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Population in the Netherlands compared to South Africa: Trends, Charts, Rankings

Updated on by Georank team

The latest officially reported population of the Netherlands was 17,994,237 in 2024 vs 64,007,187 people in South Africa in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current Netherlands' population is 18,191,638 people compared to 65,314,246 in South Africa.

Population statistics:

  • South Africa's population is 3.59 times bigger than the Netherlands'.
  • The Netherlands is ranked the 72nd most populous country in the world, while South Africa is the 24th.
  • The countries together account for 1.01% of the world: 0.22% for the Netherlands vs 0.79% for South Africa.
  • For the last 10 years, the Netherlands has had an average growth rate of +0.62% per year vs +1.44% in South Africa.
  • Since 2005, the population of the Netherlands has increased from 16.3M people to 18.2M (11.5% growth), while South Africa has grown from 49.5M to 65.3M (32% growth).
  • The Netherlands is projected to reach its peak in 2041 at 18.8M people compared to the peak of 94.3M people in 2100 for South Africa.

Netherlands vs South Africa: live population counter

Netherlands South Africa
Current population
18191638
65314246
Population rank 72/197 24/197
Percent of world population 0.22% 0.79%
One net population change
4.49 minutes
39.7 seconds
One birth every
3.2 minutes
26.6 seconds
One death every
3.09 minutes
54 seconds
One migration net change every
4.32 minutes
3.15 minutes
Annual migration change +121,628 +166,972
Daily growth/decline +321 +2,178
Annual growth/decline +117,120 +794,803
Annual growth/decline rate +0.66% +1.26%
Population growth rate rank 122/197 87/197

the Netherlands and South Africa: population history and growth rate by year chart

