South Africa vs Sweden
South Africa vs Sweden: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 63.8% in South Africa and 89.1% in Sweden, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sweden, by 25.3 percentage points, or 1.4 times that in South Africa.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Sweden has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 118 and Sweden ranked 38 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts South Africa at 70.9% and Sweden at 92.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | South Africa | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63.8 | 89.1 |
| 2024 | 63.7 | 88.9 |
| 2023 | 63.6 | 88.6 |
| 2022 | 63.5 | 88.4 |
| 2021 | 63.5 | 88.2 |
| 2020 | 63.4 | 87.9 |
| 2019 | 63.4 | 87.7 |
| 2018 | 63.4 | 87.5 |
| 2017 | 63.3 | 87.2 |
| 2016 | 63.3 | 87 |
| 2015 | 63.2 | 86.6 |
| 2014 | 63.1 | 86.3 |
| 2013 | 63.1 | 85.9 |
| 2012 | 63 | 85.6 |
| 2011 | 62.9 | 85.4 |
| 2010 | 62.6 | 85.1 |
| 2009 | 62.3 | 84.9 |
| 2008 | 61.8 | 84.8 |
| 2007 | 61.2 | 84.6 |
| 2006 | 60.5 | 84.5 |
| 2005 | 59.8 | 84.4 |
| 2004 | 59.1 | 84.3 |
| 2003 | 58.4 | 84.2 |
| 2002 | 57.7 | 84.1 |
| 2001 | 57 | 84.1 |
| 2000 | 56.3 | 84 |
| 1999 | 55.4 | 84 |
| 1998 | 54.7 | 84 |
| 1997 | 54 | 84 |
| 1996 | 53.6 | 83.9 |
| 1995 | 53.3 | 83.9 |
| 1994 | 53.1 | 83.8 |
| 1993 | 52.9 | 83.7 |
| 1992 | 52.7 | 83.6 |
| 1991 | 52.4 | 83.5 |
| 1990 | 52 | 83.4 |
| 1989 | 51.4 | 83.3 |
| 1988 | 50.7 | 83.2 |
| 1987 | 50.1 | 83.2 |
| 1986 | 49.6 | 83.1 |
| 1985 | 49.2 | 83.1 |
| 1984 | 49 | 83.1 |
| 1983 | 48.8 | 83.1 |
| 1982 | 48.6 | 83.1 |
| 1981 | 48.5 | 83.1 |
| 1980 | 48.4 | 83.1 |
| 1979 | 48.3 | 83.1 |
| 1978 | 48.2 | 83 |
| 1977 | 48.2 | 82.9 |
| 1976 | 48.1 | 82.8 |
| 1975 | 48.1 | 82.7 |
| 1974 | 48 | 82.5 |
| 1973 | 48 | 82.3 |
| 1972 | 47.9 | 82 |
| 1971 | 47.9 | 81.7 |
| 1970 | 47.8 | 81.2 |
| 1969 | 47.7 | 80.6 |
| 1968 | 47.6 | 79.8 |
| 1967 | 47.5 | 78.9 |
| 1966 | 47.5 | 78 |
| 1965 | 47.4 | 77.1 |
| 1964 | 47.3 | 76.2 |
| 1963 | 47.1 | 75.3 |
| 1962 | 47 | 74.3 |
| 1961 | 46.9 | 73.4 |
| 1960 | 46.7 | 72.5 |
| 1959 | 46.5 | 71.6 |
| 1958 | 46.2 | 70.8 |
| 1957 | 45.8 | 70 |
| 1956 | 45.4 | 69.2 |
| 1955 | 44.9 | 68.5 |
| 1954 | 44.4 | 67.7 |
| 1953 | 43.9 | 67 |
| 1952 | 43.3 | 66.2 |
| 1951 | 42.7 | 65.5 |
| 1950 | 42.1 | 64.7 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | South Africa | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64 | 89.3 |
| 2027 | 64.1 | 89.5 |
| 2028 | 64.3 | 89.7 |
| 2029 | 64.5 | 89.9 |
| 2030 | 64.6 | 90.1 |
| 2031 | 64.8 | 90.3 |
| 2032 | 65.1 | 90.5 |
| 2033 | 65.3 | 90.7 |
| 2034 | 65.5 | 90.9 |
| 2035 | 65.8 | 91.1 |
| 2036 | 66.1 | 91.3 |
| 2037 | 66.3 | 91.4 |
| 2038 | 66.6 | 91.6 |
| 2039 | 66.9 | 91.7 |
| 2040 | 67.2 | 91.9 |
| 2041 | 67.6 | 92 |
| 2042 | 67.9 | 92.2 |
| 2043 | 68.2 | 92.3 |
| 2044 | 68.6 | 92.4 |
| 2045 | 69 | 92.5 |
| 2046 | 69.3 | 92.6 |
| 2047 | 69.7 | 92.7 |
| 2048 | 70.1 | 92.8 |
| 2049 | 70.5 | 92.9 |
| 2050 | 70.9 | 92.9 |
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
South Africa vs Sweden
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Sweden: 83.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Sweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Sweden: 4.49% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Sweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Sweden: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Sweden: 0.56% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Sweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Sweden: 39.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Sweden: 20.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Sweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Sweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Sweden: $15B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Sweden: $1,549 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Sweden: 5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Sweden: 15,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Sweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Sweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 235 million TIV in 2025