Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita was 0.6382 people per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Africa is 0.6382 people per person, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.6382 people per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.4669 people per person, in 1960.
South Africa ranks 111th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | people per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.4669 people per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.4686 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 0.4701 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 0.4714 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 0.4726 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 0.4736 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 0.4745 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 0.4754 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 0.4762 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 0.477 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 0.4778 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 0.4785 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 0.4791 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 0.4797 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 0.4802 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 0.4807 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 0.4812 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 0.4818 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 0.4824 people per person | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 0.4831 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 0.484 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 0.485 people per person | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 0.4863 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 0.4879 people per person | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 0.4898 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 0.492 people per person | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 0.4956 people per person | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 0.501 people per person | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 0.5073 people per person | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 0.5139 people per person | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 0.5197 people per person | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 0.524 people per person | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 0.5268 people per person | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 0.5289 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 0.5308 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 0.533 people per person | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 0.5357 people per person | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 0.54 people per person | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 0.5466 people per person | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.5544 people per person | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 0.5626 people per person | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 0.57 people per person | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 0.5767 people per person | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 0.5837 people per person | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 0.591 people per person | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 0.5982 people per person | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 0.6053 people per person | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 0.6118 people per person | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 0.6177 people per person | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 0.6226 people per person | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 0.6263 people per person | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 0.6285 people per person | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 0.6296 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.6305 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 0.6314 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 0.6321 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 0.6328 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.6333 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.6338 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.6341 people per person | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 0.6344 people per person | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.6345 people per person | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.6348 people per person | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.6358 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 0.6369 people per person | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 0.6382 people per person | +0.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.6382 people per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.6562 people per person, 97% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.6382 people per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.4552 people per person, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.4726 people per person | 0.4669 people per person | 0.477 people per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.4804 people per person | 0.4778 people per person | 0.4831 people per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4943 people per person | 0.484 people per person | 0.5139 people per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.534 people per person | 0.5197 people per person | 0.5544 people per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.594 people per person | 0.5626 people per person | 0.6226 people per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6312 people per person | 0.6263 people per person | 0.6341 people per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6358 people per person | 0.6344 people per person | 0.6382 people per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 108 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 0.6419 people per person compare
- 109 Congo 0.6412 people per person compare
- 110 Serbia 0.6398 people per person compare
- 112 Nigeria 0.6378 people per person compare
- 113 Ecuador 0.6339 people per person compare
- 114 Kiribati 0.6339 people per person compare
More population data for South Africa
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7997 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1847 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 73,530 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8824 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0148 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 77.75 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 5.55 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Africa?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in South Africa was 0.6382 people per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6382 people per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4669 people per person in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 111th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.