Nigeria vs South Africa: Share urban and rural population
Nigeria
63.78
in 2025
South Africa
63.82
in 2025
Nigeria rank
126th
South Africa rank
125th
Share urban and rural population over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 63.82 against 63.78 in Nigeria, a difference of 0.04.
Across all 76 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 126th and South Africa ranks 125th of 236 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 11.68 | 44.51 | 32.83 | South Africa |
| 1960s | 16.83 | 47.26 | 30.44 | South Africa |
| 1970s | 23.38 | 48.04 | 24.67 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 30.9 | 49.43 | 18.53 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 38.77 | 53.4 | 14.63 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 47.11 | 59.4 | 12.29 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 55.32 | 63.12 | 7.8 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 61.77 | 63.58 | 1.8 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share urban and rural population, Nigeria or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 63.82 against 63.78 in Nigeria as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share urban and rural population between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 0.04, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 76 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2025.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for share urban and rural population?
- Nigeria ranks 126th and South Africa ranks 125th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Share urban and rural population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.