South Africa has a population density of 136.7 people per square mile compared to 918 people in Sri Lanka. South Africa has 205,338 sq ft of land per person vs 32,224 sq ft in Sri Lanka. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, South Africa and Sri Lanka are ranked 136th and 25th, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. South Africa has 0.79% of the world's population and 0.81% of the land area of all countries, compared to 0.27% of the population and 0.04% of the land area for Sri Lanka, hence the population density in South Africa is 85.1% lower than in Sri Lanka.
Population density comparison
South Africa
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 136.7 ppl/mi² | 918 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 136/197 | 25/197 |
| Population |
65314246
|
22125995
|
| Land area | 468,377 sq mi | 23,884 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 204,002 sq ft | 30,382 sq ft |
| Rural population | 30.7% | 80.6% |
| Urban population | 69.3% | 19.4% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 14.8% | 0% |
South Africa vs Sri Lanka:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in South Africa increased by 30.6%, compared to a 10.6% growth in Sri Lanka.
In 2004, South Africa ranked 132nd for population density and is in 136th place now. Sri Lanka was 24th in 2004 and ranks 25th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
South Africa
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2024 | 136.7 | 918 |
| 2023 | 135 | 923 |
| 2022 | 133.2 | 929 |
| 2021 | 131.3 | 928 |
| 2020 | 129.3 | 918 |
| 2019 | 127.2 | 913 |
| 2018 | 125.1 | 907 |
| 2017 | 123.1 | 898 |
| 2016 | 122.3 | 888 |
| 2015 | 121.1 | 878 |
| 2014 | 118.7 | 858 |
| 2013 | 116.7 | 850 |
| 2012 | 114.8 | 874 |
| 2011 | 113.1 | 868 |
| 2010 | 111.8 | 862 |
| 2009 | 110.4 | 857 |
| 2008 | 109.1 | 852 |
| 2007 | 107.9 | 846 |
| 2006 | 106.7 | 841 |
| 2005 | 105.7 | 835 |
| 2004 | 104.6 | 830 |
| 2003 | 103.5 | 824 |
| 2002 | 102.5 | 818 |
| 2001 | 101.6 | 810 |
| 2000 | 100.7 | 797 |
| 1999 | 99.8 | 782 |
| 1998 | 98.7 | 768 |
| 1997 | 97.5 | 754 |
| 1996 | 96.3 | 739 |
| 1995 | 95.1 | 725 |
| 1994 | 94 | 714 |
| 1993 | 92.4 | 703 |
| 1992 | 90.6 | 691 |
| 1991 | 89 | 680 |
| 1990 | 87 | 675 |
| 1989 | 84.6 | 671 |
| 1988 | 82.2 | 664 |
| 1987 | 79.7 | 657 |
| 1986 | 77.2 | 650 |
| 1985 | 74.8 | 642 |
| 1984 | 72.4 | 638 |
| 1983 | 69.9 | 636 |
| 1982 | 67.5 | 631 |
| 1981 | 65.2 | 624 |
| 1980 | 63 | 613 |
| 1979 | 61.1 | 602 |
| 1978 | 59.5 | 591 |
| 1977 | 57.9 | 580 |
| 1976 | 56.4 | 570 |
| 1975 | 54.9 | 560 |
| 1974 | 53.4 | 550 |
| 1973 | 51.9 | 539 |
| 1972 | 50.4 | 529 |
| 1971 | 49 | 518 |
| 1970 | 47.6 | 507 |
| 1969 | 46.1 | 496 |
| 1968 | 44.7 | 485 |
| 1967 | 43.4 | 473 |
| 1966 | 42 | 462 |
| 1965 | 40.8 | 451 |
| 1964 | 39.5 | 440 |
| 1963 | 38.3 | 429 |
| 1962 | 37.2 | 419 |
| 1961 | 36.1 | 409 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
South Africa
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2024 | 69.3% | 19.4% |
| 2023 | 68.8% | 19.2% |
| 2022 | 68.3% | 19% |
| 2021 | 67.8% | 18.9% |
| 2020 | 67.4% | 18.7% |
| 2019 | 66.9% | 18.6% |
| 2018 | 66.4% | 18.5% |
| 2017 | 65.8% | 18.4% |
| 2016 | 65.3% | 18.3% |
| 2015 | 64.8% | 18.3% |
| 2014 | 64.3% | 18.2% |
| 2013 | 63.8% | 18.2% |
| 2012 | 63.3% | 18.2% |
| 2011 | 62.7% | 18.2% |
| 2010 | 62.2% | 18.2% |
| 2009 | 61.7% | 18.2% |
| 2008 | 61.2% | 18.3% |
| 2007 | 60.6% | 18.3% |
| 2006 | 60.1% | 18.3% |
| 2005 | 59.5% | 18.3% |
| 2004 | 59% | 18.3% |
| 2003 | 58.4% | 18.3% |
| 2002 | 57.9% | 18.3% |
| 2001 | 57.4% | 18.4% |
| 2000 | 56.9% | 18.4% |
| 1999 | 56.4% | 18.4% |
| 1998 | 55.9% | 18.4% |
| 1997 | 55.4% | 18.4% |
| 1996 | 55% | 18.4% |
| 1995 | 54.5% | 18.5% |
| 1994 | 54% | 18.5% |
| 1993 | 53.5% | 18.5% |
| 1992 | 53% | 18.5% |
| 1991 | 52.6% | 18.5% |
| 1990 | 52% | 18.5% |
| 1989 | 51.5% | 18.6% |
| 1988 | 51% | 18.6% |
| 1987 | 50.4% | 18.6% |
| 1986 | 49.9% | 18.6% |
| 1985 | 49.4% | 18.6% |
| 1984 | 49.1% | 18.6% |
| 1983 | 48.9% | 18.6% |
| 1982 | 48.8% | 18.7% |
| 1981 | 48.6% | 18.7% |
| 1980 | 48.4% | 18.6% |
| 1979 | 48.3% | 18.5% |
| 1978 | 48.3% | 18.4% |
| 1977 | 48.2% | 18.3% |
| 1976 | 48.2% | 18.2% |
| 1975 | 48.1% | 18.1% |
| 1974 | 48% | 18% |
| 1973 | 48% | 17.9% |
| 1972 | 47.9% | 17.8% |
| 1971 | 47.9% | 17.7% |
| 1970 | 47.8% | 17.6% |
| 1969 | 47.7% | 17.5% |
| 1968 | 47.6% | 17.4% |
| 1967 | 47.5% | 17.3% |
| 1966 | 47.4% | 17.2% |
| 1965 | 47.2% | 17.1% |
| 1964 | 47.1% | 17% |
| 1963 | 47% | 16.9% |
| 1962 | 46.9% | 16.8% |
| 1961 | 46.8% | 16.6% |
| 1960 | 46.6% | 16.4% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 59% to 69.3% in South Africa and from 18.3% to 19.4% in Sri Lanka.
Densely populated cities
|
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 |
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Colombo | 753K |
| Gampaha | 191K |
| Beruwala | 165K |
| Negombo | 142K |
| Kandy | 120K |
| Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | 116K |
| Trincomalee | 99.1K |
| Galle | 93.1K |
| Matara | 68.2K |
| Anuradhapura | 63.2K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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comparisons:
Population density comparisons
