South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 63.8% in South Africa and 86% in United Arab Emirates, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 22.1 percentage points, or 1.35 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

South AfricaUnited Arab EmiratesUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

United Arab Emirates has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2025, South Africa ranked 118 and United Arab Emirates ranked 48 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts South Africa at 70.9% and United Arab Emirates at 87.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	South Africa	United Arab Emirates
2025	63.8	86
2024	63.7	85.8
2023	63.6	85.7
2022	63.5	85.5
2021	63.5	85.4
2020	63.4	85.2
2019	63.4	85
2018	63.4	84.9
2017	63.3	84.7
2016	63.3	84.5
2015	63.2	84.3
2014	63.1	84.1
2013	63.1	84
2012	63	83.8
2011	62.9	83.6
2010	62.6	83.4
2009	62.3	83.2
2008	61.8	83
2007	61.2	82.8
2006	60.5	82.6
2005	59.8	82.2
2004	59.1	81.5
2003	58.4	80.9
2002	57.7	80.3
2001	57	79.8
2000	56.3	79.3
1999	55.4	78.9
1998	54.7	78.6
1997	54	78.4
1996	53.6	78.3
1995	53.3	78.3
1994	53.1	78.3
1993	52.9	78.4
1992	52.7	78.4
1991	52.4	78.6
1990	52	78.7
1989	51.4	78.8
1988	50.7	79
1987	50.1	79.2
1986	49.6	79.3
1985	49.2	79.5
1984	49	79.7
1983	48.8	80
1982	48.6	80.3
1981	48.5	80.7
1980	48.4	81.1
1979	48.3	81.8
1978	48.2	82.6
1977	48.2	83.4
1976	48.1	83.9
1975	48.1	83.9
1974	48	83.7
1973	48	83.2
1972	47.9	82.6
1971	47.9	82
1970	47.8	81.2
1969	47.7	80.5
1968	47.6	79.8
1967	47.5	79.2
1966	47.5	78.5
1965	47.4	77.8
1964	47.3	77.1
1963	47.1	76.3
1962	47	75.5
1961	46.9	74.5
1960	46.7	73.5
1959	46.5	72.3
1958	46.2	70.9
1957	45.8	69.4
1956	45.4	67.7
1955	44.9	65.8
1954	44.4	63.8
1953	43.9	61.6
1952	43.3	59.4
1951	42.7	57
1950	42.1	54.5

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

Year	South Africa	United Arab Emirates
2026	64	86.1
2027	64.1	86.2
2028	64.3	86.4
2029	64.5	86.5
2030	64.6	86.6
2031	64.8	86.7
2032	65.1	86.8
2033	65.3	87
2034	65.5	87.1
2035	65.8	87.2
2036	66.1	87.2
2037	66.3	87.3
2038	66.6	87.4
2039	66.9	87.5
2040	67.2	87.6
2041	67.6	87.6
2042	67.9	87.7
2043	68.2	87.7
2044	68.6	87.8
2045	69	87.8
2046	69.3	87.8
2047	69.7	87.9
2048	70.1	87.9
2049	70.5	87.9
2050	70.9	87.9

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 United Arab Emirates

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSouth Africa: 0 deaths in 2022United Arab Emirates: 3 deaths in 2022