South Africa: Urban population
In , South Africa's Urban population was 40.77 million.
That's up 1.4% from 2023, the highest value on record.
The global average for this indicator in 2024 was 21,512,598.26 . South Africa ranks #25 globally out of 217 reporting countries. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, it ranks #3 of 48.
Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.URB.TOTL) • Data as of 2024
Trend (2005–2024)
- 2020 · COVID-19 pandemic
Highlights
- Peak
- 40.77M
- Trough
- 29.61M
- 1-year change
- +1.4%
- 5-year change
- +7.9%
- +1.5% / yr
- 10-year change
- +16.1%
- +1.5% / yr
Historical Data — Last 10 Years
| Year | Urban population |
|---|---|
| 40.767M | |
| 40.192M | |
| 39.596M | |
| 39.024M | |
| 38.419M | |
| 37.786M | |
| 37.147M | |
| 36.501M | |
| 36.231M | |
| 35.855M |
About Urban population
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.
Indicator code: SP.URB.TOTL • Category: Health & Population
Frequently asked questions
- What was South Africa's Urban population in 2024?
- In 2024, South Africa's Urban population was 40.77 million, according to World Bank Open Data.
- Is South Africa's Urban population rising or falling?
- South Africa's Urban population rose 1.4% from 2023 to 2024.
- How does South Africa rank globally on Urban population?
- In 2024, South Africa ranked #25 out of 217 countries reporting Urban population.
- How does South Africa's Urban population compare to the world average?
- The global average for Urban population in 2024 was 21.51 million, so South Africa is above the world average. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, it ranks #3 of 48.
- What is Urban population and how is it measured?
- 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.
Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.URB.TOTL), CC BY 4.0.