Iran vs South Africa
Iran vs South Africa: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 77.4% in Iran and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iran, by 13.6 percentage points, or 1.21 times that in South Africa.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Iran has been higher since 1978, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Iran ranked 75 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Iran at 86.9% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Iran | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 77.4 | 63.8 |
| 2024 | 77 | 63.7 |
| 2023 | 76.7 | 63.6 |
| 2022 | 76.3 | 63.5 |
| 2021 | 76 | 63.5 |
| 2020 | 75.6 | 63.4 |
| 2019 | 75.2 | 63.4 |
| 2018 | 74.8 | 63.4 |
| 2017 | 74.4 | 63.3 |
| 2016 | 73.9 | 63.3 |
| 2015 | 73.4 | 63.2 |
| 2014 | 72.8 | 63.1 |
| 2013 | 72.3 | 63.1 |
| 2012 | 71.8 | 63 |
| 2011 | 71.2 | 62.9 |
| 2010 | 70.6 | 62.6 |
| 2009 | 70 | 62.3 |
| 2008 | 69.4 | 61.8 |
| 2007 | 68.8 | 61.2 |
| 2006 | 68.3 | 60.5 |
| 2005 | 67.9 | 59.8 |
| 2004 | 67.3 | 59.1 |
| 2003 | 66.6 | 58.4 |
| 2002 | 65.9 | 57.7 |
| 2001 | 65.2 | 57 |
| 2000 | 64.5 | 56.3 |
| 1999 | 63.7 | 55.4 |
| 1998 | 62.9 | 54.7 |
| 1997 | 62.1 | 54 |
| 1996 | 61.1 | 53.6 |
| 1995 | 60.4 | 53.3 |
| 1994 | 59.6 | 53.1 |
| 1993 | 58.7 | 52.9 |
| 1992 | 57.9 | 52.7 |
| 1991 | 56.9 | 52.4 |
| 1990 | 56.5 | 52 |
| 1989 | 55.9 | 51.4 |
| 1988 | 55.4 | 50.7 |
| 1987 | 54.8 | 50.1 |
| 1986 | 54.2 | 49.6 |
| 1985 | 53.6 | 49.2 |
| 1984 | 52.8 | 49 |
| 1983 | 52.1 | 48.8 |
| 1982 | 51.4 | 48.6 |
| 1981 | 50.7 | 48.5 |
| 1980 | 49.9 | 48.4 |
| 1979 | 49.2 | 48.3 |
| 1978 | 48.5 | 48.2 |
| 1977 | 47.8 | 48.2 |
| 1976 | 46.8 | 48.1 |
| 1975 | 46.1 | 48.1 |
| 1974 | 45.2 | 48 |
| 1973 | 44.3 | 48 |
| 1972 | 43.3 | 47.9 |
| 1971 | 42.4 | 47.9 |
| 1970 | 41.5 | 47.8 |
| 1969 | 40.6 | 47.7 |
| 1968 | 39.7 | 47.6 |
| 1967 | 38.9 | 47.5 |
| 1966 | 37.7 | 47.5 |
| 1965 | 37.1 | 47.4 |
| 1964 | 36.6 | 47.3 |
| 1963 | 36 | 47.1 |
| 1962 | 35.3 | 47 |
| 1961 | 34.6 | 46.9 |
| 1960 | 34 | 46.7 |
| 1959 | 33.3 | 46.5 |
| 1958 | 32.6 | 46.2 |
| 1957 | 31.9 | 45.8 |
| 1956 | 31.2 | 45.4 |
| 1955 | 30.5 | 44.9 |
| 1954 | 29.9 | 44.4 |
| 1953 | 29.3 | 43.9 |
| 1952 | 28.7 | 43.3 |
| 1951 | 28.1 | 42.7 |
| 1950 | 27.5 | 42.1 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Iran | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 77.7 | 64 |
| 2027 | 78.1 | 64.1 |
| 2028 | 78.5 | 64.3 |
| 2029 | 78.8 | 64.5 |
| 2030 | 79.2 | 64.6 |
| 2031 | 79.5 | 64.8 |
| 2032 | 79.9 | 65.1 |
| 2033 | 80.3 | 65.3 |
| 2034 | 80.6 | 65.5 |
| 2035 | 81 | 65.8 |
| 2036 | 81.4 | 66.1 |
| 2037 | 81.8 | 66.3 |
| 2038 | 82.1 | 66.6 |
| 2039 | 82.5 | 66.9 |
| 2040 | 82.9 | 67.2 |
| 2041 | 83.3 | 67.6 |
| 2042 | 83.7 | 67.9 |
| 2043 | 84.1 | 68.2 |
| 2044 | 84.5 | 68.6 |
| 2045 | 84.8 | 69 |
| 2046 | 85.2 | 69.3 |
| 2047 | 85.6 | 69.7 |
| 2048 | 86.1 | 70.1 |
| 2049 | 86.5 | 70.5 |
| 2050 | 86.9 | 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
Iran vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyIran: 77.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIran: 5.12% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateIran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIran: 90.6 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthIran: 1.12% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageIran: 32.9 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIran: 7.9% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateIran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIran: $7.45B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personIran: $80 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIran: 650,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerIran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIran: 42 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIran: 80 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025