Johannesburg, South Africa Population 2024

Johannesburg's 2024 population is now estimated at 6,324,350In 1950, the population of Johannesburg was 910,550Johannesburg has grown by 126,330 in the last year, which represents a 2.04% annual change.These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Johannesburg, which typically includes Johannesburg's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

Johannesburg -- or Jozi, Joburg or JHB -- is the largest city in South Africa and the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in the country. Johannesburg is one of the largest 50 urban agglomerations in the world and the largest city in the world that is not located on a coast, lake or river. Johannesburg has an estimated population of 4.4 million in 2016.

Johannesburg has an estimated 2016 population of 4.4 million, while the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area has a population estimated at 8 million, unofficially. If the metropolitan area is defined loosely to include areas like the West Rand and Lenasia, the population is about 10.5 million.

City Size and Population Density

The city proper has a population density of about 2,900 people per square kilometer (7,400 per square mile). The population is spread over a total surface area of 334.81 square kilometers (129.27 square miles).

Man-made Forest

Interestingly, Johannesburg has the largest human-made forest in the world with about 6 million trees.

Johannesburg Demographics

The most common racial groups in Johannesburg are Black African (76.4%), Coloured (5.6%), White (12.3%) and Indian/Asian (4.9%). About one-third of the population speaks a Nguni language, 25% speaks the Sotho language, 18% speaks English, 7% speak Afrikaans, and 6% speak Tshivenda.

About 7% of the population of Johannesburg is illiterate, and 3.4% have only a primary education. A single person heads 66% of households, and 29% of residents in JHB live in an informal dwelling.

Around 53% of the residents of Johannesburg belong to a mainstream Christian church while 24% are not affiliated with any religion. 14% are members of African Independent Churches, 3% are Muslim, 1% are Jewish, and 1% are Hindu. There is also a sizable Mormon population in Johannesburg of around 49,000, and it is the site of the first LDS Temple in Africa.

Johannesburg Population Growth

Johannesburg grew overnight when gold was discovered in 1896, drawing people from around the world. By 1931, the population had reached 400,000, which then doubled during the Second World War. In 1995, the UN estimated that the Johannesburg metropolitan area had a population of 1.8 million. Johannesburg experienced some decline in the 1990s, although it is now experiencing rapid growth once more.

According to the City of Johannesburg, the city needs a plan for a population growth of about 66% in the next 30 years, which includes plans to improve access to clean water, energy and the management of waste and sanitation. Johannesburg is projected to grow to 6.5 million by 2040.

Growth Rate
2.04%

86 Rows

Year
Population
20357,461,160
20347,367,000
20337,271,670
20327,175,180
20317,077,500
20306,978,420
20296,877,680
20286,774,790
20276,668,950
20266,559,190
20256,444,580
20246,324,350
20236,198,020
20226,065,350
20215,926,670
20205,782,750
20195,635,130
20185,485,990
20175,313,560
20165,146,560
20154,984,800
20144,828,130
20134,676,390
20124,529,410
20114,387,050
20104,249,350
20094,115,980
20083,986,970
20073,861,660
20063,740,450
20053,623,050
20043,509,480
20033,399,180
20023,292,490
20013,179,320
20003,045,540
19992,917,050
19982,794,140
19972,676,410
19962,555,960
19952,421,060
19942,293,460
19932,172,580
19922,058,230
19911,949,610
19901,878,670
19891,824,970
19881,772,880
19871,722,130
19861,672,910
19851,625,090
19841,601,470
19831,589,590
19821,577,800
19811,566,110
19801,554,520
19791,542,980
19781,531,540
19771,520,190
19761,508,940
19751,497,730
19741,486,630
19731,475,610
19721,464,690
19711,453,820
19701,443,040
19691,413,490
19681,381,190
19671,349,550
19661,318,670
19651,288,500
19641,259,060
19631,230,210
19621,202,060
19611,174,560
19601,147,720
19591,121,430
19581,095,770
19571,070,700
19561,046,240
19551,022,270
1954998,876
1953976,022
1952953,721
1951931,871
1950910,550

