South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Urban and rural population projected to 2050
South Africa
23.02 million people
in 2050
Sri Lanka
19.22 million people
in 2050
South Africa rank
26th
Sri Lanka rank
29th
Urban and rural population projected to 2050 over time
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 23.02 million people against 19.22 million people in Sri Lanka, a difference of 3.81 million people.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Sri Lanka's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 133 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
South Africa ranks 26th and Sri Lanka ranks 29th of 238 countries.
Across the 43 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 16 and Sri Lanka in 27.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 257,995 people | 799,994 people | 541,999 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1100s | 309,582 people | 899,980 people | 590,398 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1200s | 361,137 people | 999,935 people | 638,798 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1300s | 412,584 people | 969,810 people | 557,226 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1400s | 463,671 people | 929,454 people | 465,783 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1500s | 513,569 people | 998,239 people | 484,670 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1600s | 593,492 people | 1.24 million people | 649,908 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1700s | 823,536 people | 1.48 million people | 652,694 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1710s | 803,312 people | 1.48 million people | 677,978 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1720s | 783,268 people | 1.45 million people | 666,462 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1730s | 763,403 people | 1.42 million people | 655,197 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1740s | 743,718 people | 1.39 million people | 644,172 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1750s | 724,212 people | 1.36 million people | 633,348 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1760s | 704,887 people | 1.33 million people | 622,713 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1770s | 685,741 people | 1.30 million people | 612,239 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1780s | 666,774 people | 1.27 million people | 601,906 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1790s | 647,988 people | 1.24 million people | 591,682 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1800s | 629,381 people | 1.21 million people | 581,539 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1810s | 610,954 people | 1.18 million people | 571,446 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1820s | 592,706 people | 1.15 million people | 561,394 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1830s | 574,638 people | 1.34 million people | 768,782 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1840s | 556,750 people | 1.67 million people | 1.11 million people | Sri Lanka |
| 1850s | 651,233 people | 2.08 million people | 1.42 million people | Sri Lanka |
| 1860s | 797,821 people | 2.33 million people | 1.53 million people | Sri Lanka |
| 1870s | 1.05 million people | 2.57 million people | 1.52 million people | Sri Lanka |
| 1880s | 2.07 million people | 2.53 million people | 460,800 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1890s | 2.52 million people | 2.69 million people | 171,740 people | Sri Lanka |
| 1900s | 3.49 million people | 3.14 million people | 355,330 people | South Africa |
| 1910s | 4.54 million people | 3.59 million people | 953,130 people | South Africa |
| 1920s | 5.43 million people | 4.09 million people | 1.34 million people | South Africa |
| 1930s | 6.42 million people | 4.53 million people | 1.88 million people | South Africa |
| 1940s | 7.35 million people | 5.08 million people | 2.27 million people | South Africa |
| 1950s | 8.00 million people | 7.21 million people | 786,252 people | South Africa |
| 1960s | 9.96 million people | 8.67 million people | 1.29 million people | South Africa |
| 1970s | 13.18 million people | 10.45 million people | 2.73 million people | South Africa |
| 1980s | 17.42 million people | 12.40 million people | 5.02 million people | South Africa |
| 1990s | 20.51 million people | 14.68 million people | 5.82 million people | South Africa |
| 2000s | 19.99 million people | 17.04 million people | 2.95 million people | South Africa |
| 2010s | 20.62 million people | 17.61 million people | 3.01 million people | South Africa |
| 2020s | 23.23 million people | 18.43 million people | 4.80 million people | South Africa |
| 2030s | 24.30 million people | 18.92 million people | 5.38 million people | South Africa |
| 2040s | 23.81 million people | 19.17 million people | 4.64 million people | South Africa |
| 2050s | 23.02 million people | 19.22 million people | 3.81 million people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban and rural population projected to 2050, South Africa or Sri Lanka?
- South Africa, at 23.02 million people against 19.22 million people in Sri Lanka as of 2050.
- What is the difference in urban and rural population projected to 2050 between South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 3.81 million people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 133 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2050.
- How do South Africa and Sri Lanka rank globally for urban and rural population projected to 2050?
- South Africa ranks 26th and Sri Lanka ranks 29th of 238 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban and rural population projected to 2050. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people living in rural areas, combining UN estimates and projections with modeled historical data.