China vs South Africa: Population aged 25-64 years
China
822,110 thousands
in 2025
South Africa
32,890 thousands
in 2025
China rank
1st
South Africa rank
22nd
Population aged 25-64 years over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 822,110 thousands against 32,890 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 789,220 thousands.
That makes China's figure about 25.0 times South Africa's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 22nd of 226 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 327,625 thousands | 8,802 thousands | 318,823 thousands | China |
| 1980s | 431,491 thousands | 12,629 thousands | 418,862 thousands | China |
| 1990s | 574,719 thousands | 17,199 thousands | 557,520 thousands | China |
| 2000s | 702,849 thousands | 20,087 thousands | 682,763 thousands | China |
| 2010s | 800,470 thousands | 25,910 thousands | 774,560 thousands | China |
| 2020s | 823,997 thousands | 31,535 thousands | 792,462 thousands | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population aged 25-64 years, China or South Africa?
- China, at 822,110 thousands against 32,890 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population aged 25-64 years between China and South Africa?
- 789,220 thousands, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for population aged 25-64 years?
- China ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 22nd of 226 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Population aged 25-64 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