Japan vs South Africa: Population aged 14 years or younger
Japan
13,993 thousands
in 2025
South Africa
16,612 thousands
in 2025
Japan rank
29th
South Africa rank
26th
Population aged 14 years or younger over time
- Japan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 16,612 thousands against 13,993 thousands in Japan, a difference of 2,619 thousands.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 226 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26,414 thousands | 10,496 thousands | 15,918 thousands | Japan |
| 1980s | 26,297 thousands | 13,399 thousands | 12,897 thousands | Japan |
| 1990s | 20,263 thousands | 16,302 thousands | 3,961 thousands | Japan |
| 2000s | 17,748 thousands | 15,695 thousands | 2,053 thousands | Japan |
| 2010s | 16,518 thousands | 15,866 thousands | 651.85 thousands | Japan |
| 2020s | 14,804 thousands | 16,446 thousands | 1,642 thousands | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population aged 14 years or younger, Japan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 16,612 thousands against 13,993 thousands in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population aged 14 years or younger between Japan and South Africa?
- 2,619 thousands, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Japan and South Africa rank globally for population aged 14 years or younger?
- Japan ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 226 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Population aged 14 years or younger (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release