South Africa Urban Population 1960-2023

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.
  • South Africa urban population for 2021 was 40,295,863, a 1.74% increase from 2020.
  • South Africa urban population for 2020 was 39,605,450, a 1.98% increase from 2019.
  • South Africa urban population for 2019 was 38,834,681, a 2.07% increase from 2018.
  • South Africa urban population for 2018 was 38,047,715, a 2.01% increase from 2017.
Data Source: World Bank

MLA Citation:
Similar Country Ranking
Country Name Urban Population
China 882,894,483
Brazil 187,143,228
Russia 107,492,288
Mexico 102,651,435
Iran 67,125,144
Turkey 64,911,679
Colombia 42,109,638
South Africa 40,295,863
Thailand 37,349,283
Algeria 32,807,002
Iraq 30,960,655
Peru 26,466,645
Malaysia 26,085,557
Venezuela 24,907,533
Ecuador 11,454,802
Kazakhstan 10,986,561
Romania 10,387,640
Jordan 10,214,721
Dominican Republic 9,251,516
Guatemala 8,938,987
Cuba 8,700,275
Belarus 7,463,845
Azerbaijan 5,755,809
Libya 5,455,170
Bulgaria 5,228,804
Lebanon 4,982,643
Costa Rica 4,196,609
Paraguay 4,189,606
Serbia 3,871,714
Turkmenistan 3,361,056
Gabon 2,116,964
Botswana 1,852,275
Albania 1,770,478
Armenia 1,770,343
Bosnia 1,616,664
Jamaica 1,601,946
Namibia 1,341,107
North Macedonia 1,213,985
Equatorial Guinea 1,202,330
Fiji 533,870
Mauritius 516,236
Montenegro 419,986
Suriname 405,913
Guyana 216,404
Maldives 214,329
Belize 184,818
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 55,768
Dominica 51,699
Grenada 45,724
American Samoa 39,257
Samoa 38,813
St. Lucia 34,026
Marshall Islands 32,867
Tonga 24,494
Nauru 12,511
Tuvalu 7,259
South Africa Urban Population - Historical Data
Year Population % of Total Change
2021 40,295,863 67.85 1.73%
2020 39,605,450 67.35 1.97%
2019 38,834,681 66.86 2.05%
2018 38,047,715 66.36 1.99%
2017 37,298,236 65.85 1.16%
2016 36,866,878 65.34 1.76%
2015 36,223,620 64.83 2.87%
2014 35,197,669 64.31 2.39%
2013 34,367,596 63.79 2.18%
2012 33,625,925 63.27 2.16%
2011 32,906,089 62.75 2.11%
2010 32,219,542 62.22 2.05%
2009 31,565,718 61.69 2.06%
2008 30,923,017 61.15 2.02%
2007 30,305,632 60.62 1.91%
2006 29,733,162 60.08 1.87%
2005 29,182,849 59.54 1.86%
2004 28,644,683 58.99 1.87%
2003 28,114,892 58.45 1.87%
2002 27,595,063 57.90 1.83%
2001 27,094,742 57.37 1.72%
2000 26,632,535 56.89 1.81%
1999 26,154,780 56.41 1.97%
1998 25,645,116 55.93 2.11%
1997 25,110,106 55.45 2.26%
1996 24,549,143 54.97 2.40%
1995 23,966,258 54.49 2.53%
1994 23,366,441 54.00 2.63%
1993 22,760,041 53.52 2.72%
1992 22,149,069 53.04 2.97%
1991 21,500,345 52.55 3.55%
1990 20,751,091 52.04 4.11%
1989 19,916,306 51.51 4.39%
1988 19,060,395 50.97 4.52%
1987 18,218,230 50.44 4.56%
1986 17,405,783 49.91 4.35%
1985 16,664,513 49.37 3.54%
1984 16,085,257 49.09 3.13%
1983 15,589,081 48.92 3.02%
1982 15,125,290 48.76 2.92%
1981 14,690,304 48.59 2.92%
1980 14,267,724 48.43 2.79%
1979 13,874,719 48.35 2.79%
1978 13,493,610 48.29 2.82%
1977 13,118,210 48.23 2.81%
1976 12,755,296 48.17 2.81%
1975 12,401,521 48.11 2.88%
1974 12,049,255 48.05 2.93%
1973 11,700,924 47.99 2.97%
1972 11,358,457 47.93 2.98%
1971 11,024,920 47.87 3.05%
1970 10,694,063 47.81 3.23%
1969 10,353,778 47.70 3.30%
1968 10,017,952 47.59 3.33%
1967 9,690,173 47.48 3.33%
1966 9,372,831 47.36 3.33%
1965 9,065,565 47.25 3.33%
1964 8,768,384 47.13 3.30%
1963 8,483,449 47.02 3.28%
1962 8,210,020 46.91 3.22%
1961 7,949,880 46.79 3.17%
1960 7,701,664 46.62 %