Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Africa
South Africa: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 36.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 36.1% for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Africa peaked at 36.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 21.7%, in 1989.
South Africa ranks 26th of 121 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 24.4% | — |
| 1961 | 24.5% | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 24.4% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 24.4% | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 24.3% | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 24.3% | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 24.2% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 24.2% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 24.1% | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 24.1% | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 24.0% | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 23.9% | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 23.7% | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 23.6% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 23.5% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 23.4% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 23.3% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 23.2% | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 23.1% | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 23.1% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 22.9% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 22.7% | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 22.5% | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 22.2% | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 22.0% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 21.8% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 21.8% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 21.7% | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 21.7% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 21.7% | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 21.7% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 21.9% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 22.4% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 22.9% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 23.4% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 24.1% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 24.8% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 25.4% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 26.0% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 26.6% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 27.3% | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 28.0% | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 28.5% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 28.9% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 29.3% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 29.7% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 30.1% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 30.6% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 31.0% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 31.4% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 31.8% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 32.2% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 32.5% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 32.8% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 33.1% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 33.3% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 33.8% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 34.5% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 34.8% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 35.0% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 35.1% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 35.3% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 35.5% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 35.7% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 35.9% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 36.1% | +0.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 36.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 24.8%, 1.5× the median. (32 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 36.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.8%, 2.4× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24.3% | 24.1% | 24.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 23.5% | 23.1% | 24.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.1% | 21.7% | 22.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.9% | 21.7% | 26.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.5% | 27.3% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.4% | 31.8% | 35.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.6% | 35.1% | 36.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More climate change data for South Africa
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 717.27 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 34,365 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,741 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 22,624 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 44.31 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 807.99 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,495 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,119 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 376.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 19.32 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Africa?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Africa was 36.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 36.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.7% in 1989.
- How does South Africa rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- South Africa ranks 26th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.