South Africa
- Capital:
- Pretoria
- Continent:
- Africa
- Region(s):
- Southern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
- Largest Cities:
- Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban
- Abbreviation:
- ZAF
65,453,084
As of Jan 1, 2026 - Source
65,453,084
As of Jan 1, 2026 - Source
South Africa's population is projected to be 93,695,466 by 2097.
Historical
Switch the toggle to see projected data.
| Year ↓ | Population | Change | Pop. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 65,453,084 | 1.25% | 24 |
| 2025 | 64,747,319 | 1.34% | 24 |
| 2020 | 60,562,381 | 1.64% | 24 |
| 2019 | 59,587,885 | 1.66% | 24 |
| 2018 | 58,613,001 | 1.7% | 24 |
| 2017 | 57,635,162 | 0.66% | 24 |
| 2015 | 56,723,537 | 1.62% | 24 |
| 2010 | 52,344,051 | 1.13% | 24 |
| 2005 | 49,490,033 | 0.97% | 24 |
| 2000 | 47,159,719 | 1.15% | 25 |
| Year ↑ | Population | Change | Pop. Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 65,453,084 | 1.25% | 24 |
| 2032 | 69,426,439 | 0.97% | 23 |
| 2037 | 72,387,814 | 0.84% | 22 |
| 2042 | 75,111,901 | 0.74% | 22 |
| 2047 | 77,716,655 | 0.68% | 24 |
| 2052 | 80,115,432 | 0.61% | 23 |
| 2057 | 82,252,531 | 0.53% | 25 |
| 2062 | 84,187,506 | 0.47% | 26 |
| 2067 | 85,916,397 | 0.41% | 26 |
| 2072 | 87,486,535 | 0.36% | 26 |
608K
750K
1M
2.5M
5M
7.5M
10M
12M
Johannesburg has a metropolitan area population of 12,043,175, comprising 18.4%% of South Africa's total population.
| Rank | City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | % of National Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 12,043,175 | 18.4% |
| 2 | Cape Town | 4,974,327 | 7.6% |
| 3 | Durban | 3,303,046 | 5.05% |
| 4 | Pretoria | 3,296,921 | 5.04% |
| 5 | Port Elizabeth | 1,047,642 | 1.6% |
| 6 | Soshanguve | 971,322 | 1.48% |
| 7 | Evaton | 697,718 | 1.07% |
| 8 | Bloemfontein | 668,963 | 1.02% |
| 9 | Rustenburg | 660,294 | 1.01% |
| 10 | Witbank | 608,669 | 0.93% |
As of 2026, South Africa has a total population of 65,453,084, ranking as the 24th most populous nation in the world.
South Africa has a net population change of approximately 1,889 people per day, driven by 3,197 births, 1,669 deaths, and net immigration of 361 people.
South Africa represents 0.82% of the total global population and 4.13% of Africa's population.
South Africa has a population density of 54.0 people per km² (approximately 139.7 per mi²), making it the 159th most densely populated country in the world.
Currently, 66.13% of the population resides in urban areas, a figure that is increasing annually.
*Rates last updated: June 16, 2026
As of 2026, the largest ethnicity in South Africa is Black African (81.4%) , followed by Colored (8.2%) .
As of 2026, Christian is the largest religion in South Africa, comprising 86% of the population.