South Africa vs Zambia
South Africa vs Zambia: Internet users
Internet users in 2024: 78.4% in South Africa and 17.1% in Zambia, by ITU estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Africa, by 61.3 percentage points, or 4.58 times that in Zambia.
% of people · ITU
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 1994.
- In 2024, South Africa ranked 102 and Zambia ranked 176 of 182 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 71.2% in 2024.
Every year
% of people · ITU
| Year | South Africa | Zambia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 2024 | 78.4 | 17.1 | 71.2 |
| 2023 | 78.3 | 16.5 | 69.2 |
| 2022 | 78.3 | 15 | 67 |
| 2021 | 75 | 14.8 | 63.8 |
| 2020 | 72.1 | 14.7 | 60.1 |
| 2019 | 69.7 | 14.5 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 62.4 | 14.3 | 49.4 |
| 2017 | 56.2 | 12.2 | 46.3 |
| 2016 | 54 | 10.3 | 43.6 |
| 2015 | 51.9 | 8.8 | 39.9 |
| 2014 | 49 | 6.5 | 37.4 |
| 2013 | 46.5 | 4.8 | 35.3 |
| 2012 | 41 | 4.1 | 33.3 |
| 2011 | 34 | 3.5 | 30.9 |
| 2010 | 24 | 3 | 28.4 |
| 2009 | 10 | 2.5 | 25.3 |
| 2008 | 8.4 | 2.2 | 22.8 |
| 2007 | 8.1 | 1.9 | 20.2 |
| 2006 | 7.6 | 1.6 | 17.2 |
| 2005 | 7.5 | 1.3 | 15.6 |
| 2004 | 8.4 | 1.1 | – |
| 2003 | 7 | 1 | – |
| 2002 | 6.7 | 0.5 | – |
| 2001 | 6.3 | 0.2 | – |
| 2000 | 5.3 | 0.2 | – |
| 1999 | 4.1 | 0.1 | – |
| 1998 | 2.9 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 1.6 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0.8 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 0.7 | 0 | – |
| 1994 | 0.2 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0.1 | – | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – | – |
| 1991 | 0 | – | – |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people who used the internet in the last three months, from anywhere.
- Source: ITU, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 182 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Africa vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Zambia: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 2 million TIV in 1990