Nigeria vs South Africa: Urban population (% of total population)
Nigeria
63.8%
in 2025
South Africa
63.8%
in 2025
Nigeria rank
112th
South Africa rank
111th
Urban population (% of total population) over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 63.8% against 63.8% in Nigeria, a difference of 0.0%.
Across all 66 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 112th and South Africa ranks 111th of 218 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.8% | 47.3% | 30.4% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 23.4% | 48.0% | 24.7% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 30.9% | 49.4% | 18.5% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 38.8% | 53.4% | 14.6% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 47.1% | 59.4% | 12.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 55.3% | 63.1% | 7.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 61.8% | 63.6% | 1.8% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban population, Nigeria or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 63.8% against 63.8% in Nigeria as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban population between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for urban population?
- Nigeria ranks 112th and South Africa ranks 111th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.