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ZAF · Sub-Saharan Africa

South Africa

64,747,319

Latest official population · 2025

Annual change+740.13K2024 to 2025
Growth since 2000+37.3%from 47.16M
Life expectancy66.3 years2024
Fertility rate2.21births per woman · 2024
Urban population63.8%2025
RegionSub-Saharan Africa Upper middle income

A country at every age

How South Africa is shaped by age.

Most people are in the working ages, with the younger and older generations shaping what comes next.

Latest shared source year: 2025
Ages 0–1425.7%Children and early teens
Ages 15–6467.4%Working-age population
Ages 65+6.9%Older population

The population pulse

How the population changes.

Births and deaths show natural change. Migration shows how movement across borders also changes the population.

Birth rate18.5births per 1,000 · 2024
Death rate9.2deaths per 1,000 · 2024
Natural balance+9.2births minus deaths per 1,000
Net migration+146.37Knet people estimate · 2025

UN medium projection

What could South Africa look like in 2050?

If current demographic patterns evolve along the UN's medium scenario, the population could be 79.18M in 2050—23.7% larger than the 2024 UN estimate.

A projection is a scenario, not a prediction or live count.
  1. 202464.01M
  2. 205079.18M
  3. 210094.31M
Median age in 205032.3years
Births in 20501.14Mduring the year
Deaths in 2050848.63Kduring the year
Life expectancy70.3years in 2050

Long view

Population through time

Official World Bank annual observations, shown at decade intervals with the latest published year.

  1. 196016.44M
  2. 197022.28M
  3. 198029.52M
  4. 199040.75M
  5. 200047.16M
  6. 201052.34M
  7. 202060.56M
  8. 202564.75M
SourceWorld Bank Open DataPopulation total · SP.POP.TOTL
Latest population year2025Official annual observation
Future sourceUN WPP 2024Medium projection · 2024–2100
DeliveryReliable snapshotChecked 9/22/2026

Keep exploring

Put South Africa into context.

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