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

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

Table

Year	Population		Growth rate
	South Africa	Zimbabwe	South Africa	Zimbabwe
1960	16,440,172	3,809,389	-	-
1961	16,908,035	3,930,401	2.85%	3.18%
1962	17,418,522	4,055,959	3.02%	3.19%
1963	17,954,564	4,185,877	3.08%	3.2%
1964	18,511,361	4,320,006	3.1%	3.2%
1965	19,089,380	4,458,462	3.12%	3.2%
1966	19,690,087	4,601,217	3.15%	3.2%
1967	20,314,066	4,748,307	3.17%	3.2%
1968	20,957,287	4,900,440	3.17%	3.2%
1969	21,614,676	5,058,181	3.14%	3.22%
1970	22,279,984	5,215,918	3.08%	3.12%
1971	22,942,143	5,374,712	2.97%	3.04%
1972	23,609,456	5,542,445	2.91%	3.12%
1973	24,294,263	5,720,404	2.9%	3.21%
1974	24,989,108	5,908,328	2.86%	3.29%
1975	25,690,940	6,098,658	2.81%	3.22%
1976	26,395,450	6,287,105	2.74%	3.09%
1977	27,118,952	6,449,512	2.74%	2.58%
1978	27,869,507	6,543,575	2.77%	1.46%
1979	28,634,162	6,647,556	2.74%	1.59%
1980	29,518,857	7,041,303	3.09%	5.92%
1981	30,541,044	7,498,635	3.46%	6.49%
1982	31,615,339	7,796,496	3.52%	3.97%
1983	32,739,304	8,098,404	3.56%	3.87%
1984	33,892,788	8,391,488	3.52%	3.62%
1985	35,042,093	8,686,813	3.39%	3.52%
1986	36,180,515	8,982,578	3.25%	3.4%
1987	37,326,190	9,284,644	3.17%	3.36%
1988	38,480,649	9,583,094	3.09%	3.21%
1989	39,628,575	9,864,798	2.98%	2.94%
1990	40,746,268	10,137,281	2.82%	2.76%
1991	41,687,898	10,404,816	2.31%	2.64%
1992	42,443,509	10,702,700	1.81%	2.86%
1993	43,297,156	10,860,288	2.01%	1.47%
1994	44,004,139	10,873,148	1.63%	0.12%
1995	44,541,554	10,974,599	1.22%	0.93%
1996	45,123,018	11,158,360	1.31%	1.67%
1997	45,666,838	11,369,827	1.21%	1.9%
1998	46,223,880	11,594,297	1.22%	1.97%
1999	46,730,335	11,783,458	1.1%	1.63%
2000	47,159,719	11,892,055	0.92%	0.92%
2001	47,566,800	11,971,901	0.86%	0.67%
2002	48,019,415	12,087,653	0.95%	0.97%
2003	48,500,348	12,232,323	1%	1.2%
2004	48,991,421	12,365,896	1.01%	1.09%
2005	49,490,033	12,483,432	1.02%	0.95%
2006	49,998,277	12,636,445	1.03%	1.23%
2007	50,528,584	12,804,058	1.06%	1.33%
2008	51,114,599	12,959,149	1.16%	1.21%
2009	51,728,516	13,142,790	1.2%	1.42%
2010	52,344,051	13,356,548	1.19%	1.63%
2011	52,995,205	13,595,424	1.24%	1.79%
2012	53,782,567	13,817,887	1.49%	1.64%
2013	54,678,791	14,013,808	1.67%	1.42%
2014	55,594,838	14,207,359	1.68%	1.38%
2015	56,723,537	14,399,013	2.03%	1.35%
2016	57,259,551	14,600,294	0.94%	1.4%
2017	57,635,162	14,812,482	0.66%	1.45%
2018	58,613,001	15,034,452	1.7%	1.5%
2019	59,587,885	15,271,368	1.66%	1.58%
2020	60,562,381	15,526,888	1.64%	1.67%
2021	61,502,603	15,797,210	1.55%	1.74%
2022	62,378,410	16,069,056	1.42%	1.72%
2023	63,212,384	16,340,822	1.34%	1.69%
2024	64,007,187	16,634,373	1.26%	1.8%
2025	64,747,317	16,950,805	1.16%	1.9%
2026	65,453,086	17,273,591	1.09%	1.9%
2027	66,143,018	17,600,621	1.05%	1.89%
2028	66,830,384	17,932,015	1.04%	1.88%
2029	67,506,850	18,268,967	1.01%	1.88%
2030	68,161,357	18,610,356	0.97%	1.87%
2031	68,798,574	18,956,207	0.93%	1.86%
2032	69,426,441	19,311,368	0.91%	1.87%
2033	70,040,484	19,675,929	0.88%	1.89%
2034	70,641,572	20,041,125	0.86%	1.86%
2035	71,234,749	20,409,159	0.84%	1.84%
2036	71,816,372	20,778,662	0.82%	1.81%
2037	72,387,807	21,144,748	0.8%	1.76%
2038	72,949,611	21,512,919	0.78%	1.74%
2039	73,496,152	21,881,123	0.75%	1.71%
2040	74,035,615	22,250,123	0.73%	1.69%
2041	74,575,444	22,627,428	0.73%	1.7%
2042	75,111,899	23,000,906	0.72%	1.65%
2043	75,641,512	23,371,301	0.71%	1.61%
2044	76,164,461	23,740,630	0.69%	1.58%
2045	76,681,448	24,102,391	0.68%	1.52%
2046	77,199,542	24,462,491	0.68%	1.49%
2047	77,716,650	24,816,449	0.67%	1.45%
2048	78,215,323	25,168,419	0.64%	1.42%
2049	78,699,584	25,518,513	0.62%	1.39%
2050	79,177,329	25,866,397	0.61%	1.36%

From 2005 to 2015, the population of South Africa increased by 7,233,504 people (a 14.6% growth), while Zimbabwe gained 1,915,581 people (a 15.3% growth).

For the next 10 years, from 2015 to 2025, South Africa gained 8,590,709 (a 15.1% growth), while Zimbabwe's population increased by 2,811,079 (a 19.5% growth).

South Africa was ranked 24th most populous country in 2005 and is still 24th in 2025. Zimbabwe was ranked 70th in 2005 and ranked 74th 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 Zimbabwe will increase by 50.3% to 25,866,397 people and rank change from 74th to 65th.