Panama vs South Africa: Population growth
Panama
1.3%
in 2024
South Africa
1.2%
in 2024
Panama rank
86th
South Africa rank
88th
Population growth over time
- Panama
- South Africa
How they compare
Panama currently reports 1.3% against 1.2% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.
Panama ranks 86th and South Africa ranks 88th of 215 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Panama averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Panama | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.6% | 2.8% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 2.3% | 3.2% | 1.0% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 2.1% | 1.6% | 0.4% | Panama |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.0% | 0.9% | Panama |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.3% | Panama |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.4% | 0.1% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population growth, Panama or South Africa?
- Panama, at 1.3% against 1.2% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in population growth between Panama and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with Panama ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Panama and South Africa?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Panama and South Africa rank globally for population growth?
- Panama ranks 86th and South Africa ranks 88th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Population growth (annual %). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release