South Africa Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of South Africa is 65,683,993 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 64,007,187 in 2024.

South Africa is projected to reach 94.8M people in 2100.
South Africa is ranked 24/197 by population and was ranked 24th in 2006.
For the last 20 years, South Africa has had an average growth rate of 1.57% per year.
South Africa accounts for 0.79% of the world's population.
Since 2006, population has increased from 50M people to 65.7M (31.4% growth in 20 years).

South Africa population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	94,767,727	0.22%
2099	94,556,931	0.22%
2098	94,349,546	0.2%
2097	94,158,472	0.21%
2096	93,960,605	0.22%
2095	93,752,736	0.24%
2094	93,527,902	0.24%
2093	93,300,398	0.24%
2092	93,074,837	0.27%
2091	92,826,204	0.25%
2090	92,594,033	0.26%
2089	92,355,184	0.26%
2088	92,112,914	0.27%
2087	91,866,024	0.27%
2086	91,614,165	0.25%
2085	91,385,350	0.27%
2084	91,139,318	0.29%
2083	90,877,425	0.29%
2082	90,615,359	0.3%
2081	90,345,492	0.3%
2080	90,071,835	0.3%
2079	89,801,998	0.31%
2078	89,526,224	0.31%
2077	89,249,206	0.3%
2076	88,986,114	0.31%
2075	88,713,215	0.32%
2074	88,428,616	0.32%
2073	88,149,885	0.32%
2072	87,866,246	0.37%
2071	87,540,177	0.38%
2070	87,209,425	0.35%
2069	86,901,512	0.36%
2068	86,588,742	0.37%
2067	86,268,392	0.39%
2066	85,935,310	0.39%
2065	85,604,376	0.42%
2064	85,244,950	0.44%
2063	84,875,503	0.44%
2062	84,503,237	0.44%
2061	84,132,885	0.46%
2060	83,748,999	0.47%
2059	83,354,923	0.49%
2058	82,947,675	0.5%
2057	82,538,045	0.5%
2056	82,127,477	0.53%
2055	81,698,196	0.54%
2054	81,255,867	0.54%
2053	80,818,632	0.56%
2052	80,367,409	0.6%
2051	79,886,672	0.6%
2050	79,411,977	0.62%
2049	78,925,493	0.62%
2048	78,437,677	0.66%
2047	77,922,211	0.68%
2046	77,397,298	0.67%
2045	76,879,838	0.68%
2044	76,357,155	0.7%
2043	75,827,709	0.71%
2042	75,291,615	0.73%
2041	74,748,408	0.73%
2040	74,205,530	0.74%
2039	73,663,047	0.76%
2038	73,105,930	0.79%
2037	72,532,742	0.8%
2036	71,956,247	0.83%
2035	71,362,555	0.85%
2034	70,762,815	0.87%
2033	70,153,205	0.9%
2032	69,527,410	0.93%
2031	68,890,002	0.94%
2030	68,245,372	0.99%
2029	67,573,179	1.03%
2028	66,884,377	1.05%
2027	66,190,258	1.06%
2026	65,496,277	1.12%
2025	64,770,314	1.19%
2024	64,007,187	1.26%
2023	63,212,384	1.34%
2022	62,378,410	1.42%
2021	61,502,603	1.55%
2020	60,562,381	1.64%
2019	59,587,885	1.66%
2018	58,613,001	1.7%
2017	57,635,162	0.66%
2016	57,259,551	0.94%
2015	56,723,537	2.03%
2014	55,594,838	1.68%
2013	54,678,791	1.67%
2012	53,782,567	1.49%
2011	52,995,205	1.24%
2010	52,344,051	1.19%
2009	51,728,516	1.2%
2008	51,114,599	1.16%
2007	50,528,584	1.06%
2006	49,998,277	1.03%
2005	49,490,033	1.02%
2004	48,991,421	1.01%
2003	48,500,348	1%
2002	48,019,415	0.95%
2001	47,566,800	0.86%
2000	47,159,719	0.92%
1999	46,730,335	1.1%
1998	46,223,880	1.22%
1997	45,666,838	1.21%
1996	45,123,018	1.31%
1995	44,541,554	1.22%
1994	44,004,139	1.63%
1993	43,297,156	2.01%
1992	42,443,509	1.81%
1991	41,687,898	2.31%
1990	40,746,268	2.82%
1989	39,628,575	2.98%
1988	38,480,649	3.09%
1987	37,326,190	3.17%
1986	36,180,515	3.25%
1985	35,042,093	3.39%
1984	33,892,788	3.52%
1983	32,739,304	3.56%
1982	31,615,339	3.52%
1981	30,541,044	3.46%
1980	29,518,857	3.09%
1979	28,634,162	2.74%
1978	27,869,507	2.77%
1977	27,118,952	2.74%
1976	26,395,450	2.74%
1975	25,690,940	2.81%
1974	24,989,108	2.86%
1973	24,294,263	2.9%
1972	23,609,456	2.91%
1971	22,942,143	2.97%
1970	22,279,984	3.08%
1969	21,614,676	3.14%
1968	20,957,287	3.17%
1967	20,314,066	3.17%
1966	19,690,087	3.15%
1965	19,089,380	3.12%
1964	18,511,361	3.1%
1963	17,954,564	3.08%
1962	17,418,522	3.02%
1961	16,908,035	2.85%
1960	16,440,172	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/south-africa | CC BY

