Population aged 15-24 years in South Africa
South Africa: Population aged 15-24 years was 10,513 thousands in 2025. β² Rising
Population aged 15-24 years in South Africa, 1970β2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population aged 15-24 years in South Africa is 10,513 thousands, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 15-24 years in South Africa peaked at 11,402 thousands in 2008 and was at its lowest, 4,214 thousands, in 1970.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4,807 thousands | 4,214 thousands | 5,452 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 6,579 thousands | 5,608 thousands | 7,490 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 8,375 thousands | 7,676 thousands | 9,468 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 10,815 thousands | 9,751 thousands | 11,402 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 10,732 thousands | 10,218 thousands | 11,248 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,352 thousands | 10,241 thousands | 10,513 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More population data for South Africa
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.23 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 5.55 million (2100)
- Population density 77.75 (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.23 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 2.21 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 71,171 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 2.21 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 2.21 (2024)
- Natural population growth 0.9536 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 2.22 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population aged 15-24 years in South Africa?
- Population aged 15-24 years in South Africa was 10,513 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 15-24 years recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11,402 thousands in 2008.
- What is the lowest population aged 15-24 years recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,214 thousands in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for population aged 15-24 years?
- South Africa ranks 1st out of 3 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 15-24 years rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 15-24 years (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release