South Africa has a population density of 136.7 people per square mile compared to 5,886 people in the Vatican. South Africa has 205,338 sq ft of land per person vs 5,274 sq ft in the Vatican. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, South Africa and the Vatican are ranked 136th and 3rd, 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 0.00001% of the population and 0.0000003% of the land area for the Vatican, hence the population density in South Africa is 97.7% lower than in the Vatican.
Population density comparison
South Africa
|
Vatican
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 136.7 ppl/mi² | 5,886 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 136/197 | 3/197 |
| Population |
65314246
|
949
|
| Land area | 468,377 sq mi | 0.17 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 204,002 sq ft | 4,736 sq ft |
| Rural population | 30.7% | n/a |
| Urban population | 69.3% | n/a |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 14.8% | 0% |
South Africa vs the Vatican:
Population density chart by year
From 2000 to 2019, population density in South Africa increased by 26.4%, compared to a 13.6% growth in the Vatican.
In 2000, South Africa ranked 130th for population density and is in 136th place now. The Vatican was 3rd in 2000 and still ranks 3rd out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
South Africa
|
Vatican
|
|
| 2024 | 136.7 | - |
| 2023 | 135 | - |
| 2022 | 133.2 | - |
| 2021 | 131.3 | - |
| 2020 | 129.3 | - |
| 2019 | 127.2 | 5,886 |
| 2018 | 125.1 | 5,886 |
| 2017 | 123.1 | 5,886 |
| 2016 | 122.3 | 5,886 |
| 2015 | 121.1 | 5,886 |
| 2014 | 118.7 | 4,956 |
| 2013 | 116.7 | 4,939 |
| 2012 | 114.8 | 4,921 |
| 2011 | 113.1 | 4,897 |
| 2010 | 111.8 | 4,880 |
| 2009 | 110.4 | 4,862 |
| 2008 | 109.1 | 4,850 |
| 2007 | 107.9 | 4,833 |
| 2006 | 106.7 | 5,486 |
| 2005 | 105.7 | 5,421 |
| 2004 | 104.6 | 5,421 |
| 2003 | 103.5 | 5,362 |
| 2002 | 102.5 | 5,298 |
| 2001 | 101.6 | 5,239 |
| 2000 | 100.7 | 5,180 |
| 1999 | 99.8 | - |
| 1998 | 98.7 | - |
| 1997 | 97.5 | - |
| 1996 | 96.3 | - |
| 1995 | 95.1 | - |
| 1994 | 94 | - |
| 1993 | 92.4 | - |
| 1992 | 90.6 | - |
| 1991 | 89 | - |
| 1990 | 87 | - |
| 1989 | 84.6 | - |
| 1988 | 82.2 | - |
| 1987 | 79.7 | - |
| 1986 | 77.2 | - |
| 1985 | 74.8 | - |
| 1984 | 72.4 | - |
| 1983 | 69.9 | - |
| 1982 | 67.5 | - |
| 1981 | 65.2 | - |
| 1980 | 63 | - |
| 1979 | 61.1 | - |
| 1978 | 59.5 | - |
| 1977 | 57.9 | - |
| 1976 | 56.4 | - |
| 1975 | 54.9 | - |
| 1974 | 53.4 | - |
| 1973 | 51.9 | - |
| 1972 | 50.4 | - |
| 1971 | 49 | - |
| 1970 | 47.6 | - |
| 1969 | 46.1 | - |
| 1968 | 44.7 | - |
| 1967 | 43.4 | - |
| 1966 | 42 | - |
| 1965 | 40.8 | - |
| 1964 | 39.5 | - |
| 1963 | 38.3 | - |
| 1962 | 37.2 | - |
| 1961 | 36.1 | - |
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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comparisons:
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