Kenya vs South Africa: Population peak status
Kenya
55.34 million
in 2023
South Africa
63.21 million
in 2023
Kenya rank
26th
South Africa rank
24th
Population peak status over time
- Kenya
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 63.21 million against 55.34 million in Kenya, a difference of 7.87 million.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Kenya's.
Across all 74 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Kenya ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 24th of 236 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kenya | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.50 million | 14.43 million | 7.93 million | South Africa |
| 1960s | 9.22 million | 18.89 million | 9.67 million | South Africa |
| 1970s | 13.34 million | 25.38 million | 12.05 million | South Africa |
| 1980s | 18.94 million | 34.50 million | 15.56 million | South Africa |
| 1990s | 26.26 million | 44.05 million | 17.79 million | South Africa |
| 2000s | 35.36 million | 49.31 million | 13.95 million | South Africa |
| 2010s | 46.51 million | 55.92 million | 9.41 million | South Africa |
| 2020s | 53.76 million | 61.91 million | 8.16 million | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population peak status, Kenya or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 63.21 million against 55.34 million in Kenya as of 2023.
- What is the difference in population peak status between Kenya and South Africa?
- 7.87 million, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
- 74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
- How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for population peak status?
- Kenya ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 24th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Population peak status. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.