Saudi Arabia vs South Africa
Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 84.6% in Saudi Arabia and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 20.8 percentage points, or 1.33 times that in South Africa.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher since 1970, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, Saudi Arabia ranked 51 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Saudi Arabia at 87.5% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Saudi Arabia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 84.6 | 63.8 |
| 2024 | 84.5 | 63.7 |
| 2023 | 84.3 | 63.6 |
| 2022 | 84.1 | 63.5 |
| 2021 | 84 | 63.5 |
| 2020 | 83.8 | 63.4 |
| 2019 | 83.6 | 63.4 |
| 2018 | 83.5 | 63.4 |
| 2017 | 83.3 | 63.3 |
| 2016 | 83.1 | 63.3 |
| 2015 | 83 | 63.2 |
| 2014 | 82.8 | 63.1 |
| 2013 | 82.6 | 63.1 |
| 2012 | 82.4 | 63 |
| 2011 | 82.3 | 62.9 |
| 2010 | 82.1 | 62.6 |
| 2009 | 81.9 | 62.3 |
| 2008 | 81.6 | 61.8 |
| 2007 | 81.4 | 61.2 |
| 2006 | 81.2 | 60.5 |
| 2005 | 81 | 59.8 |
| 2004 | 80.8 | 59.1 |
| 2003 | 80.5 | 58.4 |
| 2002 | 80.3 | 57.7 |
| 2001 | 80.2 | 57 |
| 2000 | 80 | 56.3 |
| 1999 | 79.8 | 55.4 |
| 1998 | 79.6 | 54.7 |
| 1997 | 79.4 | 54 |
| 1996 | 79.2 | 53.6 |
| 1995 | 78.9 | 53.3 |
| 1994 | 78.7 | 53.1 |
| 1993 | 78.3 | 52.9 |
| 1992 | 78 | 52.7 |
| 1991 | 77.6 | 52.4 |
| 1990 | 77 | 52 |
| 1989 | 76.3 | 51.4 |
| 1988 | 75.6 | 50.7 |
| 1987 | 74.8 | 50.1 |
| 1986 | 73.9 | 49.6 |
| 1985 | 72.9 | 49.2 |
| 1984 | 71.9 | 49 |
| 1983 | 70.6 | 48.8 |
| 1982 | 69.3 | 48.6 |
| 1981 | 67.9 | 48.5 |
| 1980 | 66.4 | 48.4 |
| 1979 | 64.9 | 48.3 |
| 1978 | 63.3 | 48.2 |
| 1977 | 61.7 | 48.2 |
| 1976 | 60.1 | 48.1 |
| 1975 | 58.4 | 48.1 |
| 1974 | 56.8 | 48 |
| 1973 | 55.1 | 48 |
| 1972 | 53.2 | 47.9 |
| 1971 | 51.2 | 47.9 |
| 1970 | 49.2 | 47.8 |
| 1969 | 47.1 | 47.7 |
| 1968 | 45 | 47.6 |
| 1967 | 42.9 | 47.5 |
| 1966 | 40.9 | 47.5 |
| 1965 | 39 | 47.4 |
| 1964 | 37.2 | 47.3 |
| 1963 | 35.6 | 47.1 |
| 1962 | 34.1 | 47 |
| 1961 | 32.8 | 46.9 |
| 1960 | 31.4 | 46.7 |
| 1959 | 30.2 | 46.5 |
| 1958 | 29 | 46.2 |
| 1957 | 27.8 | 45.8 |
| 1956 | 26.7 | 45.4 |
| 1955 | 25.6 | 44.9 |
| 1954 | 24.6 | 44.4 |
| 1953 | 23.7 | 43.9 |
| 1952 | 22.8 | 43.3 |
| 1951 | 22 | 42.7 |
| 1950 | 21.3 | 42.1 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Saudi Arabia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 84.8 | 64 |
| 2027 | 84.9 | 64.1 |
| 2028 | 85.1 | 64.3 |
| 2029 | 85.2 | 64.5 |
| 2030 | 85.4 | 64.6 |
| 2031 | 85.5 | 64.8 |
| 2032 | 85.6 | 65.1 |
| 2033 | 85.8 | 65.3 |
| 2034 | 85.9 | 65.5 |
| 2035 | 86 | 65.8 |
| 2036 | 86.2 | 66.1 |
| 2037 | 86.3 | 66.3 |
| 2038 | 86.4 | 66.6 |
| 2039 | 86.5 | 66.9 |
| 2040 | 86.6 | 67.2 |
| 2041 | 86.7 | 67.6 |
| 2042 | 86.8 | 67.9 |
| 2043 | 86.9 | 68.2 |
| 2044 | 87 | 68.6 |
| 2045 | 87.1 | 69 |
| 2046 | 87.2 | 69.3 |
| 2047 | 87.3 | 69.7 |
| 2048 | 87.3 | 70.1 |
| 2049 | 87.4 | 70.5 |
| 2050 | 87.5 | 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
Saudi Arabia vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancySaudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySaudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySaudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSaudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateSaudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSaudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthSaudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSaudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageSaudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSaudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateSaudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSaudi Arabia: $25,070 in 2025South Africa: $5,713 in 2025
- GDP growthSaudi Arabia: 4.6% a year in 2025South Africa: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationSaudi Arabia: 2% a year in 2025South Africa: 3.2% a year in 2025
- Government debtSaudi Arabia: 31.8% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 76% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSaudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSaudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personSaudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSaudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSaudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerSaudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSaudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSaudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSaudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025