South Africa vs Tanzania: Total population (thousands)
South Africa
64,386 thousands
in 2025
Tanzania
69,542 thousands
in 2025
South Africa rank
24th
Tanzania rank
21st
Total population (thousands) over time
- South Africa
- Tanzania
How they compare
Tanzania currently reports 69,542 thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 5,156 thousands.
That makes Tanzania's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 24th and Tanzania ranks 21st of 233 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 5 and Tanzania in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Tanzania | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25,029 thousands | 15,649 thousands | 9,379 thousands | South Africa |
| 1980s | 33,938 thousands | 21,879 thousands | 12,058 thousands | South Africa |
| 1990s | 43,708 thousands | 29,275 thousands | 14,433 thousands | South Africa |
| 2000s | 49,057 thousands | 38,271 thousands | 10,785 thousands | South Africa |
| 2010s | 55,519 thousands | 50,749 thousands | 4,770 thousands | South Africa |
| 2020s | 62,316 thousands | 64,748 thousands | 2,432 thousands | Tanzania |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, South Africa or Tanzania?
- Tanzania, at 69,542 thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between South Africa and Tanzania?
- 5,156 thousands, with Tanzania ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Tanzania?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Tanzania rank globally for total population?
- South Africa ranks 24th and Tanzania ranks 21st 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