Ethiopia vs South Africa: Number of children, working-age adults, and older people
Ethiopia
4.08 million people
in 2023
South Africa
4.11 million people
in 2023
Ethiopia rank
32nd
South Africa rank
31st
Number of children, working-age adults, and older people over time
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 4.11 million people against 4.08 million people in Ethiopia, a difference of 31,800 people.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 74 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 32nd and South Africa ranks 31st of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 566,889 people | 532,068 people | 34,821 people | Ethiopia |
| 1960s | 665,694 people | 648,519 people | 17,175 people | Ethiopia |
| 1970s | 878,355 people | 938,457 people | 60,101 people | South Africa |
| 1980s | 1.09 million people | 1.35 million people | 267,555 people | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1.52 million people | 1.86 million people | 338,393 people | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2.05 million people | 2.48 million people | 437,435 people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2.99 million people | 3.05 million people | 61,774 people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 3.86 million people | 3.90 million people | 43,645 people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of children, working-age adults, and older people, Ethiopia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 4.11 million people against 4.08 million people in Ethiopia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in number of children, working-age adults, and older people between Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 31,800 people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 74 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2023.
- How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for number of children, working-age adults, and older people?
- Ethiopia ranks 32nd and South Africa ranks 31st of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Number of children, working-age adults, and older people. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 65+.