South Africa has a population of 65.7M as of 2026, compared to 57.3M in 2016, 50M in 2006, and 45.1M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 1.47% per year. South Africa is ranked 90th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) South Africa will have 77,397,298 people (17.8% growth) and still will be ranked 24th.

By the year 2100, South Africa's population is projected to grow by 44.3% from its current level to 94.8M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	146,370
2024	-	-	166,972
2023	831,015	602,793	228,222
2022	836,920	603,636	233,284
2021	914,657	456,411	458,246
2020	965,774	595,873	369,901
2019	983,254	652,130	331,124
2018	966,579	648,319	318,260
2017	989,121	645,975	343,146
2016	-237,870	641,365	-879,235
2015	1,309,921	668,771	641,150
2014	947,451	674,754	272,697
2013	884,657	652,427	232,230
2012	907,814	643,723	264,091
2011	666,874	601,708	65,166
2010	635,397	566,834	68,563
2009	595,643	554,115	41,528
2008	632,201	595,332	36,869
2007	539,906	503,567	36,339
2006	520,743	487,584	33,159
2005	495,750	464,464	31,286
2004	501,464	442,540	58,924
2003	480,622	415,018	65,604
2002	481,239	430,926	50,313
2001	424,008	484,801	-60,793
2000	390,169	526,963	-136,794
1999	468,632	594,643	-126,011
1998	544,305	627,027	-82,722
1997	569,788	667,969	-98,181
1996	517,861	710,868	-193,007
1995	645,085	743,488	-98,403
1994	429,760	698,609	-268,849
1993	984,197	789,220	194,977
1992	723,073	794,415	-71,342
1991	788,165	827,296	-39,131
1990	1,095,139	835,421	259,718
1989	1,140,234	884,629	255,605
1988	1,155,603	909,221	246,382
1987	1,153,339	922,330	231,009
1986	1,138,022	903,644	234,378
1985	1,138,829	893,889	244,940
1984	1,159,800	869,011	290,789
1983	1,147,185	837,013	310,172
1982	1,100,745	807,550	293,195
1981	1,047,818	767,833	279,985
1980	996,542	738,415	258,127
1979	772,864	716,541	56,323
1978	756,462	694,341	62,121
1977	744,668	680,929	63,739
1976	702,344	675,011	27,333
1975	706,671	667,862	38,809
1974	696,956	658,438	38,518
1973	692,721	651,596	41,125
1972	676,917	638,754	38,163
1971	657,722	624,761	32,961
1970	666,616	605,102	61,514
1969	664,019	590,794	73,225
1968	650,773	571,841	78,932
1967	635,673	553,741	81,932
1966	612,279	534,862	77,417
1965	589,146	506,632	82,514
1964	566,904	490,606	76,298
1963	546,665	473,821	72,844
1962	525,405	455,634	69,771
1961	495,579	437,851	57,728
1960	440,154	421,263	18,891

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/south-africa | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 72.8% of the population change in South Africa is from natural causes (a gain of 6,190,027 people) and 27.2% is from migration (a gain of 2,316,795 people).

As of 2024, 2,631,100 residents or 4.1% of the population were not native-born in South Africa, compared to 2,274,466 and 4.3% in 2010.

South Africa population clock

	South Africa	Rank
Current population	65683993	24/197
Percent of world population	0.79%	24/197
One net population change	39.7 seconds	27/197
One birth every	26.6 seconds	24/196
One death every	54 seconds	22/196
Daily growth/decline	+2,178	27/197
Annual growth/decline	+794,803	27/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1.26%	85/197
One migration net change every	3.6 minutes	9/196
Annual migration change	+146,370	9/196
Foreign-born residents	2,631,100	28/195
Foreign-born share of population	4.1%	105/195

Largest cities by population

South Africa
City	Population
Johannesburg	4.8M
Cape Town	3.78M
Soweto	1.27M
Pietermaritzburg	839K
Pretoria	742K
Durban	595K
Rustenburg	550K
Randburg	337K
Port Elizabeth	312K
East London	267K

South Africa population statistics

	South Africa	World
Life expectancy	66.7 years	73.8 years
Average age	31.1 years	33.8 years
Median age	29.5 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	48.7:51.3	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	2.22 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	139.8 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of South Africa.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/south-africa | CC BY