Urban population in South Africa
South Africa: Urban population was 63.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 63.8% for urban population 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 in South Africa peaked at 63.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 46.7%, in 1960.
South Africa ranks 111th of 217 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 in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 46.7% | — |
| 1961 | 46.9% | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 47.0% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 47.1% | +0.3% |
| 1964 | 47.3% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 47.4% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 47.5% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 47.5% | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 47.6% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 47.7% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 47.8% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 47.8% | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 47.9% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 48.0% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 48.0% | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 48.1% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 48.1% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 48.2% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 48.2% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 48.3% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 48.4% | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 48.5% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 48.6% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 48.8% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 49.0% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 49.2% | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 49.6% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 50.1% | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 50.7% | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 51.4% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 52.0% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 52.4% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 52.7% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 52.9% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 53.1% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 53.3% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 53.6% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 54.0% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 54.7% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 55.4% | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 56.3% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 57.0% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 57.7% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 58.4% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 59.1% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 59.8% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 60.5% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 61.2% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 61.8% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 62.3% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 62.6% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 62.9% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 63.0% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 63.1% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 63.1% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 63.2% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 63.3% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 63.3% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 63.4% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 63.4% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 63.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 63.5% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 63.5% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 63.6% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 63.7% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 63.8% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 47.3% | 46.7% | 47.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 48.0% | 47.8% | 48.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.4% | 48.4% | 51.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.4% | 52.0% | 55.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 59.4% | 56.3% | 62.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.1% | 62.6% | 63.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.6% | 63.4% | 63.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More climate change data for South Africa
- 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)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 13.45 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in South Africa?
- Urban population in South Africa was 63.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 63.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.7% in 1960.
- How does South Africa rank for urban population?
- South Africa ranks 111th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population 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 World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.