Population growth in South Africa
South Africa: Population growth was 1.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
1.2%
Change on year
down 5.9%
World rank
88th
of 215 countries
All-time high
3.5%
in 1983
All-time low
0.7%
in 2017
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Population growth in South Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2024, population growth in South Africa stood at 1.2%.
That represents a change of down 5.9% on the previous year and down 24.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in South Africa peaked at 3.5% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2017.
South Africa ranks 88th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Population growth in South Africa, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3.0% | — |
| 1971 | 2.9% | -3.4% |
| 1972 | 2.9% | -2.1% |
| 1973 | 2.9% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 2.8% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 2.8% | -1.8% |
| 1976 | 2.7% | -2.3% |
| 1977 | 2.7% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 2.7% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 3.0% | +12.4% |
| 1981 | 3.4% | +11.9% |
| 1982 | 3.5% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 3.5% | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 3.5% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 3.3% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 3.2% | -4.1% |
| 1987 | 3.1% | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 3.0% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 2.9% | -3.5% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | -5.4% |
| 1991 | 2.3% | -17.9% |
| 1992 | 1.8% | -21.4% |
| 1993 | 2.0% | +10.9% |
| 1994 | 1.6% | -18.7% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | -25.1% |
| 1996 | 1.3% | +6.8% |
| 1997 | 1.2% | -7.6% |
| 1998 | 1.2% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | -10.1% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | -16.1% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | -6.0% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | +10.2% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 1.0% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 1.0% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 1.1% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | +9.3% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | +19.3% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | +12.1% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | +21.0% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | -53.2% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | -30.5% |
| 2018 | 1.7% | +157.3% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 1.6% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | -8.2% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | -6.1% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -5.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.6% | 1.1% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 0.7% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More population data for South Africa
- 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)
- Population growth rate 0.23 (2100)
- Population density 77.75 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 5.55 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.23 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.8825 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -0.4964 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 71,171 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in South Africa?
- Population growth in South Africa was 1.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 3.5% in 1983.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2017.
- How does South Africa rank for population growth?
- South Africa ranks 88th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release