South Africa has a population density of 136.7 people per square mile compared to 397 people in the United Arab Emirates. South Africa has 205,338 sq ft of land per person vs 82,731 sq ft in the United Arab Emirates. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates are ranked 136th and 62nd, 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 0.13% of the population and 0.05% of the land area for the United Arab Emirates, hence the population density in South Africa is 65.5% lower than in the United Arab Emirates.
Population density comparison
South Africa
|
UAE
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 136.7 ppl/mi² | 397 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 136/197 | 62/197 |
| Population |
65314246
|
11372700
|
| Land area | 468,377 sq mi | 27,421 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 204,002 sq ft | 70,282 sq ft |
| Rural population | 30.7% | 12% |
| Urban population | 69.3% | 88% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 14.8% | 62.2% |
South Africa vs the United Arab Emirates:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in South Africa increased by 30.6%, compared to a 145.6% growth in the United Arab Emirates.
In 2004, South Africa ranked 132nd for population density and is in 136th place now. The United Arab Emirates was 111th in 2004 and ranks 62nd out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
South Africa
|
UAE
|
|
| 2024 | 136.7 | 397 |
| 2023 | 135 | 382 |
| 2022 | 133.2 | 367 |
| 2021 | 131.3 | 349 |
| 2020 | 129.3 | 343 |
| 2019 | 127.2 | 344 |
| 2018 | 125.1 | 341 |
| 2017 | 123.1 | 336 |
| 2016 | 122.3 | 326 |
| 2015 | 121.1 | 310 |
| 2014 | 118.7 | 293.9 |
| 2013 | 116.7 | 280.6 |
| 2012 | 114.8 | 269.6 |
| 2011 | 113.1 | 259.1 |
| 2010 | 111.8 | 250.5 |
| 2009 | 110.4 | 244.6 |
| 2008 | 109.1 | 229.8 |
| 2007 | 107.9 | 205.1 |
| 2006 | 106.7 | 182.7 |
| 2005 | 105.7 | 170.1 |
| 2004 | 104.6 | 161.5 |
| 2003 | 103.5 | 152.9 |
| 2002 | 102.5 | 144.3 |
| 2001 | 101.6 | 135.8 |
| 2000 | 100.7 | 127.4 |
| 1999 | 99.8 | 119.1 |
| 1998 | 98.7 | 110.9 |
| 1997 | 97.5 | 102.7 |
| 1996 | 96.3 | 94.7 |
| 1995 | 95.1 | 88.8 |
| 1994 | 94 | 84.9 |
| 1993 | 92.4 | 81 |
| 1992 | 90.6 | 77.1 |
| 1991 | 89 | 73.2 |
| 1990 | 87 | 69.2 |
| 1989 | 84.6 | 65.3 |
| 1988 | 82.2 | 61.3 |
| 1987 | 79.7 | 57.4 |
| 1986 | 77.2 | 53.5 |
| 1985 | 74.8 | 50.3 |
| 1984 | 72.4 | 47.6 |
| 1983 | 69.9 | 45 |
| 1982 | 67.5 | 42.5 |
| 1981 | 65.2 | 40.1 |
| 1980 | 63 | 37 |
| 1979 | 61.1 | 33.3 |
| 1978 | 59.5 | 29.5 |
| 1977 | 57.9 | 25.9 |
| 1976 | 56.4 | 22.5 |
| 1975 | 54.9 | 19.8 |
| 1974 | 53.4 | 17.8 |
| 1973 | 51.9 | 15.9 |
| 1972 | 50.4 | 14 |
| 1971 | 49 | 12.2 |
| 1970 | 47.6 | 10.4 |
| 1969 | 46.1 | 8.74 |
| 1968 | 44.7 | 7.27 |
| 1967 | 43.4 | 6.55 |
| 1966 | 42 | 6.34 |
| 1965 | 40.8 | 6.09 |
| 1964 | 39.5 | 5.82 |
| 1963 | 38.3 | 5.55 |
| 1962 | 37.2 | 5.29 |
| 1961 | 36.1 | 5.03 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
South Africa
|
UAE
|
|
| 2024 | 69.3% | 88% |
| 2023 | 68.8% | 87.8% |
| 2022 | 68.3% | 87.5% |
| 2021 | 67.8% | 87.3% |
| 2020 | 67.4% | 87% |
| 2019 | 66.9% | 86.8% |
| 2018 | 66.4% | 86.5% |
| 2017 | 65.8% | 86.2% |
| 2016 | 65.3% | 86% |
| 2015 | 64.8% | 85.7% |
| 2014 | 64.3% | 85.4% |
| 2013 | 63.8% | 85.1% |
| 2012 | 63.3% | 84.7% |
| 2011 | 62.7% | 84.4% |
| 2010 | 62.2% | 84.1% |
| 2009 | 61.7% | 83.7% |
| 2008 | 61.2% | 83.4% |
| 2007 | 60.6% | 83% |
| 2006 | 60.1% | 82.6% |
| 2005 | 59.5% | 82.3% |
| 2004 | 59% | 81.9% |
| 2003 | 58.4% | 81.5% |
| 2002 | 57.9% | 81.1% |
| 2001 | 57.4% | 80.7% |
| 2000 | 56.9% | 80.2% |
| 1999 | 56.4% | 79.8% |
| 1998 | 55.9% | 79.4% |
| 1997 | 55.4% | 78.9% |
| 1996 | 55% | 78.5% |
| 1995 | 54.5% | 78.3% |
| 1994 | 54% | 78.5% |
| 1993 | 53.5% | 78.6% |
| 1992 | 53% | 78.8% |
| 1991 | 52.6% | 78.9% |
| 1990 | 52% | 79.1% |
| 1989 | 51.5% | 79.2% |
| 1988 | 51% | 79.3% |
| 1987 | 50.4% | 79.5% |
| 1986 | 49.9% | 79.6% |
| 1985 | 49.4% | 79.8% |
| 1984 | 49.1% | 80% |
| 1983 | 48.9% | 80.2% |
| 1982 | 48.8% | 80.5% |
| 1981 | 48.6% | 80.7% |
| 1980 | 48.4% | 80.7% |
| 1979 | 48.3% | 80.5% |
| 1978 | 48.3% | 80.3% |
| 1977 | 48.2% | 80.1% |
| 1976 | 48.2% | 79.9% |
| 1975 | 48.1% | 79.8% |
| 1974 | 48% | 79.8% |
| 1973 | 48% | 79.8% |
| 1972 | 47.9% | 79.8% |
| 1971 | 47.9% | 79.8% |
| 1970 | 47.8% | 79.8% |
| 1969 | 47.7% | 79.8% |
| 1968 | 47.6% | 79.8% |
| 1967 | 47.5% | 79.3% |
| 1966 | 47.4% | 78.5% |
| 1965 | 47.2% | 77.7% |
| 1964 | 47.1% | 76.9% |
| 1963 | 47% | 76.1% |
| 1962 | 46.9% | 75.2% |
| 1961 | 46.8% | 74.4% |
| 1960 | 46.6% | 73.5% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 59% to 69.3% in South Africa and from 81.9% to 88% in the United Arab Emirates.
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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