South Africa vs Spain: Urban population
South Africa
41.32 million
in 2025
Spain
39.74 million
in 2025
South Africa rank
24th
Spain rank
26th
Urban population over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 41.32 million against 39.74 million in Spain, a difference of 1.58 million.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Spain ahead.
South Africa ranks 24th and Spain ranks 26th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.93 million | 19.37 million | 10.43 million | Spain |
| 1970s | 12.20 million | 24.45 million | 12.25 million | Spain |
| 1980s | 17.08 million | 28.05 million | 10.97 million | Spain |
| 1990s | 23.54 million | 29.91 million | 6.37 million | Spain |
| 2000s | 29.32 million | 33.46 million | 4.14 million | Spain |
| 2010s | 35.30 million | 36.92 million | 1.62 million | Spain |
| 2020s | 39.89 million | 38.59 million | 1.30 million | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban population, South Africa or Spain?
- South Africa, at 41.32 million against 39.74 million in Spain as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban population between South Africa and Spain?
- 1.58 million, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for urban population?
- South Africa ranks 24th and Spain ranks 26th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Urban 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. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.