553,555	68,599	23.6	2.45	43	62.0 %	32,094,811	0.74 %	6,985,603,105	24
2005	49,017,147	0.92 %	440,776	31,424	22.3	2.51	40	59.3 %	29,065,720	0.75 %	6,558,176,119	24
2000	46,813,266	1.25 %	565,436	-80,388	20.9	2.41	39	55.6 %	26,015,136	0.76 %	6,148,898,975	25
1995	43,986,084	1.98 %	821,703	-98,300	20.4	3.17	36	52.1 %	22,932,019	0.77 %	5,743,219,454	25
1990	39,877,570	3.39 %	1,224,921	231,224	20.0	3.72	33	49.0 %	19,545,369	0.75 %	5,316,175,862	26
1985	33,752,964	2.76 %	857,883	123,316	18.8	4.50	28	49.3 %	16,653,360	0.69 %	4,861,730,613	28
1980	29,463,549	2.71 %	737,117	52,736	19.2	4.78	24	48.9 %	14,411,610	0.66 %	4,444,007,706	28
1975	25,777,964	2.88 %	681,932	38,750	18.3	5.19	21	48.9 %	12,610,547	0.63 %	4,069,437,231	29
1970	22,368,306	3.12 %	636,222	61,524	17.8	5.63	18	48.8 %	10,919,359	0.61 %	3,695,390,336	29
1965	19,187,194	3.04 %	533,351	80,687	17.7	5.97	16	49.1 %	9,422,320	0.57 %	3,337,111,983	31
1960	16,520,441	2.51 %	385,262	18,909	17.7	6.16	14	49.3 %	8,138,204	0.55 %	3,019,233,434	31
1955	14,594,129	2.27 %	310,057	-2,753	18.5	6.17	12	46.8 %	6,829,341	0.53 %	2,746,072,141	31

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

South Africa Population Forecast

58,496

Year	Population	Yearly % Change	Yearly Change	Migrants (net)	Median Age	Fertility Rate	Density (P/Km²)	Urban Pop %	Urban Population	Country's Share of World Pop	World Population	South Africa Global Rank
2025	61,673,081	0.96 %	574,231	58,496	28.1	2.27	51	69.9 %	43,112,579	0.75 %	8,191,988,453	24
2030	64,659,278	0.95 %	597,239	58,496	29.0	2.16	53	71.8 %	46,457,072	0.76 %	8,546,141,327	24
2035	67,314,133	0.81 %	530,971	58,496	29.6	2.09	55	73.7 %	49,631,106	0.76 %	8,879,397,401	24
2040	69,713,937	0.70 %	479,961	58,496	30.7	2.02	57	75.5 %	52,625,241	0.76 %	9,188,250,492	26
2045	71,816,201	0.60 %	420,453	58,496	31.9	1.97	59	77.2 %	55,447,449	0.76 %	9,467,543,575	24
2050	73,529,753	0.47 %	342,710		33.1	1.93	61	79.0 %	58,056,843	0.76 %	9,709,491,761	26

Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)

Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2022 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

South Africa Demographics

Life Expectancy

62.89 years

(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart

Infant Mortality

26.8

(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Deaths under age 5

36.0

(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	Cape Town	3,433,441
2	Durban	3,120,282
3	Johannesburg	2,026,469
4	Soweto	1,695,047
5	Pretoria	1,619,438
6	Port Elizabeth	967,677
7	Pietermaritzburg	750,845
8	Benoni	605,344
9	Tembisa	511,655
10	East London	478,676
11	Vereeniging	474,681
12	Bloemfontein	463,064
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	Botshabelo	309,714
20	Brakpan	305,692
21	Witbank	262,491
22	Richards Bay	252,968
23	Vanderbijlpark	246,754
24	Centurion	233,386
25	Uitenhage	228,912
26	Roodepoort	225,000
27	Paarl	190,000
28	Springs	186,394
29	Carletonville	182,304
30	Klerksdorp	178,921
31	Midrand	173,009
32	Westonaria	156,831
33	Middelburg	154,706
34	Vryheid	150,012
35	Orkney	145,801
36	Kimberley	142,089
37	eMbalenhle	141,741
38	Nigel	140,644
39	Mpumalanga	140,121
40	Bhisho	137,287
41	Randfontein	133,654
42	Worcester	127,597
43	Rustenburg	124,064
44	Polokwane	123,749
45	Potchefstroom	123,669
46	Virginia	122,502
47	Brits	122,497
48	Alberton	121,536
49	Nelspruit	110,159
50	Phalaborwa	109,468
51	Queenstown	105,309
52	Kroonstad	103,992
53	Bethal	101,919
54	Mokopane	101,090
55	Mabopane	97,417
56	Kutloanong	95,008
57	Stellenbosch	94,263
58	Stilfontein	93,110
59	Delmas	92,046
60	Grahamstown	91,548
61	Warmbaths	90,210
62	Louis Trichardt	86,854
63	Dundee	84,413
64	Piet Retief	84,349
65	Phuthaditjhaba	84,258
66	Bethlehem	83,654
67	Mthatha	78,663
68	Sasolburg	77,016
69	Mmabatho	76,754
70	Standerton	74,021

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 2022 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.