Indonesia vs South Africa: Total population
Indonesia
284,622 thousands
in 2025
South Africa
64,386 thousands
in 2025
Indonesia rank
4th
South Africa rank
1st
Total population over time
- Indonesia
- South Africa
How they compare
Indonesia currently reports 284,622 thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 220,236 thousands.
That makes Indonesia's figure about 4.4 times South Africa's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, Indonesia has been ahead every year.
Indonesia ranks 4th and South Africa ranks 1st of 230 countries.
Indonesia has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Indonesia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 128,676 thousands | 25,029 thousands | 103,647 thousands | Indonesia |
| 1980s | 163,057 thousands | 33,938 thousands | 129,119 thousands | Indonesia |
| 1990s | 196,634 thousands | 43,708 thousands | 152,925 thousands | Indonesia |
| 2000s | 228,040 thousands | 49,057 thousands | 178,984 thousands | Indonesia |
| 2010s | 258,492 thousands | 55,519 thousands | 202,973 thousands | Indonesia |
| 2020s | 279,044 thousands | 62,316 thousands | 216,728 thousands | Indonesia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Indonesia or South Africa?
- Indonesia, at 284,622 thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Indonesia and South Africa?
- 220,236 thousands, with Indonesia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Indonesia and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Indonesia and South Africa rank globally for total population?
- Indonesia ranks 4th 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