Cities: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects 2025 (CC BY 3.0 IGO), size by population · sources and licences
Largest cities
95 cities of 50,000+
#
City
Population 2025
1975
2050*
1
Johannesburg
7,077,175
1,180,560
8,916,021
2
Cape Town (capital)
4,508,921
983,713
6,127,476
3
Durban
3,177,927
569,867
3,157,978
4
Pretoria (capital)
1,836,166
383,023
2,329,108
5
Klipgat
1,300,816
-
1,691,727
6
Tembisa
1,298,512
309,300
1,651,801
7
Evaton
773,229
291,078
1,008,731
8
Gqeberha
661,220
254,634
657,010
9
Masetjhaba View
522,402
86,094
775,790
10
Bloemfontein (capital)
496,295
181,525
678,064
Cities as urban centres under the UN Degree of Urbanisation, not municipal boundaries. * UN projection.
Source: United Nations, DESA, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects 2025, CC BY 3.0 IGO.Sources and licences
Over time
vs world and Africa median
Life expectancy at birth
years · 1960-2024
South Africa
World
Africa median
Fertility rate
1960-2024
South Africa
World
Africa median
GDP per capita
US$ · 1960-2025
South Africa
World
Africa median
Unemployment rate (modelled ILO estimate)
% · 1991-2025
South Africa
World
Africa median
Individuals using the internet
% · 2005-2024
South Africa
World
Africa median
CO₂ emissions per capita (excluding land use)
t · 1970-2024
South Africa
World
Africa median
Population outlook
UN World Population Prospects
Population, 2026
65.5 mn
2050: 79.2 mn · 2100: 94.3 mn
peak 94.3 mn in 2100
Median age
28.9 years
2050: 32.3 years
Aged 65 and over
7.1 %
2050: 11.3 %
Dependency ratio
49
per 100 aged 15-64 · 2050: 49
Age structure
% of population · men left, women right
* UN projection, medium variant. Scale is the same for all years.
Population, 1950-2100
millions
Median age, 1950-2100
years
People aged 65 and over, 1950-2100
% of population
Dependency ratio, 1950-2100
per 100 people aged 15-64
Estimates until 2023, then the UN medium-variant projection (dashed).
The dependency ratio is the number of children (0-14) and older people (65+) per 100 people
of working age (15-64). Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, licensed under
CC BY 3.0 IGO;
ratios and shares computed by StatsNode. Sources and licences.
World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), ILO modelled estimates, FAO (FAOSTAT), UNDP (Human Development Report),
UNHCR Refugee Population Statistics Database, Ember (electricity), the Global Carbon Project (CO₂) and the
UN World Population Prospects and World Urbanization Prospects, under CC BY 4.0 and CC BY 3.0 IGO. Many World Bank series come from other
organisations (ILO, IMF, WHO); each indicator page names the original source.
Sources and licences.
Ranks are computed in the latest year for which at least half of the countries have
a value. Where less is better (unemployment, emissions), the lowest value ranks first.
The continent figure is the median of its countries.
