South Africa vs Zimbabwe
South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Net migration rate
Net migration rate in 2023: 3.6 per 1,000 people in South Africa and -6 per 1,000 people in Zimbabwe, by UN estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 9.6 per 1,000 people.
per 1,000 people · UN
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2017, when it overtook Zimbabwe.
- In 2023, South Africa ranked 51 and Zimbabwe ranked 205 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (medium variant) puts South Africa at 2.1 per 1,000 people and Zimbabwe at -2.1 per 1,000 people in 2100.
Every year
per 1,000 people · UN
| Year | South Africa | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.6 | -6 |
| 2022 | 3.7 | -6.4 |
| 2021 | 7.5 | -4.7 |
| 2020 | 6.1 | -5.8 |
| 2019 | 5.6 | -6.8 |
| 2018 | 5.4 | -7.8 |
| 2017 | 6 | -8.7 |
| 2016 | -15.4 | -9.6 |
| 2015 | 11.3 | -11.3 |
| 2014 | 4.9 | -12.5 |
| 2013 | 4.2 | -12.6 |
| 2012 | 4.9 | -12.8 |
| 2011 | 1.2 | -8 |
| 2010 | 1.3 | -8.1 |
| 2009 | 0.8 | -8.3 |
| 2008 | 0.7 | -8.8 |
| 2007 | 0.7 | -9.2 |
| 2006 | 0.7 | -4.5 |
| 2005 | 0.6 | -10.8 |
| 2004 | 1.2 | -10.3 |
| 2003 | 1.4 | -7.9 |
| 2002 | 1 | -8.4 |
| 2001 | -1.3 | -11.6 |
| 2000 | -2.9 | -13.9 |
| 1999 | -2.7 | -7.3 |
| 1998 | -1.8 | 0.6 |
| 1997 | -2.2 | 0 |
| 1996 | -4.3 | 0.1 |
| 1995 | -2.2 | -4.1 |
| 1994 | -6.1 | -16.1 |
| 1993 | 4.5 | -22.5 |
| 1992 | -1.7 | 7.1 |
| 1991 | -0.9 | 0.4 |
| 1990 | 6.4 | 0.5 |
| 1989 | 6.5 | 0.4 |
| 1988 | 6.4 | 1.2 |
| 1987 | 6.2 | 2.3 |
| 1986 | 6.5 | 0.7 |
| 1985 | 7 | 0.5 |
| 1984 | 8.6 | 0.6 |
| 1983 | 9.5 | 0.6 |
| 1982 | 9.3 | 4.2 |
| 1981 | 9.2 | 1.5 |
| 1980 | 8.7 | 55.5 |
| 1979 | 2 | -10.2 |
| 1978 | 2.2 | -26.1 |
| 1977 | 2.4 | -13.8 |
| 1976 | 1 | -5.2 |
| 1975 | 1.5 | -4.8 |
| 1974 | 1.5 | -2.7 |
| 1973 | 1.7 | -3.3 |
| 1972 | 1.6 | -3.8 |
| 1971 | 1.4 | -4.2 |
| 1970 | 2.8 | -4.6 |
| 1969 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
| 1968 | 3.8 | -2.4 |
| 1967 | 4 | -2.5 |
| 1966 | 3.9 | -2.4 |
| 1965 | 4.3 | -2.3 |
| 1964 | 4.1 | -2.2 |
| 1963 | 4.1 | -2.1 |
| 1962 | 4 | -2.1 |
| 1961 | 3.4 | -2.1 |
| 1960 | 1.1 | -2.2 |
| 1959 | 0.3 | -2.2 |
| 1958 | -0.9 | -2.1 |
| 1957 | -0.2 | -2.1 |
| 1956 | -0.1 | -2 |
| 1955 | -0.2 | -2 |
| 1954 | -0.2 | -1.9 |
| 1953 | -0.4 | -1.9 |
| 1952 | 0.3 | -1.8 |
| 1951 | 0.6 | -1.7 |
| 1950 | 0.7 | -1.7 |
UN projection (medium variant) · 2024–2100
| Year | South Africa | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2.6-5.3–9.8 | -3.6-22–13.6 |
| 2025 | 2.3-5.9–10.1 | -3.2-23.7–15 |
| 2026 | 2-6.3–9.5 | -3.2-24.9–14.9 |
| 2027 | 2.2-5.5–10.2 | -3.1-24–14.7 |
| 2028 | 2.3-5.9–10.5 | -3.2-23.7–14.9 |
| 2029 | 2.3-6.3–10.1 | -3.1-22.1–14.3 |
| 2030 | 2.1-5.9–10.6 | -3.3-23.4–15.4 |
| 2031 | 2.2-5.9–10.6 | -3.2-22.8–15.3 |
| 2032 | 2.2-6.3–10.3 | -2.8-23–15.3 |
| 2033 | 2.1-6–10.1 | -2.6-22–15.6 |
| 2034 | 2.2-6.5–10.3 | -3-23.5–15.7 |
| 2035 | 2.3-6.1–10.4 | -2.5-20.7–16.9 |
| 2036 | 2.2-6.2–9.6 | -3-23.6–16.2 |
| 2037 | 2.3-6–9.9 | -3-21.8–14.6 |
| 2038 | 2.1-5.8–10.1 | -2.8-22.8–15.3 |
| 2039 | 2-6.4–10.2 | -3-22.6–15.1 |
| 2040 | 2.1-6.3–10.2 | -2.8-21.9–15.3 |
| 2041 | 2.2-6.5–10.5 | -2.1-22.9–16.7 |
| 2042 | 2.2-6.4–10.9 | -3-23.5–15.6 |
| 2043 | 2.1-6–10.5 | -2.3-22.1–17.3 |
| 2044 | 2.1-6–10.4 | -2.9-22.6–15.4 |
| 2045 | 2.1-7–10.3 | -2.7-22.5–16.8 |
| 2046 | 2.3-5.5–10.9 | -2.7-22.5–16.3 |
| 2047 | 2.3-6.2–10.6 | -2.8-21.8–15.4 |
| 2048 | 2.1-5.9–10.4 | -2.5-22.4–16.6 |
| 2049 | 2.3-5.7–10.5 | -2.7-23.3–16 |
| 2050 | 2.3-6.2–11.1 | -2.4-22.4–16 |
| 2051 | 2.5-5.5–10.9 | -2.2-21.3–16.1 |
| 2052 | 2.2-5.9–10.8 | -2.5-22.8–15.3 |
| 2053 | 2.2-6.4–10.3 | -2.2-22.8–15.9 |
