South Africa vs Netherlands
South Africa vs Netherlands: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 63.8% in South Africa and 95.9% in Netherlands, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Netherlands, by 32.1 percentage points, or 1.5 times that in South Africa.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Netherlands has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 118 and Netherlands ranked 17 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts South Africa at 70.9% and Netherlands at 98.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | South Africa | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63.8 | 95.9 |
| 2024 | 63.7 | 95.6 |
| 2023 | 63.6 | 95.3 |
| 2022 | 63.5 | 95 |
| 2021 | 63.5 | 94.6 |
| 2020 | 63.4 | 94.3 |
| 2019 | 63.4 | 93.9 |
| 2018 | 63.4 | 92.6 |
| 2017 | 63.3 | 91.1 |
| 2016 | 63.3 | 90.6 |
| 2015 | 63.2 | 90.3 |
| 2014 | 63.1 | 89.8 |
| 2013 | 63.1 | 89.2 |
| 2012 | 63 | 88.5 |
| 2011 | 62.9 | 88 |
| 2010 | 62.6 | 87.4 |
| 2009 | 62.3 | 86.2 |
| 2008 | 61.8 | 85.6 |
| 2007 | 61.2 | 85.4 |
| 2006 | 60.5 | 84.7 |
| 2005 | 59.8 | 83.5 |
| 2004 | 59.1 | 82.3 |
| 2003 | 58.4 | 81.3 |
| 2002 | 57.7 | 80.8 |
| 2001 | 57 | 80.2 |
| 2000 | 56.3 | 78.5 |
| 1999 | 55.4 | 77.1 |
| 1998 | 54.7 | 76.8 |
| 1997 | 54 | 75.6 |
| 1996 | 53.6 | 72.4 |
| 1995 | 53.3 | 70.7 |
| 1994 | 53.1 | 70.4 |
| 1993 | 52.9 | 69.8 |
| 1992 | 52.7 | 69.3 |
| 1991 | 52.4 | 69.2 |
| 1990 | 52 | 69 |
| 1989 | 51.4 | 68.8 |
| 1988 | 50.7 | 68.4 |
| 1987 | 50.1 | 68.2 |
| 1986 | 49.6 | 68 |
| 1985 | 49.2 | 67.6 |
| 1984 | 49 | 67.4 |
| 1983 | 48.8 | 66.9 |
| 1982 | 48.6 | 66.5 |
| 1981 | 48.5 | 65.7 |
| 1980 | 48.4 | 65 |
| 1979 | 48.3 | 64.8 |
| 1978 | 48.2 | 64.6 |
| 1977 | 48.2 | 64.6 |
| 1976 | 48.1 | 64.5 |
| 1975 | 48.1 | 64.4 |
| 1974 | 48 | 64.2 |
| 1973 | 48 | 63.5 |
| 1972 | 47.9 | 63.1 |
| 1971 | 47.9 | 62.8 |
| 1970 | 47.8 | 62.1 |
| 1969 | 47.7 | 61.8 |
| 1968 | 47.6 | 61.8 |
| 1967 | 47.5 | 61.6 |
| 1966 | 47.5 | 61.3 |
| 1965 | 47.4 | 61.2 |
| 1964 | 47.3 | 60.9 |
| 1963 | 47.1 | 60.3 |
| 1962 | 47 | 60.3 |
| 1961 | 46.9 | 60.1 |
| 1960 | 46.7 | 59.9 |
| 1959 | 46.5 | 59.8 |
| 1958 | 46.2 | 59.2 |
| 1957 | 45.8 | 58.7 |
| 1956 | 45.4 | 58.6 |
| 1955 | 44.9 | 58.5 |
| 1954 | 44.4 | 58.1 |
| 1953 | 43.9 | 57.3 |
| 1952 | 43.3 | 57 |
| 1951 | 42.7 | 57 |
| 1950 | 42.1 | 56.6 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | South Africa | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64 | 96.2 |
| 2027 | 64.1 | 96.5 |
| 2028 | 64.3 | 96.7 |
| 2029 | 64.5 | 97 |
| 2030 | 64.6 | 97.2 |
| 2031 | 64.8 | 97.4 |
| 2032 | 65.1 | 97.6 |
| 2033 | 65.3 | 97.7 |
| 2034 | 65.5 | 97.9 |
| 2035 | 65.8 | 98 |
| 2036 | 66.1 | 98.2 |
| 2037 | 66.3 | 98.3 |
| 2038 | 66.6 | 98.4 |
| 2039 | 66.9 | 98.5 |
| 2040 | 67.2 | 98.6 |
| 2041 | 67.6 | 98.6 |
| 2042 | 67.9 | 98.7 |
| 2043 | 68.2 | 98.7 |
| 2044 | 68.6 | 98.8 |
| 2045 | 69 | 98.8 |
| 2046 | 69.3 | 98.9 |
| 2047 | 69.7 | 98.9 |
| 2048 | 70.1 | 98.9 |
| 2049 | 70.5 | 98.9 |
| 2050 | 70.9 | 98.9 |
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 Netherlands
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Netherlands: 82.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Netherlands: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Netherlands: 4.03% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Netherlands: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Netherlands: 18.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Netherlands: 0.81% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Netherlands: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Netherlands: 41.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Netherlands: 20.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Netherlands: 8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Netherlands: 2.2% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Netherlands: $27B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Netherlands: $1,582 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Netherlands: 4.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Netherlands: 41,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Netherlands: 0.38% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Netherlands: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Netherlands: 824 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Netherlands: 601 million TIV in 2025