Pretoria, South Africa Population 2024

Pretoria's 2024 population is now estimated at 2,889,900In 1950, the population of Pretoria was 275,331Pretoria has grown by 71,800 in the last year, which represents a 2.55% 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 Pretoria, which typically includes Pretoria's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

Pretoria is a city located in the Gauteng Province in South Africa. Pretoria is one of three capital cities in the country and is the seat of the government’s executive branch. As of 2016, the urban area of Pretoria has a population of 2.125 million.

The South African city of Pretoria is not just one of the country’s capitals, but it also is the center of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality. The city itself has over 700,000 inhabitants, while the much-larger urban area has a population of 2,125,000. Pretoria has built a reputation around higher education and research, as it is the home of three universities and hosts the South African Bureau of Standards.

Pretoria Size and Population Density

The city of Pretoria occupies 687.54 kilometers squared (265.46 square miles). The population density comes to approximately 1,100 residents per square kilometer (2,800 residents per square mile).

Pretoria Demographics

Pretoria is located north of Johannesburg and lies between the Bushveld and Highveld. It stretches across approximately 1,644 kilometers. The city itself has a population that exceeds 700,000, and the urban population exceeds 2 million.

According to data from 2011, the primary ethnicity was white, comprising 52.5% of the population. Black Africans accounted for 42% of the population, followed by Coloured at 2.5%, Indian or Asian at 1.9% and Other at 1.2%. This is a significant change from 2001 data, which had Whites listed as 67.7% of the population and Black Africans accounting for just 24.5%. When the township populations are considered, whites become a minority in Pretoria, although the city still has the largest white population in sub-Sahara Africa.

The primary language spoken in the area is Afrikaans. Other languages include Sepedi, Xitsonga, Sesotho and English, among others. The religion is varied across the area, and Pretoria is the site of churches, mosques, synagogues and a Jewish temple.

In addition to being the seat of the country’s executive branch of government, the de facto capital city also hosts foreign embassies, and has the [second largest number of embassies in the world behind the United States.](http://www.pretoria.co.za/interesting/things-you-didn-t-know) The city is the site of many official government offices, including the office of South Africa’s president, which is located in the Union Building. Pretoria is considered a major commercial and industrial center, and its [main industries include](http://www.pretoria.co.za/city-info/economy) manufacturing in railroads, automobile and machinery and iron and steel casting.

Pretoria History

The river valley that was to one day become Pretoria was settled around 1600 by the Southern Transvaal Ndebele. However, Zulu raiders forced settlers to abandon their villages in 1832. Boer families came into the area around 1840 to settle in the Fountains Valley. When independence was declared in 1852, the area became a prime spot for weddings, baptisms and communions.

The city of Pretoria was not founded until 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius. The city was named after his father, Andries, a Voortrekkers hero who led the Battle of Blood River. When it was founded, the city had a population of about 300 people.

In 1856, the city began to take shape. It earned the nicknames “city of roses” and “Jacaranda city” because of the trees and flowers that bloomed in the temperate climate. After the British annexed the area, migrants began to come in, increasing the population. Pretoria earned city status in 1931, and when South African became a republic 30 years later, the city maintained its role as administrative capital.

Pretoria Population Growth

Because of its role in politics and its thriving industries, the population of Pretoria is expected to grow at a steady rate over the next few decades. The 2016 population of 2.1 million is estimated to climb to 2.3 million in 2020, while it is expected to exceed 2.7 million by 2030.

