Kenya vs South Africa: Population by income level
Kenya
57.53 million
in 2025
South Africa
64.75 million
in 2025
Kenya rank
26th
South Africa rank
24th
Population by income level over time
- Kenya
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 64.75 million against 57.53 million in Kenya, a difference of 7.21 million.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Kenya's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Kenya ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 24th of 215 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kenya | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 9.22 million | 18.89 million | 9.67 million | South Africa |
| 1970s | 13.34 million | 25.38 million | 12.05 million | South Africa |
| 1980s | 18.94 million | 34.50 million | 15.56 million | South Africa |
| 1990s | 26.26 million | 44.05 million | 17.79 million | South Africa |
| 2000s | 35.36 million | 49.31 million | 13.95 million | South Africa |
| 2010s | 46.51 million | 55.92 million | 9.41 million | South Africa |
| 2020s | 54.83 million | 62.74 million | 7.90 million | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population by income level, Kenya or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 64.75 million against 57.53 million in Kenya as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population by income level between Kenya and South Africa?
- 7.21 million, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for population by income level?
- Kenya ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 24th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Population by income level. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.