South Africa population (2026)
The population of South Africa is 65,453,084 as of 1 July 2026, according to UN World Population Prospects 2024. South Africa ranks #24 of 236 countries and territories and holds 0.789% of the world population. The population is growing by 1.05% a year (+705,765 people). The median age is 29.9 years, women have 2.17 children on average and life expectancy at birth is 66.7 years. Population density is 54 people per km² of land. The capital is Pretoria.
Population of South Africa, 1955–2050
| Year | Population | Yearly change | Median age | Fertility | Life expectancy | World share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2050 | 79,177,328 | +0.60% | 33.3 | 1.89 | 70.3 | 0.819% |
| 2045 | 76,681,450 | +0.67% | 32.8 | 1.94 | 69.6 | 0.812% |
| 2040 | 74,035,624 | +0.73% | 32.0 | 1.98 | 68.9 | 0.807% |
| 2035 | 71,234,752 | +0.83% | 31.2 | 2.04 | 68.1 | 0.802% |
| 2030 | 68,161,359 | +0.94% | 30.6 | 2.1 | 67.3 | 0.795% |
| 2026 | 65,453,084 | +1.05% | 29.9 | 2.17 | 66.7 | 0.789% |
| 2025 | 64,747,320 | +1.11% | 29.7 | 2.19 | 66.5 | 0.787% |
| 2024 | 64,007,186 | +1.19% | 29.5 | 2.2 | 66.3 | 0.784% |
| 2023 | 63,212,384 | +1.31% | 29.2 | 2.22 | 66.1 | 0.781% |
| 2022 | 62,378,410 | +1.34% | 28.9 | 2.23 | 65.5 | 0.778% |
| 2020 | 60,562,381 | +1.59% | 28.3 | 2.26 | 65.2 | 0.768% |
| 2015 | 56,723,536 | +2.31% | 26.4 | 2.36 | 64.1 | 0.759% |
| 2010 | 52,344,051 | +1.21% | 24.6 | 2.44 | 58.9 | 0.745% |
| 2005 | 49,490,032 | +1.00% | 23.1 | 2.51 | 53.9 | 0.751% |
| 2000 | 47,159,718 | +0.83% | 21.8 | 2.41 | 58.4 | 0.764% |
| 1995 | 44,541,554 | +1.45% | 21.5 | 3.17 | 61.6 | 0.773% |
| 1990 | 40,746,268 | +2.69% | 21.3 | 3.72 | 62.9 | 0.765% |
| 1985 | 35,042,093 | +3.25% | 20.4 | 4.5 | 62.2 | 0.720% |
| 1980 | 29,518,858 | +3.38% | 19.4 | 4.78 | 60.0 | 0.664% |
| 1975 | 25,690,940 | +2.75% | 18.9 | 5.19 | 57.6 | 0.631% |
| 1970 | 22,279,984 | +2.99% | 18.7 | 5.63 | 55.7 | 0.603% |
| 1965 | 19,089,380 | +3.09% | 18.8 | 5.89 | 54.4 | 0.572% |
| 1960 | 16,440,172 | +2.68% | 18.9 | 6.1 | 52.6 | 0.545% |
| 1955 | 14,533,366 | +2.33% | 19.6 | 6.13 | 48.2 | 0.530% |
South Africa statistics by category
Economy · Energy · Environment · Health · Food & Agriculture · Water · Education · Technology · Society & Media · Government · Transport · Biodiversity · Geography · Space & Science · Time & Calendar
Nearby countries: Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, DR Congo, Tanzania