South Africa has a population density of 136.7 people per square mile compared to 1,675 people in Taiwan. South Africa has 205,338 sq ft of land per person vs 16,641 sq ft in Taiwan. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, South Africa and Taiwan are ranked 136th and 10th, 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 0.29% of the population and 0.02% of the land area for Taiwan, hence the population density in South Africa is 91.8% lower than in Taiwan.
Population density comparison
South Africa
|
Taiwan
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 136.7 ppl/mi² | 1,675 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 136/197 | 10/197 |
| Population |
65314246
|
23308308
|
| Land area | 468,377 sq mi | 13,976 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 204,002 sq ft | 16,643 sq ft |
| Rural population | 30.7% | n/a |
| Urban population | 69.3% | n/a |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 14.8% | 71% |
South Africa vs Taiwan:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in South Africa increased by 30.6%, compared to a 3.37% growth in Taiwan.
In 2004, South Africa ranked 132nd for population density and is in 136th place now. Taiwan was 8th in 2004 and ranks 10th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
South Africa
|
Taiwan
|
|
| 2024 | 136.7 | 1,675 |
| 2023 | 135 | 1,670 |
| 2022 | 133.2 | 1,669 |
| 2021 | 131.3 | 1,679 |
| 2020 | 129.3 | 1,687 |
| 2019 | 127.2 | 1,688 |
| 2018 | 125.1 | 1,687 |
| 2017 | 123.1 | 1,685 |
| 2016 | 122.3 | 1,683 |
| 2015 | 121.1 | 1,679 |
| 2014 | 118.7 | 1,675 |
| 2013 | 116.7 | 1,670 |
| 2012 | 114.8 | 1,665 |
| 2011 | 113.1 | 1,660 |
| 2010 | 111.8 | 1,656 |
| 2009 | 110.4 | 1,651 |
| 2008 | 109.1 | 1,646 |
| 2007 | 107.9 | 1,640 |
| 2006 | 106.7 | 1,633 |
| 2005 | 105.7 | 1,626 |
| 2004 | 104.6 | 1,620 |
| 2003 | 103.5 | 1,614 |
| 2002 | 102.5 | 1,607 |
| 2001 | 101.6 | 1,599 |
| 2000 | 100.7 | 1,587 |
| 1999 | 99.8 | 1,575 |
| 1998 | 98.7 | 1,562 |
| 1997 | 97.5 | 1,548 |
| 1996 | 96.3 | 1,534 |
| 1995 | 95.1 | 1,522 |
| 1994 | 94 | 1,509 |
| 1993 | 92.4 | 1,495 |
| 1992 | 90.6 | 1,481 |
| 1991 | 89 | 1,467 |
| 1990 | 87 | 1,451 |
| 1989 | 84.6 | 1,435 |
| 1988 | 82.2 | 1,420 |
| 1987 | 79.7 | 1,404 |
| 1986 | 77.2 | 1,389 |
| 1985 | 74.8 | 1,373 |
| 1984 | 72.4 | 1,354 |
| 1983 | 69.9 | 1,335 |
| 1982 | 67.5 | 1,313 |
| 1981 | 65.2 | 1,290 |
| 1980 | 63 | 1,267 |
| 1979 | 61.1 | 1,243 |
| 1978 | 59.5 | 1,219 |
| 1977 | 57.9 | 1,197 |
| 1976 | 56.4 | 1,174 |
| 1975 | 54.9 | 1,150 |
| 1974 | 53.4 | 1,129 |
| 1973 | 51.9 | 1,109 |
| 1972 | 50.4 | 1,089 |
| 1971 | 49 | 1,067 |
| 1970 | 47.6 | 1,043 |
| 1969 | 46.1 | 1,007 |
| 1968 | 44.7 | 969 |
| 1967 | 43.4 | 945 |
| 1966 | 42 | 921 |
| 1965 | 40.8 | 895 |
| 1964 | 39.5 | 868 |
| 1963 | 38.3 | 842 |
| 1962 | 37.2 | 815 |
| 1961 | 36.1 | 789 |
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 |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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