South Africa vs Switzerland: Share of population living in the capital city
South Africa
2.8%
in 2020
Switzerland
2.3%
in 2020
South Africa rank
158th
Switzerland rank
160th
Share of population living in the capital city over time
- South Africa
- Switzerland
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2.8% against 2.3% in Switzerland, a difference of 0.5%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Switzerland's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Switzerland ahead.
South Africa ranks 158th and Switzerland ranks 160th of 170 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Switzerland in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.3% | 2.9% | 1.5% | Switzerland |
| 1960s | 1.5% | 2.8% | 1.4% | Switzerland |
| 1970s | 1.5% | 3.0% | 1.5% | Switzerland |
| 1980s | 1.5% | 2.9% | 1.4% | Switzerland |
| 1990s | 1.6% | 3.0% | 1.4% | Switzerland |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 2.6% | 0.9% | Switzerland |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 0.0% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2.8% | 2.3% | 0.6% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in the capital city, South Africa or Switzerland?
- South Africa, at 2.8% against 2.3% in Switzerland as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in the capital city between South Africa and Switzerland?
- 0.5%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Switzerland?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do South Africa and Switzerland rank globally for share of population living in the capital city?
- South Africa ranks 158th and Switzerland ranks 160th 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.