South Africa vs Zimbabwe
South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 63.8% in South Africa and 40.5% in Zimbabwe, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 23.3 percentage points, or 1.58 times that in Zimbabwe.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 118 and Zimbabwe ranked 178 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts South Africa at 70.9% and Zimbabwe at 55.7% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | South Africa | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63.8 | 40.5 |
| 2024 | 63.7 | 39.9 |
| 2023 | 63.6 | 39.3 |
| 2022 | 63.5 | 38.7 |
| 2021 | 63.5 | 37.9 |
| 2020 | 63.4 | 37 |
| 2019 | 63.4 | 36.2 |
| 2018 | 63.4 | 35.4 |
| 2017 | 63.3 | 34.7 |
| 2016 | 63.3 | 34.1 |
| 2015 | 63.2 | 33.6 |
| 2014 | 63.1 | 33.2 |
| 2013 | 63.1 | 32.9 |
| 2012 | 63 | 32.8 |
| 2011 | 62.9 | 32.8 |
| 2010 | 62.6 | 32.7 |
| 2009 | 62.3 | 32.7 |
| 2008 | 61.8 | 32.7 |
| 2007 | 61.2 | 32.7 |
| 2006 | 60.5 | 32.7 |
| 2005 | 59.8 | 32.7 |
| 2004 | 59.1 | 32.6 |
| 2003 | 58.4 | 32.6 |
| 2002 | 57.7 | 32.6 |
| 2001 | 57 | 32.5 |
| 2000 | 56.3 | 32.4 |
| 1999 | 55.4 | 32.3 |
| 1998 | 54.7 | 32.1 |
| 1997 | 54 | 31.9 |
| 1996 | 53.6 | 31.7 |
| 1995 | 53.3 | 31.4 |
| 1994 | 53.1 | 31.2 |
| 1993 | 52.9 | 30.9 |
| 1992 | 52.7 | 30.6 |
| 1991 | 52.4 | 30.2 |
| 1990 | 52 | 29.6 |
| 1989 | 51.4 | 28.9 |
| 1988 | 50.7 | 28.2 |
| 1987 | 50.1 | 27.3 |
| 1986 | 49.6 | 26.5 |
| 1985 | 49.2 | 25.6 |
| 1984 | 49 | 24.8 |
| 1983 | 48.8 | 24.1 |
| 1982 | 48.6 | 23.5 |
| 1981 | 48.5 | 22.9 |
| 1980 | 48.4 | 22.3 |
| 1979 | 48.3 | 21.8 |
| 1978 | 48.2 | 21.3 |
| 1977 | 48.2 | 20.8 |
| 1976 | 48.1 | 20.3 |
| 1975 | 48.1 | 19.8 |
| 1974 | 48 | 19.4 |
| 1973 | 48 | 18.9 |
| 1972 | 47.9 | 18.4 |
| 1971 | 47.9 | 17.9 |
| 1970 | 47.8 | 17.4 |
| 1969 | 47.7 | 16.9 |
| 1968 | 47.6 | 16.4 |
| 1967 | 47.5 | 15.8 |
| 1966 | 47.5 | 15.1 |
| 1965 | 47.4 | 14.5 |
| 1964 | 47.3 | 14 |
| 1963 | 47.1 | 13.5 |
| 1962 | 47 | 13.1 |
| 1961 | 46.9 | 12.8 |
| 1960 | 46.7 | 12.5 |
| 1959 | 46.5 | 12.2 |
| 1958 | 46.2 | 11.9 |
| 1957 | 45.8 | 11.7 |
| 1956 | 45.4 | 11.4 |
| 1955 | 44.9 | 11.2 |
| 1954 | 44.4 | 11.1 |
| 1953 | 43.9 | 10.9 |
| 1952 | 43.3 | 10.8 |
| 1951 | 42.7 | 10.8 |
| 1950 | 42.1 | 10.7 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | South Africa | Zimbabwe |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64 | 41.1 |
| 2027 | 64.1 | 41.7 |
| 2028 | 64.3 | 42.3 |
| 2029 | 64.5 | 42.9 |
| 2030 | 64.6 | 43.5 |
| 2031 | 64.8 | 44.1 |
| 2032 | 65.1 | 44.7 |
| 2033 | 65.3 | 45.3 |
| 2034 | 65.5 | 45.9 |
| 2035 | 65.8 | 46.5 |
| 2036 | 66.1 | 47.1 |
| 2037 | 66.3 | 47.8 |
| 2038 | 66.6 | 48.4 |
| 2039 | 66.9 | 49 |
| 2040 | 67.2 | 49.6 |
| 2041 | 67.6 | 50.2 |
| 2042 | 67.9 | 50.8 |
| 2043 | 68.2 | 51.4 |
| 2044 | 68.6 | 52 |
| 2045 | 69 | 52.6 |
| 2046 | 69.3 | 53.2 |
| 2047 | 69.7 | 53.8 |
| 2048 | 70.1 | 54.5 |
| 2049 | 70.5 | 55.1 |
| 2050 | 70.9 | 55.7 |
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 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
- 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
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zimbabwe: -6 per 1,000 people 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