Netherlands
Population

Growth rate
South Africa
Population

Growth rate
Year Population Growth rate
Netherlands South Africa Netherlands South Africa
1960 11,486,631 16,440,172 - -
1961 11,638,712 16,908,035 1.32% 2.85%
1962 11,805,689 17,418,522 1.43% 3.02%
1963 11,965,966 17,954,564 1.36% 3.08%
1964 12,127,120 18,511,361 1.35% 3.1%
1965 12,294,732 19,089,380 1.38% 3.12%
1966 12,456,251 19,690,087 1.31% 3.15%
1967 12,598,201 20,314,066 1.14% 3.17%
1968 12,729,721 20,957,287 1.04% 3.17%
1969 12,877,984 21,614,676 1.16% 3.14%
1970 13,038,526 22,279,984 1.25% 3.08%
1971 13,194,497 22,942,143 1.2% 2.97%
1972 13,328,593 23,609,456 1.02% 2.91%
1973 13,439,322 24,294,263 0.83% 2.9%
1974 13,545,056 24,989,108 0.79% 2.86%
1975 13,666,335 25,690,940 0.9% 2.81%
1976 13,774,037 26,395,450 0.79% 2.74%
1977 13,856,185 27,118,952 0.6% 2.74%
1978 13,941,700 27,869,507 0.62% 2.77%
1979 14,038,270 28,634,162 0.69% 2.74%
1980 14,149,800 29,518,857 0.79% 3.09%
1981 14,247,208 30,541,044 0.69% 3.46%
1982 14,312,690 31,615,339 0.46% 3.52%
1983 14,367,070 32,739,304 0.38% 3.56%
1984 14,424,211 33,892,788 0.4% 3.52%
1985 14,491,632 35,042,093 0.47% 3.39%
1986 14,572,278 36,180,515 0.56% 3.25%
1987 14,665,037 37,326,190 0.64% 3.17%
1988 14,760,094 38,480,649 0.65% 3.09%
1989 14,848,907 39,628,575 0.6% 2.98%
1990 14,951,510 40,746,268 0.69% 2.82%
1991 15,069,798 41,687,898 0.79% 2.31%
1992 15,184,166 42,443,509 0.76% 1.81%
1993 15,290,368 43,297,156 0.7% 2.01%
1994 15,382,838 44,004,139 0.6% 1.63%
1995 15,459,006 44,541,554 0.5% 1.22%
1996 15,530,498 45,123,018 0.46% 1.31%
1997 15,610,650 45,666,838 0.52% 1.21%
1998 15,707,209 46,223,880 0.62% 1.22%
1999 15,812,088 46,730,335 0.67% 1.1%
2000 15,925,513 47,159,719 0.72% 0.92%
2001 16,046,180 47,566,800 0.76% 0.86%
2002 16,148,929 48,019,415 0.64% 0.95%
2003 16,225,302 48,500,348 0.47% 1%
2004 16,281,779 48,991,421 0.35% 1.01%
2005 16,319,868 49,490,033 0.23% 1.02%
2006 16,346,101 49,998,277 0.16% 1.03%
2007 16,381,696 50,528,584 0.22% 1.06%
2008 16,445,593 51,114,599 0.39% 1.16%
2009 16,530,388 51,728,516 0.52% 1.2%
2010 16,615,394 52,344,051 0.51% 1.19%
2011 16,693,074 52,995,205 0.47% 1.24%
2012 16,754,962 53,782,567 0.37% 1.49%
2013 16,804,432 54,678,791 0.3% 1.67%
2014 16,865,008 55,594,838 0.36% 1.68%
2015 16,939,923 56,723,537 0.44% 2.03%
2016 17,030,314 57,259,551 0.53% 0.94%
2017 17,131,296 57,635,162 0.59% 0.66%
2018 17,231,624 58,613,001 0.59% 1.7%
2019 17,344,874 59,587,885 0.66% 1.66%
2020 17,441,500 60,562,381 0.56% 1.64%
2021 17,533,044 61,502,603 0.52% 1.55%
2022 17,700,982 62,378,410 0.96% 1.42%
2023 17,877,117 63,212,384 1% 1.34%
2024 17,994,237 64,007,187 0.66% 1.26%
2025 18,110,800 64,747,317 0.65% 1.16%
2026 18,211,436 65,453,086 0.56% 1.09%
2027 18,299,531 66,143,018 0.48% 1.05%
2028 18,379,573 66,830,384 0.44% 1.04%
2029 18,452,044 67,506,850 0.39% 1.01%
2030 18,515,913 68,161,357 0.35% 0.97%
2031 18,571,934 68,798,574 0.3% 0.93%
2032 18,621,087 69,426,441 0.26% 0.91%
2033 18,664,975 70,040,484 0.24% 0.88%
2034 18,702,456 70,641,572 0.2% 0.86%
2035 18,733,223 71,234,749 0.16% 0.84%
2036 18,760,054 71,816,372 0.14% 0.82%
2037 18,781,793 72,387,807 0.12% 0.8%
2038 18,798,283 72,949,611 0.09% 0.78%
2039 18,810,276 73,496,152 0.06% 0.75%
2040 18,817,745 74,035,615 0.04% 0.73%
2041 18,820,870 74,575,444 0.02% 0.73%
2042 18,819,607 75,111,899 -0.007% 0.72%
2043 18,815,261 75,641,512 -0.02% 0.71%
2044 18,807,564 76,164,461 -0.04% 0.69%
2045 18,797,005 76,681,448 -0.06% 0.68%
2046 18,785,724 77,199,542 -0.06% 0.68%
2047 18,771,651 77,716,650 -0.07% 0.67%
2048 18,754,325 78,215,323 -0.09% 0.64%
2049 18,735,299 78,699,584 -0.1% 0.62%
2050 18,714,579 79,177,329 -0.11% 0.61%

From 2005 to 2015, the population of the Netherlands increased by 620,055 people (a 3.8% growth), while South Africa gained 7,233,504 people (a 14.6% growth).

For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, the Netherlands gained 1,251,715 (a 7.39% growth), while South Africa's population increased by 8,590,709 (a 15.1% growth).

The Netherlands was ranked 61st most populous country in 2005 and is 72nd 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) the Netherlands' population will grow by 2.87% to 18,714,579 people with a rank change from 72nd to 77th. The population of South Africa will increase by 21.2% to 79,177,329 people and rank change from 24th to 23rd.

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