South Africa Population (LIVE)

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South Africa Population (1950 - 2025)

Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of South Africa is 64,551,549 as of Friday, March 28, 2025, based on Worldometer’s elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • South Africa 2025 population is estimated at 64,747,319 people at mid-year.
  • South Africa population is equivalent to 0.79% 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 (138 people per mi²).
  • The total land area is 1,213,090 Km² (468,376 sq. miles).
  • 66.59% of the population is urban (43,112,579 people in 2025)
  • The median age in South Africa is 28.7 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 (2025 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
2025 64,747,319 1.16% 740,132 146,370 28.7 2.19 53 66.6% 43,112,579 0.79% 8,231,613,070 24
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% 41,711,727 0.78% 8,091,734,930 24
2022 62,378,410 1.49% 908,015 233,284 27.9 2.23 51 65.7% 40,998,414 0.78% 8,021,407,192 24
2020 60,562,381 1.32% 767,769 369,901 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 2.44 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 1.8% 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% 19,545,369 0.76% 5,327,803,110 25
1985 35,042,093 3.49% 1,104,647 244,940 19.4 4.5 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% 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 30
1960 16,440,172 2.5% 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% 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).

South Africa Population Forecast

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
2030 68,161,359 1.03% 682,808 141,259 29.6 2.1 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 1.98 61 71.1% 52,625,241 0.81% 9,177,190,203 22
2045 76,681,450 0.7% 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% 499,176 178,382 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

Life Expectancy
66.5 years

(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)

View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality Rate
22.4

(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
30.5

(per 1,000 live births)

View historical chart

See also


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 - 2025) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2025.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2025. 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.