Italy vs South Africa: Total population (thousands)
Italy
59,251 thousands
in 2025
South Africa
64,386 thousands
in 2025
Italy rank
25th
South Africa rank
24th
Total population (thousands) over time
- Italy
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 64,386 thousands against 59,251 thousands in Italy, a difference of 5,135 thousands.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Italy's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Italy ahead.
Italy ranks 25th and South Africa ranks 24th of 233 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Italy averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Italy | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 54,735 thousands | 25,029 thousands | 29,707 thousands | Italy |
| 1980s | 56,749 thousands | 33,938 thousands | 22,812 thousands | Italy |
| 1990s | 57,191 thousands | 43,708 thousands | 13,483 thousands | Italy |
| 2000s | 58,237 thousands | 49,057 thousands | 9,180 thousands | Italy |
| 2010s | 60,423 thousands | 55,519 thousands | 4,904 thousands | Italy |
| 2020s | 59,625 thousands | 62,316 thousands | 2,691 thousands | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Italy or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 64,386 thousands against 59,251 thousands in Italy as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Italy and South Africa?
- 5,135 thousands, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Italy and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Italy and South Africa rank globally for total population?
- Italy ranks 25th and South Africa ranks 24th of 233 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