86 Rows

Year
Population
Change
Growth
1950910,5500%0
1951931,8712.34%21,321
1952953,7212.34%21,850
1953976,0222.34%22,301
1954998,8762.34%22,854
19551,022,2702.34%23,394
19561,046,2402.34%23,970
19571,070,7002.34%24,460
19581,095,7702.34%25,070
19591,121,4302.34%25,660
19601,147,7202.34%26,290
19611,174,5602.34%26,840
19621,202,0602.34%27,500
19631,230,2102.34%28,150
19641,259,0602.35%28,850
19651,288,5002.34%29,440
19661,318,6702.34%30,170
19671,349,5502.34%30,880
19681,381,1902.34%31,640
19691,413,4902.34%32,300
19701,443,0402.09%29,550
19711,453,8200.75%10,780
19721,464,6900.75%10,870
19731,475,6100.75%10,920
19741,486,6300.75%11,020
19751,497,7300.75%11,100
19761,508,9400.75%11,210
19771,520,1900.75%11,250
19781,531,5400.75%11,350
19791,542,9800.75%11,440
19801,554,5200.75%11,540
19811,566,1100.75%11,590
19821,577,8000.75%11,690
19831,589,5900.75%11,790
19841,601,4700.75%11,880
19851,625,0901.47%23,620
19861,672,9102.94%47,820
19871,722,1302.94%49,220
19881,772,8802.95%50,750
19891,824,9702.94%52,090
19901,878,6702.94%53,700
19911,949,6103.78%70,940
19922,058,2305.57%108,620
19932,172,5805.56%114,350
19942,293,4605.56%120,880
19952,421,0605.56%127,600
19962,555,9605.57%134,900
19972,676,4104.71%120,450
19982,794,1404.4%117,730
19992,917,0504.4%122,910
20003,045,5404.4%128,490
20013,179,3204.39%133,780
20023,292,4903.56%113,170
20033,399,1803.24%106,690
20043,509,4803.24%110,300
20053,623,0503.24%113,570
20063,740,4503.24%117,400
20073,861,6603.24%121,210
20083,986,9703.24%125,310
20094,115,9803.24%129,010
20104,249,3503.24%133,370
20114,387,0503.24%137,700
20124,529,4103.25%142,360
20134,676,3903.25%146,980
20144,828,1303.24%151,740
20154,984,8003.24%156,670
20165,146,5603.25%161,760
20175,313,5603.24%167,000
20185,485,9903.25%172,430
20195,635,1302.72%149,140
20205,782,7502.62%147,620
20215,926,6702.49%143,920
20226,065,3502.34%138,680
20236,198,0202.19%132,670
20246,324,3502.04%126,330
20256,444,5801.9%120,230
20266,559,1901.78%114,610
20276,668,9501.67%109,760
20286,774,7901.59%105,840
20296,877,6801.52%102,890
20306,978,4201.46%100,740
20317,077,5001.42%99,080
20327,175,1801.38%97,680
20337,271,6701.34%96,490
20347,367,0001.31%95,330
20357,461,1601.28%94,160

Johannesburg Population Data (Urban Area)

Name
2024 Pop.
2024 Growth
Johannesburg6,324,3502.04%
Cape Town4,977,8301.79%
Ekurhuleni4,190,8301.76%
Durban3,262,1301.06%
Pretoria2,889,9002.55%
Port Elizabeth1,312,6301.29%
West Rand947,7341.43%
Soshanguve905,8681.53%
Vereeniging802,9001.13%
Buffalo City745,8551.38%
Bloemfontein608,6551.72%
Rustenburg592,1933.1%
Pietermaritzburg553,1621.34%
Witbank511,9732.56%
Polokwane493,9513.07%

Other Cities in South Africa

  1. Statistics South Africa - Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality statistics
  2. Joburg Tourism - Population and people of the city of Johannesburg

Sources