Skip to content

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

Updated on by Georank team

The latest officially reported population of South Africa was 64,007,187 in 2024 vs 68,560,157 people in Tanzania in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current South Africa's population is 65,314,246 people compared to 72,166,806 in Tanzania.

Population statistics:

  • Tanzania's population is 1.1 times bigger than South Africa's.
  • South Africa is ranked the 24th most populous country in the world, while Tanzania is the 20th.
  • The countries together account for 1.66% of the world: 0.79% for South Africa vs 0.87% for Tanzania.
  • For the last 10 years, South Africa has had an average growth rate of +1.44% per year vs +3.13% in Tanzania.
  • Since 2005, the population of South Africa has increased from 49.5M people to 65.3M (32% growth), while Tanzania has grown from 39.2M to 72.2M (84.2% growth).
  • South Africa is projected to reach its peak in 2100 at 94.3M people compared to the peak of 263M people in 2100 for Tanzania.

South Africa vs Tanzania: live population counter

South Africa Tanzania
Current population
65314246
72166806
Population rank 24/197 20/197
Percent of world population 0.79% 0.87%
One net population change
39.7 seconds
16.2 seconds
One birth every
26.6 seconds
13.4 seconds
One death every
54 seconds
1.36 minutes
One migration net change every
3.15 minutes
17.6 minutes
Annual migration change +166,972 -29,865
Daily growth/decline +2,178 +5,322
Annual growth/decline +794,803 +1,942,551
Annual growth/decline rate +1.26% +2.92%
Population growth rate rank 87/197 19/197

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

South Africa
Population

Growth rate
Tanzania
Population

Growth rate
Year Population Growth rate
South Africa Tanzania South Africa Tanzania
1960 16,440,172 9,901,419 - -
1961 16,908,035 10,187,886 2.85% 2.89%
1962 17,418,522 10,487,756 3.02% 2.94%
1963 17,954,564 10,799,528 3.08% 2.97%
1964 18,511,361 11,127,826 3.1% 3.04%
1965 19,089,380 11,470,728 3.12% 3.08%
1966 19,690,087 11,827,459 3.15% 3.11%
1967 20,314,066 12,200,109 3.17% 3.15%
1968 20,957,287 12,602,076 3.17% 3.29%
1969 21,614,676 13,036,700 3.14% 3.45%
1970 22,279,984 13,492,677 3.08% 3.5%
1971 22,942,143 13,971,451 2.97% 3.55%
1972 23,609,456 14,479,308 2.91% 3.63%
1973 24,294,263 15,010,101 2.9% 3.67%
1974 24,989,108 15,561,630 2.86% 3.67%
1975 25,690,940 16,138,361 2.81% 3.71%
1976 26,395,450 16,736,211 2.74% 3.7%
1977 27,118,952 17,352,929 2.74% 3.68%
1978 27,869,507 17,976,566 2.77% 3.59%
1979 28,634,162 18,592,038 2.74% 3.42%
1980 29,518,857 19,189,769 3.09% 3.21%
1981 30,541,044 19,784,703 3.46% 3.1%
