South Africa Demographics
- Population
- Median Age
- Fertility Rate
- Life Expectancy
- Infant and Children under 5 Mortality
- Urbanization and Population Density
- [Sources and more info]
Population of South Africa (2026)
View live population, charts & trends: Population of South Africa
Median Age
The median age in South Africa is 28.9 years (2026).
Fertility in South Africa
A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline
Life Expectancy in South Africa
See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy
Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in South Africa
South Africa Urban Population
Currently, 64.0% of the population of South Africa is urban (41,859,196 people in 2026)
Population Density
The 2026 population density in South Africa is 54 people per km² (140 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 1,214,470 km² (468,909 sq. miles).
Largest Urban Areas in South Africa
The 30 largest of 219 urban areas, ranked by population at the census of October 9, 2011 (by Statistics South Africa). An urban area is a continuous built-up area, which can span several municipalities.
| Rank | Urban Area | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JohannesburgWitwatersrand | 7,860,781 |
| 2 | Cape Townincl. Mitchell's Plain, Khayelitsha, Bellville | 3,430,992 |
| 3 | Durbanincl. Umlazi, Chatsworth, Kwa-Mashu, Pinetown | 2,786,046 |
| 4 | Pretoriaincl. Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Centurion, Akasia | 1,763,336 |
| 5 | Port Elizabethincl. Ibhayi, Bethelsdorp, Motherwell | 876,436 |
| 6 | Soshanguve- Mabopane - Ga-Rankuwa - Winterveldt | 728,063 |
| 7 | Evaton- Sebokeng - Orange Farm | 605,504 |
| 8 | Pietermaritzburgincl. Edendale, Imbali, Mkondeni | 475,238 |
| 9 | Bloemfontein- Mangaung | 464,591 |
| 10 | Vereeniging- Vanderbijlpark - Sharpeville - Meyerton | 377,922 |
| 11 | Rustenburg- Tlhabane - Meriting | 311,901 |
| 12 | Witbank- KwaGuqa | 311,657 |
| 13 | East London | 295,644 |
| 14 | Newcastle- Madadeni - Osizweni | 291,484 |
| 15 | Uitenhage- Kwanobuhle - Despatch | 242,924 |
| 16 | Polokwane- Seshego | 227,407 |
| 17 | Kimberley- Galeshewe | 225,155 |
| 18 | Welkom- Thabong | 211,014 |
| 19 | Paarl- Wellington | 197,735 |
| 20 | Klerksdorp- Jouberton | 189,496 |
| 21 | Somerset West- Strand - Nomzano | 188,035 |
| 22 | Botshabelo | 181,712 |
| 23 | Mdantsane- Potsdam | 171,522 |
| 24 | Middelburg- Mhluzi | 163,809 |
| 25 | George- Thembalethu | 157,397 |
| 26 | Carletonville- Khutsong - Wedela | 149,065 |
| 27 | Potchefstroom- Ikageng | 148,804 |
| 28 | Mthatha | 137,589 |
| 29 | KwaDukuza | 134,525 |
| 30 | Ladysmith- Ezakheni | 119,726 |
See also
- Population of South Africa
- GDP (Gross Domesting Product) of South Africa
- Demographics of Africa
- World Demographics
- Demographics
- Population
Sources
- World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision - United Nations Population Division
- World Urbanization Prospects - Population Division - United Nations
- GeoNames
- United Nations Statistics Division
- World Bank
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Definitions
Population Pyramid
A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.
Types:
- Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
- Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
- Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.
Stages:
Dependency Ratio
There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.
Youth Dependency Ratio
Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.
Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100
Elderly dependency ratio
Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.
Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100
Total dependency ratio
Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.
Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100
NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.