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Population in Germany compared to South Africa: Trends, Charts, Rankings

Updated on by Georank team

The latest officially reported population of Germany was 83,510,950 in 2024 vs 64,007,187 people in South Africa in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current Germany's population is 83,039,665 people compared to 65,314,246 in South Africa.

Population statistics:

  • Germany's population is 1.27 times bigger than South Africa's.
  • Germany is ranked the 19th most populous country in the world, while South Africa is the 24th.
  • The countries together account for 1.79% of the world: 1% for Germany vs 0.79% for South Africa.
  • For the last 10 years, Germany has had an average growth rate of +0.32% per year vs +1.44% in South Africa.
  • Since 2005, the population of Germany has increased from 82.5M people to 83M (0.69% growth), while South Africa has grown from 49.5M to 65.3M (32% growth).
  • South Africa is projected to reach its peak in 2100 at 94.3M people, while Germany's population already peaked in 2023 at 83.9M people and is projected to decrease to 70M people by 2100.

Germany vs South Africa: live population counter

Germany South Africa
Current population
83039665
65314246
Population rank 19/197 24/197
Percent of world population 1% 0.79%
One net population change
1.34 minutes
39.7 seconds
One birth every
45.3 seconds
26.6 seconds
One death every
30.6 seconds
54 seconds
One migration net change every
14.2 minutes
3.15 minutes
Annual migration change +36,954 +166,972
Daily growth/decline -1,071 +2,178
Annual growth/decline -390,973 +794,803
Annual growth/decline rate -0.47% +1.26%
Population growth rate rank 184/197 87/197

