South Africa
Urban population in South Africa
Urban population in South Africa: 42.1% in 1950 and 63.8% in 2025, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 63.8%
- Since 1950
- +21.7 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 118 of 229
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2050
- 70.9%
- UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts it at 70.9% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | South Africa |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 63.8 |
| 2024 | 63.7 |
| 2023 | 63.6 |
| 2022 | 63.5 |
| 2021 | 63.5 |
| 2020 | 63.4 |
| 2019 | 63.4 |
| 2018 | 63.4 |
| 2017 | 63.3 |
| 2016 | 63.3 |
| 2015 | 63.2 |
| 2014 | 63.1 |
| 2013 | 63.1 |
| 2012 | 63 |
| 2011 | 62.9 |
| 2010 | 62.6 |
| 2009 | 62.3 |
| 2008 | 61.8 |
| 2007 | 61.2 |
| 2006 | 60.5 |
| 2005 | 59.8 |
| 2004 | 59.1 |
| 2003 | 58.4 |
| 2002 | 57.7 |
| 2001 | 57 |
| 2000 | 56.3 |
| 1999 | 55.4 |
| 1998 | 54.7 |
| 1997 | 54 |
| 1996 | 53.6 |
| 1995 | 53.3 |
| 1994 | 53.1 |
| 1993 | 52.9 |
| 1992 | 52.7 |
| 1991 | 52.4 |
| 1990 | 52 |
| 1989 | 51.4 |
| 1988 | 50.7 |
| 1987 | 50.1 |
| 1986 | 49.6 |
| 1985 | 49.2 |
| 1984 | 49 |
| 1983 | 48.8 |
| 1982 | 48.6 |
| 1981 | 48.5 |
| 1980 | 48.4 |
| 1979 | 48.3 |
| 1978 | 48.2 |
| 1977 | 48.2 |
| 1976 | 48.1 |
| 1975 | 48.1 |
| 1974 | 48 |
| 1973 | 48 |
| 1972 | 47.9 |
| 1971 | 47.9 |
| 1970 | 47.8 |
| 1969 | 47.7 |
| 1968 | 47.6 |
| 1967 | 47.5 |
| 1966 | 47.5 |
| 1965 | 47.4 |
| 1964 | 47.3 |
| 1963 | 47.1 |
| 1962 | 47 |
| 1961 | 46.9 |
| 1960 | 46.7 |
| 1959 | 46.5 |
| 1958 | 46.2 |
| 1957 | 45.8 |
| 1956 | 45.4 |
| 1955 | 44.9 |
| 1954 | 44.4 |
| 1953 | 43.9 |
| 1952 | 43.3 |
| 1951 | 42.7 |
| 1950 | 42.1 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | South Africa |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 64 |
| 2027 | 64.1 |
| 2028 | 64.3 |
| 2029 | 64.5 |
| 2030 | 64.6 |
| 2031 | 64.8 |
| 2032 | 65.1 |
| 2033 | 65.3 |
| 2034 | 65.5 |
| 2035 | 65.8 |
| 2036 | 66.1 |
| 2037 | 66.3 |
| 2038 | 66.6 |
| 2039 | 66.9 |
| 2040 | 67.2 |
| 2041 | 67.6 |
| 2042 | 67.9 |
| 2043 | 68.2 |
| 2044 | 68.6 |
| 2045 | 69 |
| 2046 | 69.3 |
| 2047 | 69.7 |
| 2048 | 70.1 |
| 2049 | 70.5 |
| 2050 | 70.9 |
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 in numbers
Every measure for South Africa on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$3B in 2025
- Military spending per person$49 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel89,000 people in 2020
- National power0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports115 million TIV in 2025