ATLAS · COUNTRY PROFILE
South Africa
According to the World Bank, South Africa was home to 64 million people in 2024 — the 24th most populous of 217 countries, 0.79% of everyone on Earth.
REGIONSub-Saharan Africa
INCOME GROUP · WORLD BANKUpper middle income
CAPITALPretoria
South Africa by the numbers
| METRIC | VALUE | WORLD RANK | SHARE |
|---|---|---|---|
| PopulationWorld Bank, 2024 | 64 million | 24th of 217 | 0.79% |
| People | |||
| Population GrowthWorld Bank, 2024 | 1.2% | 87th of 217 | — |
| Birth RateWorld Bank, 2024 | 18.5 / 1,000 | 83rd of 217 | — |
| Death RateWorld Bank, 2024 | 9.2 / 1,000 | 57th of 217 | — |
| Fertility RateWorld Bank, 2024 | 2.21 | 94th of 217 | — |
| Urban PopulationWorld Bank, 2024 | 63.7% | 111th of 217 | — |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (current US$)World Bank, 2024 | $401.1B | 40th of 214 | 0.36% |
| GDP per capitaWorld Bank, 2024 | $6.3K | 128th of 214 | — |
| GNI per capitaWorld Bank, 2024 | $6.1K | 117th of 207 | — |
| InflationWorld Bank, 2024 | 4.4% | 64th of 193 | — |
| UnemploymentWorld Bank, 2025 | 32.4% | 2nd of 187 | — |
| Health | |||
| Life ExpectancyWorld Bank, 2024 | 66.3 yrs | 183rd of 217 | — |
| Infant MortalityWorld Bank, 2024 | 24.2 / 1,000 | 58th of 196 | — |
| Health SpendingWorld Bank, 2024 | 8.9% | 47th of 193 | — |
| PhysiciansWorld Bank, 2023 | 0.8 / 1,000 | 135th of 208 | — |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per capitaWorld Bank, 2024 | 6.88 | 36th of 203 | — |
| Forest CoverWorld Bank, 2023 | 14.0% | 147th of 214 | — |
| Renewable EnergyWorld Bank, 2022 | 9.7% | 146th of 212 | — |
| Society | |||
| Internet UsersWorld Bank, 2025 | 78.4% | 113th of 213 | — |
| Mobile SubscriptionsWorld Bank, 2024 | 179.3 / 1,000 | 11th of 214 | — |
| Literacy RateWorld Bank, 2024 | 91.2% | 97th of 170 | — |
| Land | |||
| Population DensityWorld Bank, 2023 | 52.1 | 151st of 216 | — |
| Arable LandWorld Bank, 2023 | 9.9% | 104th of 206 | — |
23 live measures for South Africa, each linking to its world map and ranking. Every figure carries its source and year; where the source has no value for South Africa, the table says so in words rather than inventing a number.
See South Africa live
The Atlas shows how South Africa is. The rest of LiveEarthViewer shows it right now — here are the live views from every canvas.
Either side by population
More in Sub-Saharan Africa
THE WORLD, BY THE NUMBERS
See where South Africa sits on the live population map.