Kenya vs South Africa: Population aged 15-24 years (thousands)
Kenya
12,232 thousands
in 2025
South Africa
10,513 thousands
in 2025
Kenya rank
19th
South Africa rank
22nd
Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) over time
- Kenya
- South Africa
How they compare
Kenya currently reports 12,232 thousands against 10,513 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 1,719 thousands.
That makes Kenya's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.
Kenya ranks 19th and South Africa ranks 22nd of 233 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Kenya averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kenya | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,442 thousands | 4,807 thousands | 2,365 thousands | South Africa |
| 1980s | 3,874 thousands | 6,579 thousands | 2,705 thousands | South Africa |
| 1990s | 5,472 thousands | 8,375 thousands | 2,904 thousands | South Africa |
| 2000s | 7,502 thousands | 10,815 thousands | 3,313 thousands | South Africa |
| 2010s | 9,336 thousands | 10,732 thousands | 1,396 thousands | South Africa |
| 2020s | 11,403 thousands | 10,352 thousands | 1,052 thousands | Kenya |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population aged 15-24 years, Kenya or South Africa?
- Kenya, at 12,232 thousands against 10,513 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population aged 15-24 years between Kenya and South Africa?
- 1,719 thousands, with Kenya ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for population aged 15-24 years?
- Kenya ranks 19th 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