South Africa vs United States: Population aged 25-64 years
South Africa
32,890 thousands
in 2025
United States
178,177 thousands
in 2025
South Africa rank
22nd
United States rank
3rd
Population aged 25-64 years over time
- South Africa
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 178,177 thousands against 32,890 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 145,287 thousands.
That makes United States's figure about 5.4 times South Africa's.
Across all 55 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 22nd and United States ranks 3rd of 226 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8,802 thousands | 98,634 thousands | 89,831 thousands | United States |
| 1980s | 12,629 thousands | 118,709 thousands | 106,080 thousands | United States |
| 1990s | 17,199 thousands | 137,811 thousands | 120,612 thousands | United States |
| 2000s | 20,087 thousands | 155,183 thousands | 135,097 thousands | United States |
| 2010s | 25,910 thousands | 171,289 thousands | 145,379 thousands | United States |
| 2020s | 31,454 thousands | 178,073 thousands | 146,619 thousands | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population aged 25-64 years, South Africa or United States?
- United States, at 178,177 thousands against 32,890 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population aged 25-64 years between South Africa and United States?
- 145,287 thousands, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United States rank globally for population aged 25-64 years?
- South Africa ranks 22nd and United States ranks 3rd 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