Long term urban population region in South Africa

South Africa: Long term urban population region was 69.34 in 2025. β—† Volatile

Latest (2025)
69.34
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
90th
of 199 countries
All-time high
69.34
in 2025
All-time low
0.0019
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025

Long term urban population region in South Africa, 1000–2025

0204060100015122025

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for long term urban population region in South Africa is 69.34, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.

The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, long term urban population region in South Africa peaked at 69.34 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0019, in 1000.

South Africa ranks 90th of 199 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1000s 0.0019 0.0019 0.0019 1
1100s 0.0058 0.0058 0.0058 1
1200s 0.0174 0.0174 0.0174 1
1300s 0.0523 0.0523 0.0523 1
1400s 0.157 0.157 0.157 1
1500s 0.4711 0.4711 0.4711 1
1600s 1.41 1.41 1.41 1
1700s 4.24 4.24 4.24 1
1710s 4.79 4.79 4.79 1
1720s 5.35 5.35 5.35 1
1730s 5.9 5.9 5.9 1
1740s 6.45 6.45 6.45 1
1750s 7 7 7 1
1760s 7.56 7.56 7.56 1
1770s 8.11 8.11 8.11 1
1780s 8.66 8.66 8.66 1
1790s 9.22 9.22 9.22 1
1800s 9.77 9.77 9.77 1
1810s 10.32 10.32 10.32 1
1820s 10.88 10.88 10.88 1
1830s 11.43 11.43 11.43 1
1840s 11.98 11.98 11.98 1
1850s 12.54 12.54 12.54 1
1860s 13.09 13.09 13.09 1
1870s 13.64 13.64 13.64 1
1880s 14.19 14.19 14.19 1
1890s 14.75 14.75 14.75 1
1900s 15.3 15.3 15.3 1
1910s 18 18 18 1
1920s 20.7 20.7 20.7 1
1930s 24.7 24.7 24.7 1
1940s 28.9 28.9 28.9 1
1950s 44.22 42.4 46.05 10
1960s 46.85 46.46 47.07 10
1970s 47.82 47.1 48.28 10
1980s 49.53 48.42 51.35 10
1990s 54.28 51.97 56.57 10
2000s 59.13 57.03 61.24 10
2010s 64.15 61.7 66.61 10
2020s 68.24 67.15 69.34 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 87 Congo, Republic of 69.66 compare
  2. 88 Mongolia 69.63 compare
  3. 89 Ireland 69.54 compare
  4. 91 Botswana 69.26 compare
  5. 92 Paraguay 69.08 compare
  6. 93 Greece 69 compare

See the full ranking of 202 places β†’

More population data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is long term urban population region in South Africa?
Long term urban population region in South Africa was 69.34 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest long term urban population region recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 69.34 in 2025.
What is the lowest long term urban population region recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0019 in 1000.
How does South Africa rank for long term urban population region?
South Africa ranks 90th out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
Is long term urban population region rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Long term urban population region. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Long term urban population region in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/long-term-urban-population-region/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Long term urban population region
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
202 places, 21,784 data points, 1000–2025
Last refreshed