COUNTRY PROFILESouth Africa
South Africa's population is 64,747,319 (2025) — the 24th-largest in the world and the 6th-largest in Africa, growing by about 740,132 people a year.
65,160,190
Population right now, ticking live from the last confirmed count.▲ growing64,747,319 (World Bank, 2025) + +740,132/year × elapsed time since 2025-12-31 — open formula, updates every tick
South Africa Facts at a Glance
Five numbers that summarise the country — population trend, rank, density, wealth, share of humanity.
Population2025
64,747,319
World rank
#24
of 217 tracked geographies
Density
53.4 / km²
1,213,090 km² land area
GDP / capita
$6,598
#39 economy overall
Share of humanity
1 in 127 people on Earth lives in South Africa
South Africa's Population Growth
Yes — South Africa's population rose by 740,132 people (+1.16%) between 2024 and 2025. The fertility rate is 2.2 births per woman. Net migration was positive in the latest year on record.
You, in South Africa
A personal read on the numbers above — nothing is stored, it never leaves your browser.
Enter a birth year between 1960 and 2025 to see where you'd land.
South Africa Demographics
Every indicator has its own source and dataset year — shown honestly rather than smoothed into one.
Population density2025
53.4 people / km²
1,213,090 km² land area, 2025
Median age2025
29.7 years
half the population is older, half younger
Life expectancy2024
66.3 years
M 62.8 · F 69.8
Average height2019
169.6 cm (male)
female 158.6 cm
Homicide rate2022
43.7 per 100,000
#189 safest of 196
Air quality (PM2.5)2023
27.7 µg/m³
lower is cleaner
Urban population2025
63.8 %
share living in cities
Fertility rate2025
2.2 births / woman
replacement level ≈ 2.1
Net migration2025
+146,370 people
positive in latest year
South Africa in World Rankings
Every world ranking we publish, where this country sits in each one, and its overall percentile profile.
Population64,747,319 people
#24 / 217
→
GDP$427.2B
#39 / 186
→
Life expectancy66.3 years
#183 / 217
→
Average height169.6 cm (male)
#150 / 200
→
Cleanest air27.72 µg/m³ PM2.5
#146 / 200
→
Safest countries43.7 homicides / 100k
#189 / 196
→
Most dangerous43.7 homicides / 100k
#7 / 196
→
Percentile in each ranking — further from centre is a higher rank (closer to #1).
Population, 1960 to 2025
66 years of estimates from the same source.
Source: World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL) · annual estimates, 1960–2025 · hover the line for any year.
Age & sex structure
17 five-year bands, male and female, 2025.
Male — 31,504,128Female — 33,243,192
Largest cities
By population, GeoNames city-proper figures (not metro area).
Where is South Africa Located?
- Capital
- Pretoria
- Currency
- Rand (ZAR)
- Language(s)
- Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, NSO, English, Tswana, Sesotho, Tsonga, Swati, Venda, Ndebele
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Continent
- 54 countries in Africa →
- Land area
- 1,213,090 km²
- Area (GeoNames)
- 1,219,912 km²
- Borders
- 6 countries
Zimbabwe
Eswatini
Mozambique
Botswana
Namibia
LesothoSouth AfricaVSExplore South Africa in Every Ranking
Jump straight to the full world table for any of these indicators.
Frequently asked
What is the population of South Africa?
South Africa's population is 64,747,319 as of 2025 (World Bank estimate), ranking #24 of 217 countries and territories by population.
How many people live in South Africa?
64,747,319 people, as of the 2025 World Bank estimate — the most recent figure this page tracks.
What is South Africa's population density?
53.4 people per km², based on a land area of 1,213,090 km².
What is South Africa ranked in population worldwide?
#24 of 217 countries and territories by population — see the full ranking table for every country's position.
What is the life expectancy in South Africa?
66.3 years on average (2024) — 62.8 for men, 69.8 for women.
What is South Africa's GDP?
$427.2B, ranking #39 of 186 economies we track — $6,598 per capita.
Sources
World Bank Open Data
CC BY 4.0 · population, GDP, life expectancy, homicide, PM2.5, vitals
data.worldbank.org →