| 2054 | 2.3-6.1–10.2 | -2.7-23.6–15.2 |
| 2055 | 2.3-6.2–10.5 | -2.4-22.4–15.8 |
| 2056 | 2.2-5.9–10.1 | -2.8-23.7–14.7 |
| 2057 | 2.3-6.6–10.3 | -2.4-23.1–16.3 |
| 2058 | 2.4-6.3–11.1 | -2.6-22–16.1 |
| 2059 | 2.3-6.6–11 | -2.7-23.5–15.8 |
| 2060 | 2.3-5.8–10.3 | -2.6-23.2–14.4 |
| 2061 | 2.2-6.5–10.5 | -2.3-22.4–15.5 |
| 2062 | 2.3-6.2–10.3 | -2.2-22.6–16.2 |
| 2063 | 2.4-6.5–10.8 | -2.2-22.7–16 |
| 2064 | 2.3-6.5–10.6 | -2.6-23.4–15.4 |
| 2065 | 2.1-6.6–10.5 | -2.2-23.6–15.9 |
| 2066 | 2.2-6.1–10.5 | -2.5-22.6–16.2 |
| 2067 | 2.2-6.2–10.3 | -2.2-23.5–15.8 |
| 2068 | 2.1-6–10.4 | -2.4-23.2–15.2 |
| 2069 | 2.2-6.5–10.4 | -2.3-23.4–15.4 |
| 2070 | 2.5-5.9–11.1 | -2.4-22.6–14.7 |
| 2071 | 2.5-5.8–10.5 | -2.4-23.4–15.5 |
| 2072 | 2.1-6.6–10 | -1.8-23.1–16.5 |
| 2073 | 2.1-5.9–10 | -1.8-22.1–16.3 |
| 2074 | 2.2-6.9–11.1 | -2.1-23–15.8 |
| 2075 | 2.1-5.9–10.5 | -2.2-24–16.2 |
| 2076 | 2-6.7–9.9 | -2-21.9–17.6 |
| 2077 | 2.2-6.4–10.5 | -2.1-23.6–15.6 |
| 2078 | 2.3-5.9–10.5 | -2.2-22.6–15.2 |
| 2079 | 2.2-6.5–11 | -2.1-23.9–15.8 |
| 2080 | 2.3-6.8–10.5 | -2-23.6–16 |
| 2081 | 2.2-6.1–10.6 | -2.1-23.8–15.8 |
| 2082 | 2.2-6.4–10.3 | -2.3-23.6–15.2 |
| 2083 | 2.2-6.2–10.3 | -2.1-24.3–15.9 |
| 2084 | 2-6.5–10.6 | -2.1-23.5–15.3 |
| 2085 | 1.9-6.8–9.6 | -2.2-24.1–15.6 |
| 2086 | 2.1-6.3–10.8 | -2-24.3–16.8 |
| 2087 | 2.1-6.5–10.4 | -1.9-22.4–15.5 |
| 2088 | 2.1-6.6–9.9 | -2.4-24.6–16 |
| 2089 | 2.1-6.6–10.5 | -2-23.7–15.2 |
| 2090 | 2-7.1–10.2 | -1.9-24.2–17.4 |
| 2091 | 2.2-6.4–10.8 | -2.3-24.1–16.5 |
| 2092 | 2-6.9–10.4 | -2.1-23.6–16.4 |
| 2093 | 2-7.9–10.4 | -2.4-24.7–15.4 |
| 2094 | 2-7.1–10.4 | -1.8-23.1–15.9 |
| 2095 | 1.9-6.5–10.1 | -1.8-23.9–15.8 |
| 2096 | 1.8-6.6–10.1 | -2.2-24.4–16.9 |
| 2097 | 1.8-7.4–10.4 | -2-23.2–15.9 |
| 2098 | 2-6.5–10.1 | -2.1-24.1–15.4 |
| 2099 | 2-5.7–11 | -2.3-25–15.4 |
| 2100 | 2.1-6.2–10.8 | -2.1-23.1–15.6 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- People moving in minus people moving out in a year, per 1,000 residents; below zero, more left than arrived.
- Source: UN DESA, World Population Prospects 2024.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (medium variant), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its 95% prediction interval.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2023, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
South Africa vs Zimbabwe
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 62.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Zimbabwe: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zimbabwe: 33.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Zimbabwe: 3.19% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Zimbabwe: 26.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Zimbabwe: 16.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Zimbabwe: 1.68% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Zimbabwe: 40.5% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Zimbabwe: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Zimbabwe: 3.6% in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Zimbabwe: 0.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Zimbabwe: $134M in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Zimbabwe: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Zimbabwe: 5.3% of government spending in 2005
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Zimbabwe: 51,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Zimbabwe: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Zimbabwe: 0.88% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Zimbabwe: 20 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Zimbabwe: 4 million TIV in 2001