Mozambique vs South Africa: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 37.2% in Mozambique and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 26.6 percentage points, or 1.72 times that in Mozambique.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

MozambiqueSouth AfricaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2025, Mozambique ranked 186 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Mozambique at 52.8% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Mozambique	South Africa
2025	37.2	63.8
2024	36.4	63.7
2023	35.7	63.6
2022	35.1	63.5
2021	34.5	63.5
2020	33.9	63.4
2019	33.4	63.4
2018	33	63.4
2017	32.6	63.3
2016	32.4	63.3
2015	32.1	63.2
2014	31.9	63.1
2013	31.7	63.1
2012	31.4	63
2011	31.2	62.9
2010	31	62.6
2009	30.8	62.3
2008	30.6	61.8
2007	30.4	61.2
2006	30.2	60.5
2005	30	59.8
2004	29.9	59.1
2003	29.7	58.4
2002	29.6	57.7
2001	29.4	57
2000	29.2	56.3
1999	29.1	55.4
1998	28.8	54.7
1997	28.6	54
1996	28.2	53.6
1995	27.6	53.3
1994	26.9	53.1
1993	26.1	52.9
1992	25.2	52.7
1991	24.2	52.4
1990	23.2	52
1989	22.1	51.4
1988	21	50.7
1987	19.8	50.1
1986	18.7	49.6
1985	17.6	49.2
1984	16.5	49
1983	15.5	48.8
1982	14.6	48.6
1981	13.8	48.5
1980	13.1	48.4
1979	12.5	48.3
1978	11.9	48.2
1977	11.3	48.2
1976	10.6	48.1
1975	10	48.1
1974	9.5	48
1973	8.9	48
1972	8.3	47.9
1971	7.8	47.9
1970	7.3	47.8
1969	6.8	47.7
1968	6.3	47.6
1967	5.8	47.5
1966	5.4	47.5
1965	5	47.4
1964	4.7	47.3
1963	4.4	47.1
1962	4.1	47
1961	3.8	46.9
1960	3.6	46.7
1959	3.4	46.5
1958	3.3	46.2
1957	3.1	45.8
1956	2.9	45.4
1955	2.8	44.9
1954	2.6	44.4
1953	2.5	43.9
1952	2.4	43.3
1951	2.4	42.7
1950	2.4	42.1

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

Year	Mozambique	South Africa
2026	38	64
2027	38.9	64.1
2028	39.7	64.3
2029	40.5	64.5
2030	41.2	64.6
2031	41.9	64.8
2032	42.7	65.1
2033	43.4	65.3
2034	44.1	65.5
2035	44.8	65.8
2036	45.5	66.1
2037	46.1	66.3
2038	46.8	66.6
2039	47.4	66.9
2040	48	67.2
2041	48.6	67.6
2042	49.2	67.9
2043	49.7	68.2
2044	50.2	68.6
2045	50.7	69
2046	51.2	69.3
2047	51.6	69.7
2048	52.1	70.1
2049	52.4	70.5
2050	52.8	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

Mozambique vs South Africa: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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