Benin vs South Africa: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 53.4% in Benin and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 10.5 percentage points, or 1.2 times that in Benin.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

BeninSouth AfricaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2025, Benin ranked 154 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Benin at 79.4% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Benin	South Africa
2025	53.4	63.8
2024	52.6	63.7
2023	51.8	63.6
2022	51	63.5
2021	50.2	63.5
2020	49.5	63.4
2019	48.7	63.4
2018	48	63.4
2017	47.3	63.3
2016	46.6	63.3
2015	45.9	63.2
2014	45.3	63.1
2013	44.7	63.1
2012	44.1	63
2011	43.5	62.9
2010	42.9	62.6
2009	42.3	62.3
2008	41.8	61.8
2007	41.3	61.2
2006	40.8	60.5
2005	40.3	59.8
2004	39.9	59.1
2003	39.4	58.4
2002	39	57.7
2001	38.6	57
2000	38.3	56.3
1999	38	55.4
1998	37.7	54.7
1997	37.4	54
1996	37.1	53.6
1995	36.8	53.3
1994	36.5	53.1
1993	36.2	52.9
1992	35.8	52.7
1991	35.3	52.4
1990	34.8	52
1989	34.2	51.4
1988	33.6	50.7
1987	32.9	50.1
1986	32.2	49.6
1985	31.4	49.2
1984	30.6	49
1983	29.8	48.8
1982	28.9	48.6
1981	28.1	48.5
1980	27.3	48.4
1979	26.5	48.3
1978	25.7	48.2
1977	24.8	48.2
1976	23.9	48.1
1975	22.9	48.1
1974	21.9	48
1973	20.9	48
1972	19.8	47.9
1971	18.8	47.9
1970	17.7	47.8
1969	16.7	47.7
1968	15.7	47.6
1967	14.8	47.5
1966	13.8	47.5
1965	13	47.4
1964	12.2	47.3
1963	11.5	47.1
1962	10.8	47
1961	10.3	46.9
1960	9.8	46.7
1959	9.4	46.5
1958	9	46.2
1957	8.6	45.8
1956	8.2	45.4
1955	7.8	44.9
1954	7.5	44.4
1953	7.3	43.9
1952	7	43.3
1951	6.8	42.7
1950	6.7	42.1

UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050

Year	Benin	South Africa
2026	54.2	64
2027	55.1	64.1
2028	55.9	64.3
2029	56.8	64.5
2030	57.7	64.6
2031	58.6	64.8
2032	59.6	65.1
2033	60.5	65.3
2034	61.5	65.5
2035	62.5	65.8
2036	63.5	66.1
2037	64.5	66.3
2038	65.5	66.6
2039	66.6	66.9
2040	67.7	67.2
2041	68.8	67.6
2042	69.9	67.9
2043	71	68.2
2044	72.2	68.6
2045	73.3	69
2046	74.5	69.3
2047	75.7	69.7
2048	76.9	70.1
2049	78.2	70.5
2050	79.4	70.9

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Benin vs South Africa: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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