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

Updated on by Georank team

The latest officially reported population of South Africa was 64,007,187 in 2024 vs 40,583,164 people in Yemen in 2024. In 2025, based on the adjusted UN estimation, the current South Africa's population is 65,314,246 people compared to 42,727,988 in Yemen.

Population statistics:

  • South Africa's population is 1.53 times bigger than Yemen's.
  • South Africa is ranked the 24th most populous country in the world, while Yemen is the 37th.
  • The countries together account for 1.31% of the world: 0.79% for South Africa vs 0.52% for Yemen.
  • For the last 10 years, South Africa has had an average growth rate of +1.44% per year vs +3% in Yemen.
  • Since 2005, the population of South Africa has increased from 49.5M people to 65.3M (32% growth), while Yemen has grown from 22.8M to 42.7M (87.5% growth).
  • South Africa is projected to reach its peak in 2100 at 94.3M people compared to the peak of 110M people in 2100 for Yemen.

South Africa vs Yemen: live population counter

South Africa Yemen
Current population
65314246
42727988
Population rank 24/197 37/197
Percent of world population 0.79% 0.52%
One net population change
39.7 seconds
26.4 seconds
One birth every
26.6 seconds
22.7 seconds
One death every
54 seconds
2.78 minutes
One migration net change every
3.15 minutes
50.1 minutes
Annual migration change +166,972 -10,482
Daily growth/decline +2,178 +3,267
Annual growth/decline +794,803 +1,192,365
Annual growth/decline rate +1.26% +3.03%
Population growth rate rank 87/197 14/197

