Malawi vs South Africa
Malawi vs South Africa: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 17.6% in Malawi and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 46.2 percentage points, or 3.63 times that in Malawi.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Malawi ranked 224 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Malawi at 35% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Malawi | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17.6 | 63.8 |
| 2024 | 17.3 | 63.7 |
| 2023 | 17 | 63.6 |
| 2022 | 16.7 | 63.5 |
| 2021 | 16.5 | 63.5 |
| 2020 | 16.3 | 63.4 |
| 2019 | 16.1 | 63.4 |
| 2018 | 16 | 63.4 |
| 2017 | 16 | 63.3 |
| 2016 | 15.9 | 63.3 |
| 2015 | 15.8 | 63.2 |
| 2014 | 15.8 | 63.1 |
| 2013 | 15.7 | 63.1 |
| 2012 | 15.6 | 63 |
| 2011 | 15.6 | 62.9 |
| 2010 | 15.5 | 62.6 |
| 2009 | 15.4 | 62.3 |
| 2008 | 15.3 | 61.8 |
| 2007 | 15.3 | 61.2 |
| 2006 | 15.2 | 60.5 |
| 2005 | 15.1 | 59.8 |
| 2004 | 15 | 59.1 |
| 2003 | 15 | 58.4 |
| 2002 | 14.9 | 57.7 |
| 2001 | 14.8 | 57 |
| 2000 | 14.7 | 56.3 |
| 1999 | 14.6 | 55.4 |
| 1998 | 14.4 | 54.7 |
| 1997 | 14.2 | 54 |
| 1996 | 14 | 53.6 |
| 1995 | 13.6 | 53.3 |
| 1994 | 13.3 | 53.1 |
| 1993 | 12.9 | 52.9 |
| 1992 | 12.5 | 52.7 |
| 1991 | 12 | 52.4 |
| 1990 | 11.6 | 52 |
| 1989 | 11.3 | 51.4 |
| 1988 | 10.9 | 50.7 |
| 1987 | 10.6 | 50.1 |
| 1986 | 10.4 | 49.6 |
| 1985 | 10.1 | 49.2 |
| 1984 | 9.9 | 49 |
| 1983 | 9.7 | 48.8 |
| 1982 | 9.5 | 48.6 |
| 1981 | 9.3 | 48.5 |
| 1980 | 9.1 | 48.4 |
| 1979 | 8.9 | 48.3 |
| 1978 | 8.7 | 48.2 |
| 1977 | 8.4 | 48.2 |
| 1976 | 8.1 | 48.1 |
| 1975 | 7.8 | 48.1 |
| 1974 | 7.4 | 48 |
| 1973 | 7 | 48 |
| 1972 | 6.5 | 47.9 |
| 1971 | 6.1 | 47.9 |
| 1970 | 5.7 | 47.8 |
| 1969 | 5.4 | 47.7 |
| 1968 | 5.1 | 47.6 |
| 1967 | 4.8 | 47.5 |
| 1966 | 4.7 | 47.5 |
| 1965 | 4.6 | 47.4 |
| 1964 | 4.5 | 47.3 |
| 1963 | 4.3 | 47.1 |
| 1962 | 4.2 | 47 |
| 1961 | 4.1 | 46.9 |
| 1960 | 4 | 46.7 |
| 1959 | 4 | 46.5 |
| 1958 | 3.9 | 46.2 |
| 1957 | 3.8 | 45.8 |
| 1956 | 3.7 | 45.4 |
| 1955 | 3.7 | 44.9 |
| 1954 | 3.6 | 44.4 |
| 1953 | 3.6 | 43.9 |
| 1952 | 3.6 | 43.3 |
| 1951 | 3.5 | 42.7 |
| 1950 | 3.5 | 42.1 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Malawi | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 | 64 |
| 2027 | 18.3 | 64.1 |
| 2028 | 18.8 | 64.3 |
| 2029 | 19.2 | 64.5 |
| 2030 | 19.7 | 64.6 |
| 2031 | 20.2 | 64.8 |
| 2032 | 20.8 | 65.1 |
| 2033 | 21.3 | 65.3 |
| 2034 | 21.9 | 65.5 |
| 2035 | 22.6 | 65.8 |
| 2036 | 23.2 | 66.1 |
| 2037 | 23.9 | 66.3 |
| 2038 | 24.6 | 66.6 |
| 2039 | 25.3 | 66.9 |
| 2040 | 26.1 | 67.2 |
| 2041 | 26.9 | 67.6 |
| 2042 | 27.7 | 67.9 |
| 2043 | 28.5 | 68.2 |
| 2044 | 29.4 | 68.6 |
| 2045 | 30.3 | 69 |
| 2046 | 31.2 | 69.3 |
| 2047 | 32.1 | 69.7 |
| 2048 | 33 | 70.1 |
| 2049 | 34 | 70.5 |
| 2050 | 35 | 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
Malawi vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMalawi: 1 million TIV in 2000South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025