South Africa vs United States of America: Population aged 65 years or older
South Africa
4,371 thousands
in 2025
United States of America
62,898 thousands
in 2025
South Africa rank
30th
United States of America rank
3rd
Population aged 65 years or older over time
- South Africa
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 62,898 thousands against 4,371 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 58,527 thousands.
That makes United States of America's figure about 14.4 times South Africa's.
Across all 55 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 30th and United States of America ranks 3rd of 226 countries.
United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 922.61 thousands | 22,105 thousands | 21,182 thousands | United States of America |
| 1980s | 1,330 thousands | 27,756 thousands | 26,425 thousands | United States of America |
| 1990s | 1,832 thousands | 32,759 thousands | 30,927 thousands | United States of America |
| 2000s | 2,460 thousands | 35,803 thousands | 33,343 thousands | United States of America |
| 2010s | 3,011 thousands | 45,397 thousands | 42,386 thousands | United States of America |
| 2020s | 3,972 thousands | 57,951 thousands | 53,980 thousands | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population aged 65 years or older, South Africa or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 62,898 thousands against 4,371 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population aged 65 years or older between South Africa and United States of America?
- 58,527 thousands, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United States of America rank globally for population aged 65 years or older?
- South Africa ranks 30th and United States of America ranks 3rd of 226 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Population aged 65 years or older (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