Ireland vs South Africa
Ireland vs South Africa: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 64.6% in Ireland and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ireland, by 0.8 percentage points, or 1.01 times that in South Africa.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Ireland has been higher since 2020, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Ireland ranked 115 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Ireland at 73.6% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Ireland | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64.6 | 63.8 |
| 2024 | 64.4 | 63.7 |
| 2023 | 64.1 | 63.6 |
| 2022 | 63.9 | 63.5 |
| 2021 | 63.7 | 63.5 |
| 2020 | 63.5 | 63.4 |
| 2019 | 63.3 | 63.4 |
| 2018 | 63.1 | 63.4 |
| 2017 | 62.9 | 63.3 |
| 2016 | 62.7 | 63.3 |
| 2015 | 62.6 | 63.2 |
| 2014 | 62.5 | 63.1 |
| 2013 | 62.4 | 63.1 |
| 2012 | 62.3 | 63 |
| 2011 | 62.1 | 62.9 |
| 2010 | 61.9 | 62.6 |
| 2009 | 61.6 | 62.3 |
| 2008 | 61.4 | 61.8 |
| 2007 | 61.1 | 61.2 |
| 2006 | 60.8 | 60.5 |
| 2005 | 60.5 | 59.8 |
| 2004 | 60.2 | 59.1 |
| 2003 | 59.9 | 58.4 |
| 2002 | 59.6 | 57.7 |
| 2001 | 59.4 | 57 |
| 2000 | 59.1 | 56.3 |
| 1999 | 58.9 | 55.4 |
| 1998 | 58.6 | 54.7 |
| 1997 | 58.4 | 54 |
| 1996 | 58.2 | 53.6 |
| 1995 | 57.9 | 53.3 |
| 1994 | 57.7 | 53.1 |
| 1993 | 57.5 | 52.9 |
| 1992 | 57.3 | 52.7 |
| 1991 | 57.1 | 52.4 |
| 1990 | 56.9 | 52 |
| 1989 | 56.8 | 51.4 |
| 1988 | 56.7 | 50.7 |
| 1987 | 56.6 | 50.1 |
| 1986 | 56.4 | 49.6 |
| 1985 | 56.3 | 49.2 |
| 1984 | 56.2 | 49 |
| 1983 | 56 | 48.8 |
| 1982 | 55.8 | 48.6 |
| 1981 | 55.7 | 48.5 |
| 1980 | 55.4 | 48.4 |
| 1979 | 55.2 | 48.3 |
| 1978 | 54.9 | 48.2 |
| 1977 | 54.6 | 48.2 |
| 1976 | 54.3 | 48.1 |
| 1975 | 53.9 | 48.1 |
| 1974 | 53.6 | 48 |
| 1973 | 53.2 | 48 |
| 1972 | 52.8 | 47.9 |
| 1971 | 52.3 | 47.9 |
| 1970 | 51.9 | 47.8 |
| 1969 | 51.3 | 47.7 |
| 1968 | 50.7 | 47.6 |
| 1967 | 50 | 47.5 |
| 1966 | 49.4 | 47.5 |
| 1965 | 48.6 | 47.4 |
| 1964 | 47.8 | 47.3 |
| 1963 | 46.9 | 47.1 |
| 1962 | 46.1 | 47 |
| 1961 | 45.4 | 46.9 |
| 1960 | 44.9 | 46.7 |
| 1959 | 44.4 | 46.5 |
| 1958 | 44.1 | 46.2 |
| 1957 | 43.7 | 45.8 |
| 1956 | 43.4 | 45.4 |
| 1955 | 43.1 | 44.9 |
| 1954 | 42.8 | 44.4 |
| 1953 | 42.4 | 43.9 |
| 1952 | 42 | 43.3 |
| 1951 | 41.6 | 42.7 |
| 1950 | 41 | 42.1 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Ireland | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64.8 | 64 |
| 2027 | 65.1 | 64.1 |
| 2028 | 65.4 | 64.3 |
| 2029 | 65.6 | 64.5 |
| 2030 | 65.9 | 64.6 |
| 2031 | 66.2 | 64.8 |
| 2032 | 66.5 | 65.1 |
| 2033 | 66.8 | 65.3 |
| 2034 | 67.2 | 65.5 |
| 2035 | 67.5 | 65.8 |
| 2036 | 67.8 | 66.1 |
| 2037 | 68.2 | 66.3 |
| 2038 | 68.5 | 66.6 |
| 2039 | 68.9 | 66.9 |
| 2040 | 69.3 | 67.2 |
| 2041 | 69.7 | 67.6 |
| 2042 | 70.1 | 67.9 |
| 2043 | 70.5 | 68.2 |
| 2044 | 70.9 | 68.6 |
| 2045 | 71.3 | 69 |
| 2046 | 71.8 | 69.3 |
| 2047 | 72.2 | 69.7 |
| 2048 | 72.7 | 70.1 |
| 2049 | 73.1 | 70.5 |
| 2050 | 73.6 | 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
Ireland vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyIreland: 82.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIreland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIreland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIreland: 4.25% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateIreland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIreland: 5.2 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthIreland: 1.19% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIreland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageIreland: 38.4 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIreland: 15.5% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateIreland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIreland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIreland: $1.46B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personIreland: $272 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIreland: 0.9% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIreland: 9,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerIreland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIreland: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIreland: 14 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIreland: 24 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025