Growth Rate
2.55%

86 Rows

Year
Population
20353,442,050
20343,398,600
20333,354,590
20323,310,000
20313,264,760
20303,218,630
20293,171,300
20283,122,220
20273,070,560
20263,015,320
20252,955,410
20242,889,900
20232,818,100
20222,739,770
20212,655,280
20202,565,660
20192,472,610
20182,378,350
20172,274,880
20162,175,900
20152,081,240
20141,990,690
20131,904,080
20121,821,240
20111,742,010
20101,666,320
20091,593,920
20081,524,760
20071,458,420
20061,395,060
20051,334,450
20041,276,550
20031,221,010
20021,167,960
20011,120,560
20001,083,590
19991,047,730
19981,013,110
1997979,637
1996955,025
1995951,003
1994947,004
1993943,022
1992939,062
1991935,107
1990911,480
1989879,646
1988848,966
1987819,275
1986790,661
1985763,046
1984744,368
1983729,842
1982715,618
1981701,672
1980688,017
1979674,590
1978661,444
1977648,553
1976635,932
1975623,522
1974611,370
1973599,456
1972587,790
1971576,319
1970565,088
1969549,367
1968533,280
1967517,621
1966502,443
1965487,710
1964473,428
1963459,527
1962446,052
1961432,973
1960419,348
1959402,050
1958385,488
1957369,608
1956354,403
1955339,784
1954325,787
1953312,366
1952299,516
1951287,161
1950275,331

86 Rows

Year
Population
Change
Growth
1950275,3310%0
1951287,1614.3%11,830
1952299,5164.3%12,355
1953312,3664.29%12,850
1954325,7874.3%13,421
1955339,7844.3%13,997
1956354,4034.3%14,619
1957369,6084.29%15,205
1958385,4884.3%15,880
1959402,0504.3%16,562
1960419,3484.3%17,298
1961432,9733.25%13,625
1962446,0523.02%13,079
1963459,5273.02%13,475
1964473,4283.03%13,901
1965487,7103.02%14,282
1966502,4433.02%14,733
1967517,6213.02%15,178
1968533,2803.03%15,659
1969549,3673.02%16,087
1970565,0882.86%15,721
1971576,3191.99%11,231
1972587,7901.99%11,471
1973599,4561.98%11,666
1974611,3701.99%11,914
1975623,5221.99%12,152
1976635,9321.99%12,410
1977648,5531.98%12,621
1978661,4441.99%12,891
1979674,5901.99%13,146
1980688,0171.99%13,427
1981701,6721.98%13,655
1982715,6181.99%13,946
1983729,8421.99%14,224
1984744,3681.99%14,526
1985763,0462.51%18,678
1986790,6613.62%27,615
1987819,2753.62%28,614
1988848,9663.62%29,691
1989879,6463.61%30,680
1990911,4803.62%31,834
1991935,1072.59%23,627
1992939,0620.42%3,955
1993943,0220.42%3,960
1994947,0040.42%3,982
1995951,0030.42%3,999
1996955,0250.42%4,022
1997979,6372.58%24,612
19981,013,1103.42%33,473
19991,047,7303.42%34,620
20001,083,5903.42%35,860
20011,120,5603.41%36,970
20021,167,9604.23%47,400
20031,221,0104.54%53,050
20041,276,5504.55%55,540
20051,334,4504.54%57,900
20061,395,0604.54%60,610
20071,458,4204.54%63,360
20081,524,7604.55%66,340
20091,593,9204.54%69,160
20101,666,3204.54%72,400
20111,742,0104.54%75,690
20121,821,2404.55%79,230
20131,904,0804.55%82,840
20141,990,6904.55%86,610
20152,081,2404.55%90,550
20162,175,9004.55%94,660
20172,274,8804.55%98,980
20182,378,3504.55%103,470
20192,472,6103.96%94,260
20202,565,6603.76%93,050
20212,655,2803.49%89,620
20222,739,7703.18%84,490
20232,818,1002.86%78,330
20242,889,9002.55%71,800
20252,955,4102.27%65,510
20263,015,3202.03%59,910
20273,070,5601.83%55,240
20283,122,2201.68%51,660
20293,171,3001.57%49,080
20303,218,6301.49%47,330
20313,264,7601.43%46,130
20323,310,0001.39%45,240
20333,354,5901.35%44,590
20343,398,6001.31%44,010
20353,442,0501.28%43,450

Pretoria 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 - South Africa information, data and statistics
  2. Statistics South Africa - Census 2011 in brief - overview

Sources