Namibia vs South Africa: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 50.9% in Namibia and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 13 percentage points, or 1.25 times that in Namibia.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

NamibiaSouth 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, Namibia ranked 161 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Namibia at 59.6% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Namibia	South Africa
2025	50.9	63.8
2024	50.4	63.7
2023	50	63.6
2022	49.5	63.5
2021	49.1	63.5
2020	48.6	63.4
2019	48	63.4
2018	47.4	63.4
2017	46.8	63.3
2016	46.2	63.3
2015	45.5	63.2
2014	44.8	63.1
2013	44.1	63.1
2012	43.4	63
2011	42.6	62.9
2010	41.8	62.6
2009	40.9	62.3
2008	39.8	61.8
2007	38.8	61.2
2006	37.7	60.5
2005	36.6	59.8
2004	35.5	59.1
2003	34.6	58.4
2002	33.7	57.7
2001	32.9	57
2000	32.1	56.3
1999	31.4	55.4
1998	30.6	54.7
1997	29.9	54
1996	29.3	53.6
1995	28.7	53.3
1994	28.1	53.1
1993	27.7	52.9
1992	27.3	52.7
1991	27.1	52.4
1990	26.9	52
1989	26.7	51.4
1988	26.5	50.7
1987	26.4	50.1
1986	26.2	49.6
1985	26.1	49.2
1984	26	49
1983	25.9	48.8
1982	25.8	48.6
1981	25.7	48.5
1980	25.6	48.4
1979	25.6	48.3
1978	25.5	48.2
1977	25.4	48.2
1976	25.4	48.1
1975	25.3	48.1
1974	25.2	48
1973	25.2	48
1972	25.1	47.9
1971	25	47.9
1970	24.9	47.8
1969	24.9	47.7
1968	24.8	47.6
1967	24.6	47.5
1966	24.5	47.5
1965	24.4	47.4
1964	24.2	47.3
1963	24	47.1
1962	23.9	47
1961	23.6	46.9
1960	23.4	46.7
1959	23	46.5
1958	22.3	46.2
1957	21.5	45.8
1956	20.6	45.4
1955	19.6	44.9
1954	18.6	44.4
1953	17.6	43.9
1952	16.8	43.3
1951	16.1	42.7
1950	15.6	42.1

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

Year	Namibia	South Africa
2026	51.3	64
2027	51.8	64.1
2028	52.2	64.3
2029	52.7	64.5
2030	53.1	64.6
2031	53.5	64.8
2032	53.9	65.1
2033	54.3	65.3
2034	54.7	65.5
2035	55.1	65.8
2036	55.5	66.1
2037	55.9	66.3
2038	56.3	66.6
2039	56.6	66.9
2040	56.9	67.2
2041	57.3	67.6
2042	57.6	67.9
2043	57.9	68.2
2044	58.2	68.6
2045	58.5	69
2046	58.7	69.3
2047	59	69.7
2048	59.2	70.1
2049	59.4	70.5
2050	59.6	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

Namibia vs South Africa: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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