Brazil has a population density of 65.7 people per square mile compared to 136.7 people in South Africa. Brazil has 432,375 sq ft of land per person vs 205,338 sq ft in South Africa. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Brazil and South Africa are ranked 164th and 136th, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Brazil has 2.6% of the world's population and 5.61% of the land area of all countries, compared to 0.79% of the population and 0.81% of the land area for South Africa, hence the population density in Brazil is 51.9% lower than in South Africa.
Population density comparison
Brazil
|
South Africa
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 65.7 ppl/mi² | 136.7 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 164/197 | 136/197 |
| Population |
213415080
|
65314246
|
| Land area | 3,227,096 sq mi | 468,377 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 424,372 sq ft | 204,002 sq ft |
| Rural population | 12% | 30.7% |
| Urban population | 88% | 69.3% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 19.2% | 14.8% |
Brazil vs South Africa:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Brazil increased by 16.1%, compared to a 30.6% growth in South Africa.
In 2004, Brazil ranked 152nd for population density and is in 164th place now. South Africa was 132nd in 2004 and ranks 136th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Brazil
|
South Africa
|
|
| 2024 | 65.7 | 136.7 |
| 2023 | 65.4 | 135 |
| 2022 | 65.2 | 133.2 |
| 2021 | 64.9 | 131.3 |
| 2020 | 64.7 | 129.3 |
| 2019 | 64.3 | 127.2 |
| 2018 | 63.9 | 125.1 |
| 2017 | 63.4 | 123.1 |
| 2016 | 63 | 122.3 |
| 2015 | 62.5 | 121.1 |
| 2014 | 62 | 118.7 |
| 2013 | 61.5 | 116.7 |
| 2012 | 61 | 114.8 |
| 2011 | 60.5 | 113.1 |
| 2010 | 60 | 111.8 |
| 2009 | 59.5 | 110.4 |
| 2008 | 59 | 109.1 |
| 2007 | 58.4 | 107.9 |
| 2006 | 57.8 | 106.7 |
| 2005 | 57.2 | 105.7 |
| 2004 | 56.6 | 104.6 |
| 2003 | 56 | 103.5 |
| 2002 | 55.3 | 102.5 |
| 2001 | 54.6 | 101.6 |
| 2000 | 53.9 | 100.7 |
| 1999 | 53.2 | 99.8 |
| 1998 | 52.4 | 98.7 |
| 1997 | 51.6 | 97.5 |
| 1996 | 50.9 | 96.3 |
| 1995 | 50.1 | 95.1 |
| 1994 | 49.4 | 94 |
| 1993 | 48.6 | 92.4 |
| 1992 | 47.8 | 90.6 |
| 1991 | 47 | 89 |
| 1990 | 46.2 | 87 |
| 1989 | 45.4 | 84.6 |
| 1988 | 44.6 | 82.2 |
| 1987 | 43.7 | 79.7 |
| 1986 | 42.9 | 77.2 |
| 1985 | 42 | 74.8 |
| 1984 | 41.1 | 72.4 |
| 1983 | 40.2 | 69.9 |
| 1982 | 39.3 | 67.5 |
| 1981 | 38.4 | 65.2 |
| 1980 | 37.6 | 63 |
| 1979 | 36.7 | 61.1 |
| 1978 | 35.8 | 59.5 |
| 1977 | 35 | 57.9 |
| 1976 | 34.2 | 56.4 |
| 1975 | 33.3 | 54.9 |
| 1974 | 32.6 | 53.4 |
| 1973 | 31.8 | 51.9 |
| 1972 | 31 | 50.4 |
| 1971 | 30.3 | 49 |
| 1970 | 29.6 | 47.6 |