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

South Africa
Population

Growth rate
Yemen
Population

Growth rate
Year Population Growth rate
South Africa Yemen South Africa Yemen
1960 16,440,172 5,532,301 - -
1961 16,908,035 5,655,232 2.85% 2.22%
1962 17,418,522 5,782,221 3.02% 2.25%
1963 17,954,564 5,911,135 3.08% 2.23%
1964 18,511,361 6,048,006 3.1% 2.32%
1965 19,089,380 6,195,593 3.12% 2.44%
1966 19,690,087 6,351,494 3.15% 2.52%
1967 20,314,066 6,516,444 3.17% 2.6%
1968 20,957,287 6,690,524 3.17% 2.67%
1969 21,614,676 6,875,859 3.14% 2.77%
1970 22,279,984 7,065,279 3.08% 2.75%
1971 22,942,143 7,257,462 2.97% 2.72%
1972 23,609,456 7,460,068 2.91% 2.79%
1973 24,294,263 7,672,796 2.9% 2.85%
1974 24,989,108 7,896,783 2.86% 2.92%
1975 25,690,940 8,133,598 2.81% 3%
1976 26,395,450 8,384,113 2.74% 3.08%
1977 27,118,952 8,648,222 2.74% 3.15%
1978 27,869,507 8,926,586 2.77% 3.22%
1979 28,634,162 9,224,194 2.74% 3.33%
1980 29,518,857 9,543,358 3.09% 3.46%
1981 30,541,044 9,882,362 3.46% 3.55%
1982 31,615,339 10,241,006 3.52% 3.63%
1983 32,739,304 10,621,499 3.56% 3.72%
1984 33,892,788 11,025,597 3.52% 3.8%
1985 35,042,093 11,453,825 3.39% 3.88%
1986 36,180,515 11,901,040 3.25% 3.9%
1987 37,326,190 12,369,912 3.17% 3.94%
1988 38,480,649 12,859,708 3.09% 3.96%
1989 39,628,575 13,364,174 2.98% 3.92%
1990 40,746,268 13,887,862 2.82% 3.92%
1991 41,687,898 14,430,201 2.31% 3.91%
1992 42,443,509 14,989,494 1.81% 3.88%
1993 43,297,156 15,563,914 2.01% 3.83%
1994 44,004,139 16,149,147 1.63% 3.76%
1995 44,541,554 16,740,058 1.22% 3.66%
1996 45,123,018 17,313,177 1.31% 3.42%
1997 45,666,838 17,873,936 1.21% 3.24%
1998 46,223,880 18,446,013 1.22% 3.2%
1999 46,730,335 19,029,420 1.1% 3.16%
2000 47,159,719 19,624,141 0.92% 3.13%
2001 47,566,800 20,226,147 0.86% 3.07%
2002 48,019,415 20,835,086 0.95% 3.01%
2003 48,500,348 21,456,379 1% 2.98%
2004 48,991,421 22,095,167 1.01% 2.98%
2005 49,490,033 22,790,085 1.02% 3.15%
2006 49,998,277 23,543,083 1.03% 3.3%
2007 50,528,584 24,318,082 1.06% 3.29%
2008 51,114,599 25,111,941 1.16% 3.26%
2009 51,728,516 25,927,724 1.2% 3.25%
2010 52,344,051 26,754,387 1.19% 3.19%
2011 52,995,205 27,582,897 1.24% 3.1%
2012 53,782,567 28,433,647 1.49% 3.08%
2013 54,678,791 29,312,952 1.67% 3.09%
2014 55,594,838 30,226,309 1.68% 3.12%
2015 56,723,537 31,159,379 2.03% 3.09%
2016 57,259,551 32,109,010 0.94% 3.05%
2017 57,635,162 33,090,921 0.66% 3.06%
2018 58,613,001 34,085,182 1.7% 3%
2019 59,587,885 35,111,408 1.66% 3.01%
2020 60,562,381 36,134,863 1.64% 2.91%
2021 61,502,603 37,140,230 1.55% 2.78%
2022 62,378,410 38,222,876 1.42% 2.92%
2023 63,212,384 39,390,799 1.34% 3.06%
2024 64,007,187 40,583,164 1.26% 3.03%
2025 64,747,317 41,773,871 1.16% 2.93%
2026 65,453,086 42,961,650 1.09% 2.84%
2027 66,143,018 44,145,620 1.05% 2.76%
2028 66,830,384 45,323,685 1.04% 2.67%
2029 67,506,850 46,497,573 1.01% 2.59%
2030 68,161,357 47,667,649 0.97% 2.52%
2031 68,798,574 48,827,503 0.93% 2.43%
2032 69,426,441 49,979,089 0.91% 2.36%
2033 70,040,484 51,129,867 0.88% 2.3%
2034 70,641,572 52,279,989 0.86% 2.25%
2035 71,234,749 53,429,308 0.84% 2.2%
2036 71,816,372 54,578,046 0.82% 2.15%
2037 72,387,807 55,724,259 0.8% 2.1%
2038 72,949,611 56,872,152 0.78% 2.06%
2039 73,496,152 58,024,713 0.75% 2.03%
2040 74,035,615 59,181,514 0.73% 1.99%
2041 74,575,444 60,345,667 0.73% 1.97%
2042 75,111,899 61,517,965 0.72% 1.94%
2043 75,641,512 62,696,517 0.71% 1.92%
2044 76,164,461 63,880,172 0.69% 1.89%
2045 76,681,448 65,066,344 0.68% 1.86%
2046 77,199,542 66,253,578 0.68% 1.82%
2047 77,716,650 67,438,796 0.67% 1.79%
2048 78,215,323 68,620,844 0.64% 1.75%
2049 78,699,584 69,799,794 0.62% 1.72%
2050 79,177,329 70,976,389 0.61% 1.69%

From 2005 to 2015, the population of South Africa increased by 7,233,504 people (a 14.6% growth), while Yemen gained 8,369,294 people (a 36.7% growth).

For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, South Africa gained 8,590,709 (a 15.1% growth), while Yemen's population increased by 11,568,609 (a 37.1% growth).

South Africa was ranked 24th most populous country in 2005 and is still 24th in 2025. Yemen was ranked 47th in 2005 and ranked 37th 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 Yemen will increase by 66.1% to 70,976,389 people and rank change from 37th to 29th.

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