South Africa vs United Kingdom: Population by income level
South Africa
64.75 million
in 2025
United Kingdom
69.49 million
in 2025
South Africa rank
24th
United Kingdom rank
22nd
Population by income level over time
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 69.49 million against 64.75 million in South Africa, a difference of 4.74 million.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 215 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.89 million | 54.07 million | 35.18 million | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 25.38 million | 56.11 million | 30.73 million | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 34.50 million | 56.58 million | 22.08 million | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 44.05 million | 57.95 million | 13.90 million | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 49.31 million | 60.37 million | 11.06 million | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 55.92 million | 64.81 million | 8.89 million | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 62.74 million | 68.11 million | 5.37 million | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population by income level, South Africa or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 69.49 million against 64.75 million in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population by income level between South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 4.74 million, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United Kingdom rank globally for population by income level?
- South Africa ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 22nd 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.