1982 31,615,339 20,398,571 3.52% 3.1%
1983 32,739,304 21,079,874 3.56% 3.34%
1984 33,892,788 21,779,066 3.52% 3.32%
1985 35,042,093 22,501,693 3.39% 3.32%
1986 36,180,515 23,258,959 3.25% 3.37%
1987 37,326,190 24,030,378 3.17% 3.32%
1988 38,480,649 24,769,686 3.09% 3.08%
1989 39,628,575 25,438,759 2.98% 2.7%
1990 40,746,268 26,110,207 2.82% 2.64%
1991 41,687,898 26,780,436 2.31% 2.57%
1992 42,443,509 27,457,588 1.81% 2.53%
1993 43,297,156 28,332,692 2.01% 3.19%
1994 44,004,139 29,442,356 1.63% 3.92%
1995 44,541,554 30,383,497 1.22% 3.2%
1996 45,123,018 30,945,762 1.31% 1.85%
1997 45,666,838 31,578,089 1.21% 2.04%
1998 46,223,880 32,420,458 1.22% 2.67%
1999 46,730,335 33,300,330 1.1% 2.71%
2000 47,159,719 34,260,139 0.92% 2.88%
2001 47,566,800 35,198,299 0.86% 2.74%
2002 48,019,415 36,121,304 0.95% 2.62%
2003 48,500,348 37,089,555 1% 2.68%
2004 48,991,421 38,109,668 1.01% 2.75%
2005 49,490,033 39,182,076 1.02% 2.81%
2006 49,998,277 40,294,902 1.03% 2.84%
2007 50,528,584 41,435,512 1.06% 2.83%
2008 51,114,599 42,570,728 1.16% 2.74%
2009 51,728,516 43,633,982 1.2% 2.5%
2010 52,344,051 44,758,488 1.19% 2.58%
2011 52,995,205 46,029,367 1.24% 2.84%
2012 53,782,567 47,374,260 1.49% 2.92%
2013 54,678,791 48,824,128 1.67% 3.06%
2014 55,594,838 50,351,512 1.68% 3.13%
2015 56,723,537 52,020,962 2.03% 3.32%
2016 57,259,551 53,824,013 0.94% 3.47%
2017 57,635,162 55,652,890 0.66% 3.4%
2018 58,613,001 57,437,145 1.7% 3.21%
2019 59,587,885 59,174,891 1.66% 3.03%
2020 60,562,381 60,972,798 1.64% 3.04%
2021 61,502,603 62,830,412 1.55% 3.05%
2022 62,378,410 64,711,821 1.42% 2.99%
2023 63,212,384 66,617,606 1.34% 2.95%
2024 64,007,187 68,560,157 1.26% 2.92%
2025 64,747,317 70,545,858 1.16% 2.9%
2026 65,453,086 72,563,773 1.09% 2.86%
2027 66,143,018 74,604,804 1.05% 2.81%
2028 66,830,384 76,670,483 1.04% 2.77%
2029 67,506,850 78,773,192 1.01% 2.74%
2030 68,161,357 80,913,118 0.97% 2.72%
2031 68,798,574 83,087,927 0.93% 2.69%
2032 69,426,441 85,293,126 0.91% 2.65%
2033 70,040,484 87,520,491 0.88% 2.61%
2034 70,641,572 89,788,673 0.86% 2.59%
2035 71,234,749 92,091,418 0.84% 2.56%
2036 71,816,372 94,420,808 0.82% 2.53%
2037 72,387,807 96,775,766 0.8% 2.49%
2038 72,949,611 99,156,465 0.78% 2.46%
2039 73,496,152 101,567,525 0.75% 2.43%
2040 74,035,615 103,999,350 0.73% 2.39%
2041 74,575,444 106,448,475 0.73% 2.35%
2042 75,111,899 108,926,272 0.72% 2.33%
2043 75,641,512 111,433,788 0.71% 2.3%
2044 76,164,461 113,966,263 0.69% 2.27%
2045 76,681,448 116,525,463 0.68% 2.25%
2046 77,199,542 119,109,670 0.68% 2.22%
2047 77,716,650 121,721,018 0.67% 2.19%
2048 78,215,323 124,351,294 0.64% 2.16%
2049 78,699,584 126,981,394 0.62% 2.12%
2050 79,177,329 129,621,083 0.61% 2.08%

