Population in South Africa compared to Sri Lanka: Trends, Charts, Rankings

South Africa and Sri Lanka: population history and growth rate by year chart

Table

Year	Population		Growth rate
	South Africa	Sri Lanka	South Africa	Sri Lanka
1960	16,440,172	9,661,389	-	-
1961	16,908,035	9,899,372	2.85%	2.46%
1962	17,418,522	10,143,754	3.02%	2.47%
1963	17,954,564	10,395,040	3.08%	2.48%
1964	18,511,361	10,653,397	3.1%	2.49%
1965	19,089,380	10,916,965	3.12%	2.47%
1966	19,690,087	11,183,928	3.15%	2.45%
1967	20,314,066	11,457,328	3.17%	2.44%
1968	20,957,287	11,736,088	3.17%	2.43%
1969	21,614,676	12,013,858	3.14%	2.37%
1970	22,279,984	12,287,110	3.08%	2.27%
1971	22,942,143	12,551,910	2.97%	2.16%
1972	23,609,456	12,809,205	2.91%	2.05%
1973	24,294,263	13,060,916	2.9%	1.97%
1974	24,989,108	13,305,693	2.86%	1.87%
1975	25,690,940	13,548,984	2.81%	1.83%
1976	26,395,450	13,796,770	2.74%	1.83%
1977	27,118,952	14,049,371	2.74%	1.83%
1978	27,869,507	14,310,128	2.77%	1.86%
1979	28,634,162	14,579,614	2.74%	1.88%
1980	29,518,857	14,847,974	3.09%	1.84%
1981	30,541,044	15,099,414	3.46%	1.69%
1982	31,615,339	15,286,567	3.52%	1.24%
1983	32,739,304	15,388,794	3.56%	0.67%
1984	33,892,788	15,441,860	3.52%	0.34%
1985	35,042,093	15,544,154	3.39%	0.66%
1986	36,180,515	15,731,256	3.25%	1.2%
1987	37,326,190	15,916,576	3.17%	1.18%
1988	38,480,649	16,078,621	3.09%	1.02%
1989	39,628,575	16,248,557	2.98%	1.06%
1990	40,746,268	16,352,458	2.82%	0.64%
1991	41,687,898	16,475,354	2.31%	0.75%
1992	42,443,509	16,739,284	1.81%	1.6%
1993	43,297,156	17,025,918	2.01%	1.71%
1994	44,004,139	17,275,773	1.63%	1.47%
1995	44,541,554	17,564,068	1.22%	1.67%
1996	45,123,018	17,905,018	1.31%	1.94%
1997	45,666,838	18,248,200	1.21%	1.92%
1998	46,223,880	18,596,003	1.22%	1.91%
1999	46,730,335	18,944,731	1.1%	1.88%
2000	47,159,719	19,293,054	0.92%	1.84%
2001	47,566,800	19,600,362	0.86%	1.59%
2002	48,019,415	19,805,752	0.95%	1.05%
2003	48,500,348	19,951,521	1%	0.74%
2004	48,991,421	20,087,605	1.01%	0.68%
2005	49,490,033	20,216,524	1.02%	0.64%
2006	49,998,277	20,352,411	1.03%	0.67%
2007	50,528,584	20,492,545	1.06%	0.69%
2008	51,114,599	20,629,378	1.16%	0.67%
2009	51,728,516	20,756,435	1.2%	0.62%
2010	52,344,051	20,879,089	1.19%	0.59%
2011	52,995,205	21,009,048	1.24%	0.62%
2012	53,782,567	21,169,458	1.49%	0.76%
2013	54,678,791	20,585,000	1.67%	-2.76%
2014	55,594,838	20,778,000	1.68%	0.94%
2015	56,723,537	20,970,000	2.03%	0.92%
2016	57,259,551	21,209,000	0.94%	1.14%
2017	57,635,162	21,453,000	0.66%	1.15%
2018	58,613,001	21,670,000	1.7%	1.01%
2019	59,587,885	21,803,000	1.66%	0.61%
2020	60,562,381	21,919,000	1.64%	0.53%
2021	61,502,603	22,156,000	1.55%	1.08%
2022	62,378,410	22,181,000	1.42%	0.11%
2023	63,212,384	22,037,000	1.34%	-0.65%
2024	64,007,187	21,916,000	1.26%	-0.55%
2025	64,747,317	22,035,440	1.16%	0.54%
2026	65,453,086	22,148,172	1.09%	0.51%
2027	66,143,018	22,255,601	1.05%	0.49%
2028	66,830,384	22,357,682	1.04%	0.46%
2029	67,506,850	22,453,922	1.01%	0.43%
2030	68,161,357	22,546,245	0.97%	0.41%
2031	68,798,574	22,635,106	0.93%	0.39%
2032	69,426,441	22,720,118	0.91%	0.38%
2033	70,040,484	22,802,043	0.88%	0.36%
2034	70,641,572	22,879,527	0.86%	0.34%
2035	71,234,749	22,952,739	0.84%	0.32%
2036	71,816,372	23,022,027	0.82%	0.3%
2037	72,387,807	23,088,877	0.8%	0.29%
2038	72,949,611	23,152,480	0.78%	0.28%
2039	73,496,152	23,211,633	0.75%	0.26%
2040	74,035,615	23,265,986	0.73%	0.23%
2041	74,575,444	23,315,260	0.73%	0.21%
2042	75,111,899	23,359,578	0.72%	0.19%
2043	75,641,512	23,398,752	0.71%	0.17%
2044	76,164,461	23,433,096	0.69%	0.15%
2045	76,681,448	23,464,943	0.68%	0.14%
2046	77,199,542	23,492,738	0.68%	0.12%
2047	77,716,650	23,512,629	0.67%	0.08%
2048	78,215,323	23,525,953	0.64%	0.06%
2049	78,699,584	23,533,940	0.62%	0.03%
2050	79,177,329	23,538,230	0.61%	0.02%

From 2005 to 2015, the population of South Africa increased by 7,233,504 people (a 14.6% growth), while Sri Lanka gained 753,476 people (a 3.73% growth).

For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, South Africa gained 8,590,709 (a 15.1% growth), while Sri Lanka's population increased by 1,155,995 (a 5.51% growth).

South Africa was ranked 24th most populous country in 2005 and is still 24th in 2025. Sri Lanka was ranked 53rd in 2005 and ranked 63rd now.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 25 years (in 2050) South Africa's population will grow by 21.2% to 79,177,329 people with a rank change from 24th to 23rd. The population of Sri Lanka will increase by 6.38% to 23,538,230 people and rank change from 63rd to 70th.