South Africa vs United States: Total population
South Africa
64,386 thousands
in 2025
United States
346,374 thousands
in 2025
South Africa rank
24th
United States rank
3rd
Total population over time
- South Africa
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 346,374 thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa, a difference of 281,988 thousands.
That makes United States's figure about 5.4 times South Africa's.
Across all 55 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 24th and United States ranks 3rd of 226 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25,029 thousands | 216,856 thousands | 191,827 thousands | United States |
| 1980s | 33,938 thousands | 239,229 thousands | 205,291 thousands | United States |
| 1990s | 43,708 thousands | 265,087 thousands | 221,379 thousands | United States |
| 2000s | 49,057 thousands | 293,011 thousands | 243,955 thousands | United States |
| 2010s | 55,519 thousands | 323,106 thousands | 267,587 thousands | United States |
| 2020s | 62,220 thousands | 342,064 thousands | 279,844 thousands | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, South Africa or United States?
- United States, at 346,374 thousands against 64,386 thousands in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between South Africa and United States?
- 281,988 thousands, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and United States rank globally for total population?
- South Africa ranks 24th and United States ranks 3rd of 226 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