South Africa vs United Kingdom: Population
South Africa
64.01 million
in 2024
United Kingdom
69.23 million
in 2024
South Africa rank
24th
United Kingdom rank
21st
Population over time
- South Africa
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 69.23 million against 64.01 million in South Africa, a difference of 5.22 million.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 65 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 21st of 186 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.89 million | 54.07 million | 35.18 million | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 25.38 million | 56.11 million | 30.73 million | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 34.50 million | 56.58 million | 22.08 million | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 44.05 million | 57.95 million | 13.90 million | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 49.31 million | 60.37 million | 11.06 million | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 55.92 million | 64.81 million | 8.89 million | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 62.33 million | 67.81 million | 5.48 million | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population, South Africa or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 69.23 million against 64.01 million in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in population between South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 5.22 million, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Kingdom?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and United Kingdom rank globally for population?
- South Africa ranks 24th and United Kingdom ranks 21st of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund, published as Population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Data on Gender-disaggregated on selected population characteristics.