Niger vs South Africa: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 18.4% in Niger and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 45.5 percentage points, or 3.47 times that in Niger.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

NigerSouth 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, Niger ranked 223 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Niger at 33.8% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Niger	South Africa
2025	18.4	63.8
2024	18.1	63.7
2023	17.8	63.6
2022	17.5	63.5
2021	17.2	63.5
2020	17	63.4
2019	16.8	63.4
2018	16.6	63.4
2017	16.5	63.3
2016	16.4	63.3
2015	16.3	63.2
2014	16.3	63.1
2013	16.2	63.1
2012	16.2	63
2011	16.2	62.9
2010	16.2	62.6
2009	16.3	62.3
2008	16.3	61.8
2007	16.3	61.2
2006	16.3	60.5
2005	16.3	59.8
2004	16.3	59.1
2003	16.3	58.4
2002	16.3	57.7
2001	16.3	57
2000	16.1	56.3
1999	16.1	55.4
1998	16	54.7
1997	15.9	54
1996	15.8	53.6
1995	15.8	53.3
1994	15.7	53.1
1993	15.7	52.9
1992	15.6	52.7
1991	15.5	52.4
1990	15.5	52
1989	15.4	51.4
1988	15.3	50.7
1987	15.1	50.1
1986	15	49.6
1985	14.8	49.2
1984	14.6	49
1983	14.4	48.8
1982	14.2	48.6
1981	14	48.5
1980	13.7	48.4
1979	13.4	48.3
1978	13.1	48.2
1977	12.8	48.2
1976	12.4	48.1
1975	12	48.1
1974	11.4	48
1973	10.9	48
1972	10.3	47.9
1971	9.7	47.9
1970	9.1	47.8
1969	8.5	47.7
1968	8	47.6
1967	7.5	47.5
1966	7.1	47.5
1965	6.8	47.4
1964	6.5	47.3
1963	6.2	47.1
1962	6	47
1961	5.9	46.9
1960	5.7	46.7
1959	5.6	46.5
1958	5.5	46.2
1957	5.4	45.8
1956	5.4	45.4
1955	5.3	44.9
1954	5.3	44.4
1953	5.2	43.9
1952	5.2	43.3
1951	5.2	42.7
1950	5.1	42.1

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

Year	Niger	South Africa
2026	18.7	64
2027	19.1	64.1
2028	19.5	64.3
2029	19.9	64.5
2030	20.4	64.6
2031	20.8	64.8
2032	21.3	65.1
2033	21.8	65.3
2034	22.4	65.5
2035	22.9	65.8
2036	23.5	66.1
2037	24.1	66.3
2038	24.8	66.6
2039	25.4	66.9
2040	26.1	67.2
2041	26.8	67.6
2042	27.5	67.9
2043	28.2	68.2
2044	29	68.6
2045	29.7	69
2046	30.5	69.3
2047	31.3	69.7
2048	32.1	70.1
2049	33	70.5
2050	33.8	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

Niger vs South Africa: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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