South Africa vs Tanzania: Population by income level
South Africa
64.75 million
in 2025
Tanzania
70.55 million
in 2025
South Africa rank
24th
Tanzania rank
21st
Population by income level over time
- South Africa
- Tanzania
How they compare
Tanzania currently reports 70.55 million against 64.75 million in South Africa, a difference of 5.80 million.
That makes Tanzania's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 24th and Tanzania ranks 21st of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 6 and Tanzania in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Tanzania | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.89 million | 11.36 million | 7.53 million | South Africa |
| 1970s | 25.38 million | 15.93 million | 9.45 million | South Africa |
| 1980s | 34.50 million | 22.22 million | 12.27 million | South Africa |
| 1990s | 44.05 million | 29.68 million | 14.37 million | South Africa |
| 2000s | 49.31 million | 38.79 million | 10.52 million | South Africa |
| 2010s | 55.92 million | 51.54 million | 4.38 million | South Africa |
| 2020s | 62.74 million | 65.71 million | 2.97 million | Tanzania |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population by income level, South Africa or Tanzania?
- Tanzania, at 70.55 million against 64.75 million in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population by income level between South Africa and Tanzania?
- 5.80 million, with Tanzania ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Tanzania?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Tanzania rank globally for population by income level?
- South Africa ranks 24th and Tanzania ranks 21st of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, via World Bank (2026) β processed by 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.
Individual pages
About this data
Total population, differentiated by World Bank income level.