Senegal vs South Africa: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 55.8% in Senegal and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 8 percentage points, or 1.14 times that in Senegal.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

SenegalSouth 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 Senegal at 63.9% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Senegal	South Africa
2025	55.8	63.8
2024	55.2	63.7
2023	54.7	63.6
2022	53.4	63.5
2021	52.2	63.5
2020	51.1	63.4
2019	49.9	63.4
2018	48.9	63.4
2017	47.9	63.3
2016	47.1	63.3
2015	46.3	63.2
2014	45.6	63.1
2013	45	63.1
2012	44.5	63
2011	44.1	62.9
2010	43.6	62.6
2009	43.2	62.3
2008	42.9	61.8
2007	42.5	61.2
2006	42.2	60.5
2005	41.9	59.8
2004	41.6	59.1
2003	41.4	58.4
2002	41.1	57.7
2001	40.9	57
2000	40.7	56.3
1999	40.5	55.4
1998	40.3	54.7
1997	40.1	54
1996	40	53.6
1995	39.8	53.3
1994	39.7	53.1
1993	39.5	52.9
1992	39.3	52.7
1991	39.1	52.4
1990	39	52
1989	38.7	51.4
1988	38.5	50.7
1987	38.3	50.1
1986	38	49.6
1985	37.7	49.2
1984	37.4	49
1983	37	48.8
1982	36.7	48.6
1981	36.3	48.5
1980	36	48.4
1979	35.6	48.3
1978	35.2	48.2
1977	34.8	48.2
1976	34.4	48.1
1975	33.9	48.1
1974	33.5	48
1973	33	48
1972	32.5	47.9
1971	31.9	47.9
1970	31.3	47.8
1969	30.4	47.7
1968	29.4	47.6
1967	28.3	47.5
1966	27.2	47.5
1965	26.1	47.4
1964	25	47.3
1963	24.1	47.1
1962	23.3	47
1961	22.9	46.9
1960	22.6	46.7
1959	22.5	46.5
1958	22.3	46.2
1957	22.2	45.8
1956	22.1	45.4
1955	22.1	44.9
1954	22	44.4
1953	21.9	43.9
1952	21.8	43.3
1951	21.7	42.7
1950	21.7	42.1

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

Year	Senegal	South Africa
2026	56.3	64
2027	56.8	64.1
2028	57.3	64.3
2029	57.8	64.5
2030	58.3	64.6
2031	58.8	64.8
2032	59.2	65.1
2033	59.6	65.3
2034	60.1	65.5
2035	60.5	65.8
2036	60.9	66.1
2037	61.2	66.3
2038	61.6	66.6
2039	61.9	66.9
2040	62.2	67.2
2041	62.5	67.6
2042	62.8	67.9
2043	63	68.2
2044	63.2	68.6
2045	63.4	69
2046	63.5	69.3
2047	63.7	69.7
2048	63.8	70.1
2049	63.8	70.5
2050	63.9	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

Senegal vs South Africa: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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