South Africa vs Viet Nam: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas
South Africa
12.95 million people
in 2020
Viet Nam
12.88 million people
in 2020
South Africa rank
25th
Viet Nam rank
26th
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas over time
- South Africa
- Viet Nam
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 12.95 million people against 12.88 million people in Viet Nam, a difference of 67,800 people.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Viet Nam ahead.
South Africa ranks 25th and Viet Nam ranks 26th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 3 and Viet Nam in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Viet Nam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.95 million people | 10.84 million people | 3.89 million people | Viet Nam |
| 1960s | 8.12 million people | 12.19 million people | 4.08 million people | Viet Nam |
| 1970s | 9.50 million people | 13.30 million people | 3.80 million people | Viet Nam |
| 1980s | 11.18 million people | 13.63 million people | 2.45 million people | Viet Nam |
| 1990s | 12.74 million people | 12.99 million people | 250,100 people | Viet Nam |
| 2000s | 12.76 million people | 12.54 million people | 217,250 people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 12.84 million people | 12.64 million people | 207,500 people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 12.95 million people | 12.88 million people | 67,800 people | South Africa |
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, South Africa or Viet Nam?
- South Africa, at 12.95 million people against 12.88 million people in Viet Nam as of 2020.
- What is the difference in number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas between South Africa and Viet Nam?
- 67,800 people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Viet Nam?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do South Africa and Viet Nam rank globally for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- South Africa ranks 25th and Viet Nam ranks 26th 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.