From 2005 to 2015, the population of South Africa increased by 7,233,504 people (a 14.6% growth), while Tanzania gained 12,838,886 people (a 32.8% growth).

For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, South Africa gained 8,590,709 (a 15.1% growth), while Tanzania's population increased by 20,145,844 (a 38.7% growth).

South Africa was ranked 24th most populous country in 2005 and is still 24th in 2025. Tanzania was ranked 31st in 2005 and ranked 20th 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 Tanzania will increase by 79.6% to 129,621,083 people and rank change from 20th to 15th.

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Population map with other countries

Population

Growth rate visualization in other countries

Growth rate

Population comparisons

Population vs South Africa vs Tanzania
Afghanistan Compare Compare
Albania Compare Compare
Algeria Compare Compare
Andorra Compare Compare
Angola Compare Compare
Antigua Compare Compare
Argentina Compare Compare
Armenia Compare Compare
Australia Compare Compare
Austria Compare Compare
Azerbaijan Compare Compare
Bahamas Compare Compare
Bahrain Compare Compare
Bangladesh Compare Compare
Barbados Compare Compare
Belarus Compare Compare
Belgium Compare Compare
Belize Compare Compare
Benin Compare Compare
Bhutan Compare Compare
Bolivia Compare Compare
Bosnia Compare Compare
Botswana Compare Compare
Brazil Compare Compare
Brunei Compare Compare
Bulgaria Compare Compare
Burkina Faso Compare Compare
Burundi Compare Compare
Cambodia Compare Compare
Cameroon Compare Compare
Canada Compare Compare
Cape Verde Compare Compare
Cayman Islands Compare Compare
CAR Compare Compare
Chad Compare Compare
Chile Compare Compare
China Compare Compare
Colombia Compare Compare
Comoros Compare Compare
Congo Compare Compare
Costa Rica Compare Compare
Croatia Compare Compare
Cuba Compare Compare
Curacao Compare Compare
Cyprus Compare Compare
Czech Republic Compare Compare
DR Congo Compare Compare
Denmark Compare Compare
Djibouti Compare Compare
Dominica Compare Compare
Dominican Republic Compare Compare
East Timor Compare Compare
Ecuador Compare Compare
Egypt Compare Compare
El Salvador Compare Compare
Equatorial Guinea Compare Compare
Eritrea Compare Compare
Estonia Compare Compare
Eswatini Compare Compare
Ethiopia Compare Compare
Fiji Compare Compare
Finland Compare Compare
France Compare Compare
Gabon Compare Compare
Gambia Compare Compare
Georgia Compare Compare
Germany Compare Compare
Ghana Compare Compare
Greece Compare Compare
Grenada Compare Compare
Guatemala Compare Compare
Guinea Compare Compare
Guinea-Bissau Compare Compare
Guyana Compare Compare
Haiti Compare Compare
Honduras Compare Compare
Hungary Compare Compare
Iceland Compare Compare
India Compare Compare
Indonesia Compare Compare
Iran Compare Compare
Iraq Compare Compare
Ireland Compare Compare
Israel Compare Compare
Italy Compare Compare
Ivory Coast Compare Compare
Jamaica Compare Compare
Japan Compare Compare
Jordan Compare Compare
Kazakhstan Compare Compare
Kenya Compare Compare
Kiribati Compare Compare
Kuwait Compare Compare
Kyrgyzstan Compare Compare
Laos Compare Compare
Latvia Compare Compare
Lebanon Compare Compare
Lesotho Compare Compare
Liberia Compare Compare
Libya Compare Compare
Liechtenstein Compare Compare
Lithuania Compare Compare
Luxembourg Compare Compare
Madagascar Compare Compare
Malawi Compare Compare
Malaysia Compare Compare
Maldives Compare Compare
Mali Compare Compare
Malta Compare Compare
Marshall Islands Compare Compare
Mauritania Compare Compare
Mauritius Compare Compare
Mexico Compare Compare
Moldova Compare Compare
Monaco Compare Compare
Mongolia Compare Compare
Montenegro Compare Compare
Morocco Compare Compare
Mozambique Compare Compare
Myanmar Compare Compare
Namibia Compare Compare
Nauru Compare Compare
Nepal Compare Compare
Netherlands Compare Compare
New Zealand Compare Compare
Nicaragua Compare Compare
Niger Compare Compare
Nigeria Compare Compare
North Korea Compare Compare
North Macedonia Compare Compare
Norway Compare Compare
Oman Compare Compare
Pakistan Compare Compare
Palau Compare Compare
Palestine Compare Compare
Panama Compare Compare
Papua New Guinea Compare Compare
Paraguay Compare Compare
Peru Compare Compare
Philippines Compare Compare
Poland Compare Compare
Portugal Compare Compare
Qatar Compare Compare
Romania Compare Compare
Russia Compare Compare
Rwanda Compare Compare
Saint Kitts Compare Compare
Saint Lucia Compare Compare
Saint Vincent Compare Compare
Samoa Compare Compare
San Marino Compare Compare
Sao Tome Compare Compare
Saudi Arabia Compare Compare
Senegal Compare Compare
Serbia Compare Compare
Seychelles Compare Compare
Sierra Leone Compare Compare
Singapore Compare Compare
Slovakia Compare Compare
Slovenia Compare Compare
Solomon Islands Compare Compare
Somalia Compare Compare
South Korea Compare Compare
South Sudan Compare Compare
Spain Compare Compare
Sri Lanka Compare Compare
Sudan Compare Compare
Suriname Compare Compare
Sweden Compare Compare
Switzerland Compare Compare
Syria Compare Compare
Taiwan Compare Compare
Tajikistan Compare Compare
Thailand Compare Compare
Togo Compare Compare
Tonga Compare Compare
Trinidad Compare Compare
Tunisia Compare Compare
Turkey Compare Compare
Turkmenistan Compare Compare
Tuvalu Compare Compare
Uganda Compare Compare
Ukraine Compare Compare
UAE Compare Compare
United Kingdom Compare Compare
United States Compare Compare
Uruguay Compare Compare
Uzbekistan Compare Compare
Vanuatu Compare Compare
Vatican Compare Compare
Venezuela Compare Compare
Vietnam Compare Compare
Yemen Compare Compare
Zambia Compare Compare
Zimbabwe Compare Compare