Iran, Islamic Republic of vs South Africa: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas
Iran, Islamic Republic of
13.42 million people
in 2020
South Africa
12.95 million people
in 2020
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
24th
South Africa rank
25th
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas over time
- Iran, Islamic Republic of
- South Africa
How they compare
Iran, Islamic Republic of currently reports 13.42 million people against 12.95 million people in South Africa, a difference of 475,300 people.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 25th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Iran, Islamic Republic of averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran, Islamic Republic of | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.99 million people | 6.95 million people | 33,350 people | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
| 1960s | 7.89 million people | 8.12 million people | 228,080 people | South Africa |
| 1970s | 8.80 million people | 9.50 million people | 704,485 people | South Africa |
| 1980s | 10.74 million people | 11.18 million people | 443,875 people | South Africa |
| 1990s | 12.66 million people | 12.74 million people | 79,400 people | South Africa |
| 2000s | 12.73 million people | 12.76 million people | 32,450 people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 13.03 million people | 12.84 million people | 190,600 people | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
| 2020s | 13.42 million people | 12.95 million people | 475,300 people | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas, Iran, Islamic Republic of or South Africa?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of, at 13.42 million people against 12.95 million people in South Africa as of 2020.
- What is the difference in number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas between Iran, Islamic Republic of and South Africa?
- 475,300 people, with Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and South Africa?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do Iran, Islamic Republic of and South Africa rank globally for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 25th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated number of people living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.