New Zealand vs South Africa: Share of population living in the capital city
New Zealand
2.9%
in 2020
South Africa
2.8%
in 2020
New Zealand rank
157th
South Africa rank
158th
Share of population living in the capital city over time
- New Zealand
- South Africa
How they compare
New Zealand currently reports 2.9% against 2.8% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 11 shared years of data; in 1970 it was New Zealand ahead.
New Zealand ranks 157th and South Africa ranks 158th of 170 countries.
New Zealand has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.3% | 1.5% | 0.8% | New Zealand |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 1.5% | 1.0% | New Zealand |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.8% | New Zealand |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 1.7% | 0.7% | New Zealand |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0.0% | New Zealand |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 2.8% | 0.1% | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in the capital city, New Zealand or South Africa?
- New Zealand, at 2.9% against 2.8% in South Africa as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in the capital city between New Zealand and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with New Zealand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and South Africa?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2020.
- How do New Zealand and South Africa rank globally for share of population living in the capital city?
- New Zealand ranks 157th and South Africa ranks 158th of 170 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.