Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in South Africa
South Africa: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 4,371 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
4,371 thousands
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
30th
of 233 countries
All-time high
4,371 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
781.6 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in South Africa, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population aged 65 years or older in South Africa is 4,371 thousands, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.2% on the previous year and up 45.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in South Africa peaked at 4,371 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 781.6 thousands, in 1970.
South Africa ranks 30th of 233 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 781.6 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 813.26 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1972 | 843.76 thousands | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 874.64 thousands | +3.7% |
| 1974 | 905.75 thousands | +3.6% |
| 1975 | 937.02 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1976 | 968.78 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 1,001 thousands | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 1,034 thousands | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 1,067 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 1,101 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 1,145 thousands | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 1,193 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1983 | 1,245 thousands | +4.4% |
| 1984 | 1,302 thousands | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 1,364 thousands | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 1,417 thousands | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 1,466 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 1,514 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1989 | 1,557 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1990 | 1,594 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 1,627 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 1,664 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 1,721 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 1,734 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 1,829 thousands | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 1,903 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1997 | 2,009 thousands | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 2,086 thousands | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 2,156 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 2,211 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 2,266 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2002 | 2,317 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 2,374 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2004 | 2,430 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 2,492 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 2,552 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 2,603 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 2,653 thousands | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 2,699 thousands | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 2,730 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 2,763 thousands | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 2,793 thousands | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 2,855 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 2,928 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 3,000 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 3,092 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 3,176 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 3,311 thousands | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 3,461 thousands | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 3,625 thousands | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 3,775 thousands | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 3,893 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 4,043 thousands | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 4,194 thousands | +3.7% |
| 2025 | 4,371 thousands | +4.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 4,371 thousands is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 529.18 thousands, 8.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 4,371 thousands is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 448.46 thousands, 9.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 922.61 thousands | 781.6 thousands | 1,067 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,330 thousands | 1,101 thousands | 1,557 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,832 thousands | 1,594 thousands | 2,156 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,460 thousands | 2,211 thousands | 2,699 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,011 thousands | 2,730 thousands | 3,461 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,984 thousands | 3,625 thousands | 4,371 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 population aged 65 years or older in South Africa?
- Population aged 65 years or older in South Africa was 4,371 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4,371 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 781.6 thousands in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- South Africa ranks 30th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 45.7%. 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 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release