Mali vs South Africa: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 32.2% in Mali and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 31.6 percentage points, or 1.98 times that in Mali.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

MaliSouth AfricaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Mali at 47.7% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Mali	South Africa
2025	32.2	63.8
2024	31.6	63.7
2023	31	63.6
2022	30.4	63.5
2021	29.7	63.5
2020	29	63.4
2019	28.4	63.4
2018	27.7	63.4
2017	27.1	63.3
2016	26.5	63.3
2015	25.9	63.2
2014	25.3	63.1
2013	24.7	63.1
2012	24.2	63
2011	23.6	62.9
2010	23.1	62.6
2009	22.7	62.3
2008	22.2	61.8
2007	21.7	61.2
2006	21.3	60.5
2005	20.9	59.8
2004	20.5	59.1
2003	20.1	58.4
2002	19.7	57.7
2001	19.3	57
2000	19	56.3
1999	18.7	55.4
1998	18.4	54.7
1997	18.1	54
1996	17.9	53.6
1995	17.6	53.3
1994	17.4	53.1
1993	17.2	52.9
1992	17	52.7
1991	16.8	52.4
1990	16.6	52
1989	16.4	51.4
1988	16.2	50.7
1987	16	50.1
1986	15.7	49.6
1985	15.5	49.2
1984	15.2	49
1983	14.9	48.8
1982	14.6	48.6
1981	14.4	48.5
1980	14.1	48.4
1979	13.8	48.3
1978	13.5	48.2
1977	13.2	48.2
1976	12.8	48.1
1975	12.5	48.1
1974	12.2	48
1973	11.9	48
1972	11.5	47.9
1971	11.1	47.9
1970	10.8	47.8
1969	10.4	47.7
1968	10	47.6
1967	9.6	47.5
1966	9.2	47.5
1965	8.9	47.4
1964	8.5	47.3
1963	8.1	47.1
1962	7.7	47
1961	7.4	46.9
1960	7	46.7
1959	6.7	46.5
1958	6.4	46.2
1957	6.1	45.8
1956	5.8	45.4
1955	5.5	44.9
1954	5.2	44.4
1953	5	43.9
1952	4.8	43.3
1951	4.6	42.7
1950	4.5	42.1

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

Year	Mali	South Africa
2026	32.8	64
2027	33.4	64.1
2028	34	64.3
2029	34.6	64.5
2030	35.3	64.6
2031	35.9	64.8
2032	36.5	65.1
2033	37.1	65.3
2034	37.7	65.5
2035	38.3	65.8
2036	38.9	66.1
2037	39.5	66.3
2038	40.2	66.6
2039	40.8	66.9
2040	41.4	67.2
2041	42	67.6
2042	42.6	67.9
2043	43.3	68.2
2044	43.9	68.6
2045	44.5	69
2046	45.1	69.3
2047	45.8	69.7
2048	46.4	70.1
2049	47	70.5
2050	47.7	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

Mali vs South Africa: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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