Germany and South Africa: population history and growth rate by year chart

Germany
Population

Growth rate
South Africa
Population

Growth rate
Year Population Growth rate
Germany South Africa Germany South Africa
1960 72,814,900 16,440,172 - -
1961 73,377,632 16,908,035 0.77% 2.85%
1962 74,025,784 17,418,522 0.88% 3.02%
1963 74,714,353 17,954,564 0.93% 3.08%
1964 75,318,337 18,511,361 0.81% 3.1%
1965 75,963,695 19,089,380 0.86% 3.12%
1966 76,600,311 19,690,087 0.84% 3.15%
1967 76,951,336 20,314,066 0.46% 3.17%
1968 77,294,314 20,957,287 0.45% 3.17%
1969 77,909,682 21,614,676 0.8% 3.14%
1970 78,169,289 22,279,984 0.33% 3.08%
1971 78,312,842 22,942,143 0.18% 2.97%
1972 78,688,452 23,609,456 0.48% 2.91%
1973 78,936,666 24,294,263 0.32% 2.9%
1974 78,967,433 24,989,108 0.04% 2.86%
1975 78,673,554 25,690,940 -0.37% 2.81%
1976 78,336,950 26,395,450 -0.43% 2.74%
1977 78,159,814 27,118,952 -0.23% 2.74%
1978 78,091,820 27,869,507 -0.09% 2.77%
1979 78,126,350 28,634,162 0.04% 2.74%
1980 78,288,576 29,518,857 0.21% 3.09%
1981 78,407,907 30,541,044 0.15% 3.46%
1982 78,333,366 31,615,339 -0.1% 3.52%
1983 78,128,282 32,739,304 -0.26% 3.56%
1984 77,858,685 33,892,788 -0.35% 3.52%
1985 77,684,873 35,042,093 -0.22% 3.39%
1986 77,720,436 36,180,515 0.05% 3.25%
1987 77,839,920 37,326,190 0.15% 3.17%
1988 78,144,619 38,480,649 0.39% 3.09%
1989 78,751,283 39,628,575 0.78% 2.98%
1990 79,433,029 40,746,268 0.87% 2.82%
1991 80,013,896 41,687,898 0.73% 2.31%
1992 80,624,598 42,443,509 0.76% 1.81%
1993 81,156,363 43,297,156 0.66% 2.01%
1994 81,438,348 44,004,139 0.35% 1.63%
1995 81,678,051 44,541,554 0.29% 1.22%
1996 81,914,831 45,123,018 0.29% 1.31%
1997 82,034,771 45,666,838 0.15% 1.21%
1998 82,047,195 46,223,880 0.02% 1.22%
1999 82,100,243 46,730,335 0.06% 1.1%
2000 82,211,508 47,159,719 0.14% 0.92%
2001 82,349,925 47,566,800 0.17% 0.86%
2002 82,488,495 48,019,415 0.17% 0.95%
2003 82,534,176 48,500,348 0.06% 1%
2004 82,516,260 48,991,421 -0.02% 1.01%
2005 82,469,422 49,490,033 -0.06% 1.02%
2006 82,376,451 49,998,277 -0.11% 1.03%
2007 82,266,372 50,528,584 -0.13% 1.06%
2008 82,110,097 51,114,599 -0.19% 1.16%
2009 81,902,307 51,728,516 -0.25% 1.2%
2010 81,776,930 52,344,051 -0.15% 1.19%
2011 80,274,983 52,995,205 -1.84% 1.24%
2012 80,425,823 53,782,567 0.19% 1.49%
2013 80,645,605 54,678,791 0.27% 1.67%
2014 80,982,500 55,594,838 0.42% 1.68%
2015 81,686,611 56,723,537 0.87% 2.03%
2016 82,348,669 57,259,551 0.81% 0.94%
2017 82,657,002 57,635,162 0.37% 0.66%
2018 82,905,782 58,613,001 0.3% 1.7%
2019 83,092,962 59,587,885 0.23% 1.66%
2020 83,160,871 60,562,381 0.08% 1.64%
2021 83,196,078 61,502,603 0.04% 1.55%
2022 83,797,985 62,378,410 0.72% 1.42%
2023 83,901,923 63,212,384 0.12% 1.34%
2024 83,510,950 64,007,187 -0.47% 1.26%
2025 83,039,665 64,747,317 -0.56% 1.16%
2026 82,614,154 65,453,086 -0.51% 1.09%
2027 82,415,087 66,143,018 -0.24% 1.05%
2028 82,204,095 66,830,384 -0.26% 1.04%
2029 81,983,207 67,506,850 -0.27% 1.01%
2030 81,761,486 68,161,357 -0.27% 0.97%
2031 81,535,782 68,798,574 -0.28% 0.93%
2032 81,309,833 69,426,441 -0.28% 0.91%
2033 81,088,671 70,040,484 -0.27% 0.88%
2034 80,874,239 70,641,572 -0.26% 0.86%
2035 80,664,119 71,234,749 -0.26% 0.84%
2036 80,440,400 71,816,372 -0.28% 0.82%
2037 80,216,687 72,387,807 -0.28% 0.8%
2038 79,996,530 72,949,611 -0.27% 0.78%
2039 79,775,309 73,496,152 -0.28% 0.75%
2040 79,559,716 74,035,615 -0.27% 0.73%
2041 79,356,179 74,575,444 -0.26% 0.73%
2042 79,162,051 75,111,899 -0.24% 0.72%
2043 78,957,628 75,641,512 -0.26% 0.71%
2044 78,737,840 76,164,461 -0.28% 0.69%
2045 78,512,825 76,681,448 -0.29% 0.68%
2046 78,288,289 77,199,542 -0.29% 0.68%
2047 78,060,952 77,716,650 -0.29% 0.67%
2048 77,820,753 78,215,323 -0.31% 0.64%
2049 77,573,634 78,699,584 -0.32% 0.62%
2050 77,330,385 79,177,329 -0.31% 0.61%

From 2005 to 2015, the population of Germany decreased by 782,811 people (a 0.95% decline), while South Africa gained 7,233,504 people (a 14.6% growth).

For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, Germany gained 1,353,054 (a 1.66% growth), while South Africa's population increased by 8,590,709 (a 15.1% growth).

Germany was ranked 13th most populous country in 2005 and is 19th in 2025. South Africa was ranked 24th in 2005 and still ranked 24th now.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 25 years (in 2050) Germany's population will shrink by 6.88% to 77,330,385 people with a rank change from 19th to 24th. The population of South Africa will increase by 21.2% to 79,177,329 people and rank change from 24th to 23rd.

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Population map with other countries

Population

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Growth rate

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