Myanmar vs South Africa: Total population (thousands)
Myanmar
54,680 thousands
in 2025
South Africa
64,386 thousands
in 2025
Myanmar rank
27th
South Africa rank
24th
Total population (thousands) over time
- Myanmar
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 64,386 thousands against 54,680 thousands in Myanmar, a difference of 9,706 thousands.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Myanmar's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Myanmar ahead.
Myanmar ranks 27th and South Africa ranks 24th of 233 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Myanmar averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Myanmar | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 29,590 thousands | 25,029 thousands | 4,562 thousands | Myanmar |
| 1980s | 35,905 thousands | 33,938 thousands | 1,967 thousands | Myanmar |
| 1990s | 42,047 thousands | 43,708 thousands | 1,661 thousands | South Africa |
| 2000s | 46,954 thousands | 49,057 thousands | 2,103 thousands | South Africa |
| 2010s | 50,662 thousands | 55,519 thousands | 4,857 thousands | South Africa |
| 2020s | 53,758 thousands | 62,316 thousands | 8,558 thousands | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Myanmar or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 64,386 thousands against 54,680 thousands in Myanmar as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Myanmar and South Africa?
- 9,706 thousands, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Myanmar and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Myanmar and South Africa rank globally for total population?
- Myanmar ranks 27th 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