The latest plotted observation compared with the one immediately before it.
People · estimated
Population
The estimated number of residents, regardless of legal status or citizenship.
Latest available value64,747,319
South Africa · 2025
Change from 2024+740.1K
One period comparison, not annualized
Data statusLatest available
Source identifies this concept as estimated
Historical observationsPopulation in South Africa
64,747,3192025
Explain this chart
Births, Deaths, Migration
Population estimates are revised and may be less precise where censuses are infrequent.
View accessible data table
| Period | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 64,747,319 | observed |
| 2024 | 64,007,187 | observed |
| 2023 | 63,212,384 | observed |
| 2022 | 62,378,410 | observed |
| 2021 | 61,502,603 | observed |
| 2020 | 60,562,381 | observed |
| 2019 | 59,587,885 | observed |
| 2018 | 58,613,001 | observed |
| 2017 | 57,635,162 | observed |
| 2016 | 57,259,551 | observed |
Why it matters
Population change shapes labor supply, demand for housing and services, and the scale of an economy.
People often affected
- Communities
- Employers
- Public services
- 01Births
- 02Deaths
- 03Migration
These are common mechanisms, not claims about what caused the latest movement.
Limits of this data
Population estimates are revised and may be less precise where censuses are infrequent.
Revision status: The API does not expose a revision flag for these observations. Treat recent values as revisable.
Official source
World Bank: World Development Indicators
Series SP.POP.TOTL. Snapshot retrieved Aug 5, 2026. Reporting frequency: annual. Seasonal adjustment: not applicable.