Congo vs South Africa: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita

Congo
64.1%
in 2025
South Africa
63.8%
in 2025
Congo rank
124th
South Africa rank
125th

Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita over time

  • Congo
  • South Africa
0204060195019872025

How they compare

Congo currently reports 64.1% against 63.8% in South Africa, a difference of 0.3%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 76 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Africa ahead.

Congo ranks 124th and South Africa ranks 125th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Congo averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Congo South Africa Difference Ahead
1950s 34.1% 44.5% 10.4% South Africa
1960s 37.3% 47.3% 9.9% South Africa
1970s 40.8% 48.0% 7.3% South Africa
1980s 51.3% 49.4% 1.9% Congo
1990s 56.3% 53.4% 2.9% Congo
2000s 60.9% 59.4% 1.5% Congo
2010s 63.0% 63.1% 0.1% South Africa
2020s 63.8% 63.6% 0.2% Congo

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita, Congo or South Africa?
Congo, at 64.1% against 63.8% in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita between Congo and South Africa?
0.3%, with Congo ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Congo and South Africa?
76 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2025.
How do Congo and South Africa rank globally for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
Congo ranks 124th and South Africa ranks 125th of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita
Unit
%
Source
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
237 places, 18,012 data points, 1950–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.