Sao Tome and Principe vs South Africa: Population density of the capital city

Sao Tome and Principe
4,893 people per km²
in 2100
South Africa
4,739 people per km²
in 2100
Sao Tome and Principe rank
116th
South Africa rank
118th

Population density of the capital city over time

  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • South Africa
02.0k4.0k6.0k202020602100

How they compare

Sao Tome and Principe currently reports 4,893 people per km² against 4,739 people per km² in South Africa, a difference of 154 people per km².

The two have swapped places 3 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2020 it was South Africa ahead.

Sao Tome and Principe ranks 116th and South Africa ranks 118th of 191 countries.

Across the 9 decades both report, Sao Tome and Principe averaged higher in 7 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Sao Tome and Principe South Africa Difference Ahead
2020s 4,103 people per km² 4,220 people per km² 116.28 people per km² South Africa
2030s 4,942 people per km² 4,379 people per km² 562.7 people per km² Sao Tome and Principe
2040s 5,146 people per km² 4,520 people per km² 626.79 people per km² Sao Tome and Principe
2050s 5,020 people per km² 4,616 people per km² 404.43 people per km² Sao Tome and Principe
2060s 5,224 people per km² 4,721 people per km² 502.36 people per km² Sao Tome and Principe
2070s 4,722 people per km² 4,728 people per km² 5.74 people per km² South Africa
2080s 4,733 people per km² 4,695 people per km² 37.7 people per km² Sao Tome and Principe
2090s 4,845 people per km² 4,702 people per km² 142.34 people per km² Sao Tome and Principe
2100s 4,893 people per km² 4,739 people per km² 153.83 people per km² Sao Tome and Principe

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population density of the capital city, Sao Tome and Principe or South Africa?
Sao Tome and Principe, at 4,893 people per km² against 4,739 people per km² in South Africa as of 2100.
What is the difference in population density of the capital city between Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa?
154 people per km², with Sao Tome and Principe ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa?
17 years are reported by both, from 2020 to 2100.
How do Sao Tome and Principe and South Africa rank globally for population density of the capital city?
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 116th and South Africa ranks 118th of 191 countries.
Where does this data come from?
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Population density of the capital city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sao Tome and Principe vs South Africa: Population density of the capital city. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/population-density-of-the-capital-city/sao-tome-and-principe/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Population density of the capital city
Unit
people per km²
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
191 places, 3,183 data points, 2020–2100
Last refreshed

Projected number of people per km² of land area in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.