South Africa vs United Kingdom: Total population (thousands)
South Africa
64,386 thousands
in 2025
United Kingdom
69,353 thousands
in 2025
South Africa rank
24th
United Kingdom rank
22nd
Total population (thousands) over time
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 69,353 thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 4,967 thousands.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 233 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25,029 thousands | 56,069 thousands | 31,040 thousands | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 33,938 thousands | 56,561 thousands | 22,623 thousands | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 43,708 thousands | 58,003 thousands | 14,295 thousands | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 49,057 thousands | 60,369 thousands | 11,313 thousands | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 55,519 thousands | 64,896 thousands | 9,377 thousands | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 62,316 thousands | 68,223 thousands | 5,907 thousands | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, South Africa or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 69,353 thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 4,967 thousands, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United Kingdom rank globally for total population?
- South Africa ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 22nd 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