Israel vs South Africa: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 91.6% in Israel and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Israel, by 27.8 percentage points, or 1.43 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

IsraelSouth AfricaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

Israel has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2025, Israel ranked 31 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Israel at 96.6% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Israel	South Africa
2025	91.6	63.8
2024	91.5	63.7
2023	91.5	63.6
2022	91.5	63.5
2021	91.5	63.5
2020	91.6	63.4
2019	91.6	63.4
2018	91.7	63.4
2017	91.7	63.3
2016	91.7	63.3
2015	91.7	63.2
2014	91.7	63.1
2013	91.7	63.1
2012	91.7	63
2011	91.7	62.9
2010	91.7	62.6
2009	91.7	62.3
2008	91.7	61.8
2007	91.7	61.2
2006	91.7	60.5
2005	91.6	59.8
2004	91.6	59.1
2003	91.5	58.4
2002	91.4	57.7
2001	91.4	57
2000	91.3	56.3
1999	91.2	55.4
1998	91.1	54.7
1997	91	54
1996	90.9	53.6
1995	90.9	53.3
1994	90.8	53.1
1993	90.7	52.9
1992	90.6	52.7
1991	90.5	52.4
1990	90.4	52
1989	90.3	51.4
1988	90.2	50.7
1987	90.1	50.1
1986	90	49.6
1985	89.9	49.2
1984	89.7	49
1983	89.6	48.8
1982	89.4	48.6
1981	89.1	48.5
1980	88.8	48.4
1979	88.5	48.3
1978	88.1	48.2
1977	87.7	48.2
1976	87.3	48.1
1975	86.8	48.1
1974	86.3	48
1973	85.8	48
1972	85.3	47.9
1971	84.8	47.9
1970	84.3	47.8
1969	83.8	47.7
1968	83.2	47.6
1967	82.5	47.5
1966	81.9	47.5
1965	81.2	47.4
1964	80.4	47.3
1963	79.7	47.1
1962	78.9	47
1961	78	46.9
1960	76.9	46.7
1959	75.5	46.5
1958	73.9	46.2
1957	72.5	45.8
1956	71.4	45.4
1955	71	44.9
1954	71	44.4
1953	71	43.9
1952	71.4	43.3
1951	71.8	42.7
1950	71.9	42.1

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

Year	Israel	South Africa
2026	91.6	64
2027	91.7	64.1
2028	91.8	64.3
2029	91.9	64.5
2030	92	64.6
2031	92.1	64.8
2032	92.3	65.1
2033	92.4	65.3
2034	92.6	65.5
2035	92.8	65.8
2036	92.9	66.1
2037	93.1	66.3
2038	93.4	66.6
2039	93.6	66.9
2040	93.8	67.2
2041	94	67.6
2042	94.3	67.9
2043	94.5	68.2
2044	94.8	68.6
2045	95.1	69
2046	95.4	69.3
2047	95.7	69.7
2048	95.9	70.1
2049	96.3	70.5
2050	96.6	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

Israel vs South Africa: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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