Afghanistan vs South Africa: Population aged 15-24 years (thousands)
Afghanistan
9,131 thousands
in 2025
South Africa
10,513 thousands
in 2025
Afghanistan rank
24th
South Africa rank
22nd
Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) over time
- Afghanistan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 10,513 thousands against 9,131 thousands in Afghanistan, a difference of 1,382 thousands.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Afghanistan's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Afghanistan ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 22nd of 233 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,300 thousands | 4,807 thousands | 2,507 thousands | South Africa |
| 1980s | 2,210 thousands | 6,579 thousands | 4,369 thousands | South Africa |
| 1990s | 3,014 thousands | 8,375 thousands | 5,361 thousands | South Africa |
| 2000s | 4,392 thousands | 10,815 thousands | 6,423 thousands | South Africa |
| 2010s | 6,854 thousands | 10,732 thousands | 3,878 thousands | South Africa |
| 2020s | 8,728 thousands | 10,352 thousands | 1,623 thousands | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population aged 15-24 years, Afghanistan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 10,513 thousands against 9,131 thousands in Afghanistan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population aged 15-24 years between Afghanistan and South Africa?
- 1,382 thousands, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Afghanistan and South Africa rank globally for population aged 15-24 years?
- Afghanistan ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 22nd of 233 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Population aged 15-24 years (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