Japan vs South Africa
Japan vs South Africa: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 92.3% in Japan and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Japan, by 28.5 percentage points, or 1.45 times that in South Africa.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher since 1952, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Japan ranked 28 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Japan at 96% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Japan | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92.3 | 63.8 |
| 2024 | 92.2 | 63.7 |
| 2023 | 92.1 | 63.6 |
| 2022 | 92 | 63.5 |
| 2021 | 91.9 | 63.5 |
| 2020 | 91.8 | 63.4 |
| 2019 | 91.7 | 63.4 |
| 2018 | 91.6 | 63.4 |
| 2017 | 91.6 | 63.3 |
| 2016 | 91.5 | 63.3 |
| 2015 | 91.4 | 63.2 |
| 2014 | 91.3 | 63.1 |
| 2013 | 91.2 | 63.1 |
| 2012 | 91 | 63 |
| 2011 | 90.9 | 62.9 |
| 2010 | 90.6 | 62.6 |
| 2009 | 90.1 | 62.3 |
| 2008 | 89.3 | 61.8 |
| 2007 | 88.3 | 61.2 |
| 2006 | 87.2 | 60.5 |
| 2005 | 86 | 59.8 |
| 2004 | 84.4 | 59.1 |
| 2003 | 82.4 | 58.4 |
| 2002 | 80.6 | 57.7 |
| 2001 | 79.2 | 57 |
| 2000 | 78.6 | 56.3 |
| 1999 | 78.5 | 55.4 |
| 1998 | 78.3 | 54.7 |
| 1997 | 78.2 | 54 |
| 1996 | 78.1 | 53.6 |
| 1995 | 78 | 53.3 |
| 1994 | 77.9 | 53.1 |
| 1993 | 77.8 | 52.9 |
| 1992 | 77.6 | 52.7 |
| 1991 | 77.5 | 52.4 |
| 1990 | 77.3 | 52 |
| 1989 | 77.2 | 51.4 |
| 1988 | 77.1 | 50.7 |
| 1987 | 76.9 | 50.1 |
| 1986 | 76.8 | 49.6 |
| 1985 | 76.7 | 49.2 |
| 1984 | 76.6 | 49 |
| 1983 | 76.5 | 48.8 |
| 1982 | 76.4 | 48.6 |
| 1981 | 76.3 | 48.5 |
| 1980 | 76.2 | 48.4 |
| 1979 | 76.1 | 48.3 |
| 1978 | 76.1 | 48.2 |
| 1977 | 76 | 48.2 |
| 1976 | 76 | 48.1 |
| 1975 | 75.9 | 48.1 |
| 1974 | 75.4 | 48 |
| 1973 | 74.6 | 48 |
| 1972 | 73.7 | 47.9 |
| 1971 | 72.7 | 47.9 |
| 1970 | 71.9 | 47.8 |
| 1969 | 71.1 | 47.7 |
| 1968 | 70.3 | 47.6 |
| 1967 | 69.5 | 47.5 |
| 1966 | 68.7 | 47.5 |
| 1965 | 67.9 | 47.4 |
| 1964 | 67 | 47.3 |
| 1963 | 66.1 | 47.1 |
| 1962 | 65.2 | 47 |
| 1961 | 64.3 | 46.9 |
| 1960 | 63.3 | 46.7 |
| 1959 | 62.3 | 46.5 |
| 1958 | 61.3 | 46.2 |
| 1957 | 60.1 | 45.8 |
| 1956 | 58.7 | 45.4 |
| 1955 | 56.8 | 44.9 |
| 1954 | 53.4 | 44.4 |
| 1953 | 48.7 | 43.9 |
| 1952 | 43.8 | 43.3 |
| 1951 | 39.6 | 42.7 |
| 1950 | 37 | 42.1 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Japan | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 92.4 | 64 |
| 2027 | 92.5 | 64.1 |
| 2028 | 92.7 | 64.3 |
| 2029 | 92.8 | 64.5 |
| 2030 | 92.9 | 64.6 |
| 2031 | 93 | 64.8 |
| 2032 | 93.1 | 65.1 |
| 2033 | 93.3 | 65.3 |
| 2034 | 93.4 | 65.5 |
| 2035 | 93.6 | 65.8 |
| 2036 | 93.7 | 66.1 |
| 2037 | 93.8 | 66.3 |
| 2038 | 94 | 66.6 |
| 2039 | 94.1 | 66.9 |
| 2040 | 94.3 | 67.2 |
| 2041 | 94.4 | 67.6 |
| 2042 | 94.6 | 67.9 |
| 2043 | 94.8 | 68.2 |
| 2044 | 94.9 | 68.6 |
| 2045 | 95.1 | 69 |
| 2046 | 95.3 | 69.3 |
| 2047 | 95.5 | 69.7 |
| 2048 | 95.6 | 70.1 |
| 2049 | 95.8 | 70.5 |
| 2050 | 96 | 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
Japan vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJapan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsJapan: $59.5B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personJapan: $504 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingJapan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelJapan: 261,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersJapan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsJapan: 28 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025