India vs South Africa: Total population
India
1.46 million thousands
in 2025
South Africa
64,386 thousands
in 2025
India rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st
Total population over time
- India
- South Africa
How they compare
India currently reports 1.46 million thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 1.39 million thousands.
That makes India's figure about 22.6 times South Africa's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
India ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 230 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 598,996 thousands | 25,029 thousands | 573,967 thousands | India |
| 1980s | 756,115 thousands | 33,938 thousands | 722,177 thousands | India |
| 1990s | 941,487 thousands | 43,708 thousands | 897,779 thousands | India |
| 2000s | 1.13 million thousands | 49,057 thousands | 1.09 million thousands | India |
| 2010s | 1.31 million thousands | 55,519 thousands | 1.26 million thousands | India |
| 2020s | 1.43 million thousands | 62,316 thousands | 1.36 million thousands | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, India or South Africa?
- India, at 1.46 million thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between India and South Africa?
- 1.39 million thousands, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do India and South Africa rank globally for total population?
- India ranks 1st 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