Urban population, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Urban population, per capita was 0.6382 units per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population, per capita in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.6382 units per person for urban population, per capita in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.6382 units per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.4669 units per person, in 1960.
South Africa ranks 111th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.4669 units per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.4686 units per person | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 0.4701 units per person | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 0.4714 units per person | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 0.4726 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 0.4736 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 0.4745 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 0.4754 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 0.4762 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 0.477 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 0.4778 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 0.4785 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 0.4791 units per person | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 0.4797 units per person | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 0.4802 units per person | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 0.4807 units per person | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 0.4812 units per person | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 0.4818 units per person | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 0.4824 units per person | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 0.4831 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 0.484 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 0.485 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 0.4863 units per person | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 0.4879 units per person | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 0.4898 units per person | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 0.492 units per person | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 0.4956 units per person | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 0.501 units per person | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 0.5073 units per person | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 0.5139 units per person | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 0.5197 units per person | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 0.524 units per person | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 0.5268 units per person | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 0.5289 units per person | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 0.5308 units per person | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 0.533 units per person | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 0.5357 units per person | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 0.54 units per person | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 0.5466 units per person | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.5544 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 0.5626 units per person | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 0.57 units per person | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 0.5767 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 0.5837 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 0.591 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 0.5982 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 0.6053 units per person | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 0.6118 units per person | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 0.6177 units per person | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 0.6226 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 0.6263 units per person | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 0.6285 units per person | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 0.6296 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 0.6305 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 0.6314 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 0.6321 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 0.6328 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.6333 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 0.6338 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.6341 units per person | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 0.6344 units per person | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.6345 units per person | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.6348 units per person | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.6358 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 0.6369 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 0.6382 units per person | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.4726 units per person | 0.4669 units per person | 0.477 units per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.4804 units per person | 0.4778 units per person | 0.4831 units per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4943 units per person | 0.484 units per person | 0.5139 units per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.534 units per person | 0.5197 units per person | 0.5544 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.594 units per person | 0.5626 units per person | 0.6226 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6312 units per person | 0.6263 units per person | 0.6341 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6358 units per person | 0.6344 units per person | 0.6382 units per person | 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 urban population, per capita in South Africa?
- Urban population, per capita in South Africa was 0.6382 units per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6382 units per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4669 units per person in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for urban population, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 111th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban population, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Urban population divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Urban population ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Urban population divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.