Cameroon vs South Africa: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 55.7% in Cameroon and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 8.1 percentage points, or 1.15 times that in Cameroon.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

CameroonSouth 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, Cameroon ranked 149 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Cameroon at 59.2% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Cameroon	South Africa
2025	55.7	63.8
2024	55.4	63.7
2023	55.1	63.6
2022	54.9	63.5
2021	54.6	63.5
2020	54.3	63.4
2019	54	63.4
2018	53.6	63.4
2017	53.3	63.3
2016	53	63.3
2015	52.6	63.2
2014	52.3	63.1
2013	52	63.1
2012	51.6	63
2011	51.2	62.9
2010	50.9	62.6
2009	50.5	62.3
2008	50.1	61.8
2007	49.7	61.2
2006	49.2	60.5
2005	48.6	59.8
2004	48.2	59.1
2003	47.7	58.4
2002	47.3	57.7
2001	46.8	57
2000	46.2	56.3
1999	45.7	55.4
1998	45.2	54.7
1997	44.6	54
1996	44	53.6
1995	43.4	53.3
1994	42.7	53.1
1993	42.1	52.9
1992	41.4	52.7
1991	40.8	52.4
1990	40.1	52
1989	39.4	51.4
1988	38.7	50.7
1987	38	50.1
1986	37.3	49.6
1985	36.5	49.2
1984	35.7	49
1983	34.9	48.8
1982	34.1	48.6
1981	33.2	48.5
1980	32.3	48.4
1979	31.4	48.3
1978	30.4	48.2
1977	29.4	48.2
1976	28.4	48.1
1975	27.2	48.1
1974	25.8	48
1973	24.2	48
1972	22.7	47.9
1971	21.4	47.9
1970	20.3	47.8
1969	19.4	47.7
1968	18.6	47.6
1967	17.7	47.5
1966	16.9	47.5
1965	16.2	47.4
1964	15.5	47.3
1963	14.9	47.1
1962	14.4	47
1961	13.9	46.9
1960	13.6	46.7
1959	13.4	46.5
1958	13	46.2
1957	12.7	45.8
1956	12.3	45.4
1955	12	44.9
1954	11.7	44.4
1953	11.5	43.9
1952	11.2	43.3
1951	11	42.7
1950	10.9	42.1

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

Year	Cameroon	South Africa
2026	55.9	64
2027	56.2	64.1
2028	56.4	64.3
2029	56.7	64.5
2030	56.9	64.6
2031	57.1	64.8
2032	57.3	65.1
2033	57.5	65.3
2034	57.7	65.5
2035	57.8	65.8
2036	58	66.1
2037	58.2	66.3
2038	58.3	66.6
2039	58.4	66.9
2040	58.6	67.2
2041	58.7	67.6
2042	58.8	67.9
2043	58.9	68.2
2044	58.9	68.6
2045	59	69
2046	59.1	69.3
2047	59.1	69.7
2048	59.2	70.1
2049	59.2	70.5
2050	59.2	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

Cameroon vs South Africa: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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