China vs South Africa: Total population
China
1.42 million thousands
in 2025
South Africa
64,386 thousands
in 2025
China rank
2nd
South Africa rank
1st
Total population over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 1.42 million thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 1.35 million thousands.
That makes China's figure about 22.0 times South Africa's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and South Africa ranks 1st of 230 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 894,766 thousands | 25,029 thousands | 869,737 thousands | China |
| 1980s | 1.05 million thousands | 33,938 thousands | 1.01 million thousands | China |
| 1990s | 1.21 million thousands | 43,708 thousands | 1.16 million thousands | China |
| 2000s | 1.30 million thousands | 49,057 thousands | 1.25 million thousands | China |
| 2010s | 1.39 million thousands | 55,519 thousands | 1.33 million thousands | China |
| 2020s | 1.42 million thousands | 62,316 thousands | 1.36 million thousands | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, China or South Africa?
- China, at 1.42 million thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between China and South Africa?
- 1.35 million thousands, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for total population?
- China ranks 2nd and South Africa ranks 1st of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release