| 1969 | 28.8 | 46.1 |
| 1968 | 28.1 | 44.7 |
| 1967 | 27.4 | 43.4 |
| 1966 | 26.7 | 42 |
| 1965 | 26 | 40.8 |
| 1964 | 25.3 | 39.5 |
| 1963 | 24.5 | 38.3 |
| 1962 | 23.8 | 37.2 |
| 1961 | 23.1 | 36.1 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Brazil
|
South Africa
|
|
| 2024 | 88% | 69.3% |
| 2023 | 87.8% | 68.8% |
| 2022 | 87.6% | 68.3% |
| 2021 | 87.3% | 67.8% |
| 2020 | 87.1% | 67.4% |
| 2019 | 86.8% | 66.9% |
| 2018 | 86.6% | 66.4% |
| 2017 | 86.3% | 65.8% |
| 2016 | 86% | 65.3% |
| 2015 | 85.8% | 64.8% |
| 2014 | 85.5% | 64.3% |
| 2013 | 85.2% | 63.8% |
| 2012 | 84.9% | 63.3% |
| 2011 | 84.6% | 62.7% |
| 2010 | 84.3% | 62.2% |
| 2009 | 84% | 61.7% |
| 2008 | 83.7% | 61.2% |
| 2007 | 83.4% | 60.6% |
| 2006 | 83.1% | 60.1% |
| 2005 | 82.8% | 59.5% |
| 2004 | 82.5% | 59% |
| 2003 | 82.2% | 58.4% |
| 2002 | 81.9% | 57.9% |
| 2001 | 81.6% | 57.4% |
| 2000 | 81.2% | 56.9% |
| 1999 | 80.5% | 56.4% |
| 1998 | 79.8% | 55.9% |
| 1997 | 79% | 55.4% |
| 1996 | 78.3% | 55% |
| 1995 | 77.6% | 54.5% |
| 1994 | 76.9% | 54% |
| 1993 | 76.2% | 53.5% |
| 1992 | 75.4% | 53% |
| 1991 | 74.7% | 52.6% |
| 1990 | 73.9% | 52% |
| 1989 | 73.1% | 51.5% |
| 1988 | 72.3% | 51% |
| 1987 | 71.5% | 50.4% |
| 1986 | 70.7% | 49.9% |
| 1985 | 69.9% | 49.4% |
| 1984 | 69% | 49.1% |
| 1983 | 68.1% | 48.9% |
| 1982 | 67.3% | 48.8% |
| 1981 | 66.4% | 48.6% |
| 1980 | 65.5% | 48.4% |
| 1979 | 64.6% | 48.3% |
| 1978 | 63.6% | 48.3% |
| 1977 | 62.7% | 48.2% |
| 1976 | 61.7% | 48.2% |
| 1975 | 60.8% | 48.1% |
| 1974 | 59.8% | 48% |
| 1973 | 58.9% | 48% |
| 1972 | 57.9% | 47.9% |
| 1971 | 56.9% | 47.9% |
| 1970 | 55.9% | 47.8% |
| 1969 | 54.9% | 47.7% |
| 1968 | 54% | 47.6% |
| 1967 | 53% | 47.5% |
| 1966 | 52% | 47.4% |
| 1965 | 51% | 47.2% |
| 1964 | 50.1% | 47.1% |
| 1963 | 49.1% | 47% |
| 1962 | 48.1% | 46.9% |
| 1961 | 47.1% | 46.8% |
| 1960 | 46.1% | 46.6% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 82.5% to 88% in Brazil and from 59% to 69.3% in South Africa.
Densely populated cities
|
Brazil
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Sao Paulo | 11.5M |
| Rio de Janeiro | 6.21M |
| Brasilia | 2.82M |
| Fortaleza | 2.43M |
| Salvador | 2.42M |
| Belo Horizonte | 2.32M |
| Manaus | 2.06M |
| Curitiba | 1.77M |
| Recife | 1.49M |
| Goiania | 1.44M |
|
South Africa
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Johannesburg | 4.43M |
| Cape Town | 3.78M |
| Soweto | 1.27M |
| Pietermaritzburg | 839K |
| Pretoria | 742K |
| Durban | 595K |
| Rustenburg | 550K |
| Randburg | 337K |
| Port Elizabeth | 312K |
| East London | 267K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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