Data / South Africa / Profile

South Africa in figures

A profile of South Africa from official statistics: 22 figures in 5 sections, each with its period, its change from a year earlier, its rank among similar places where a ranking exists, and its source.

Figures last updated on 2026-10-12.

People

Population in South Africa was 64.75 million in 2025, up 1.2% from 2024, and the 24th highest of 215 countries.

Population64.75 million2025Up 1.2% from 2024The 24th highest of 215 countries
Population growth rate1.33%2023Down 0.09 percentage points from 2022The 90th highest of 215 countries
Median age, July 1 estimate28.21 years2023, estimatedUp 0.29 years from 2022The 94th lowest of 236 countries
Population aged 65 and over6.5%2023Up 0.2 percentage points from 2022
Population density52.8 inhabitants per km²2024Up 1.3% from 2023
Net migration228,2222023Compared with 233,284 in 2022
45M50M55M60M65M20012005200920132017202120252001: 47,566,800 persons2002: 48,019,415 persons2003: 48,500,348 persons2004: 48,991,421 persons2005: 49,490,033 persons2006: 49,998,277 persons2007: 50,528,584 persons2008: 51,114,599 persons2009: 51,728,516 persons2010: 52,344,051 persons2011: 52,995,205 persons2012: 53,782,567 persons2013: 54,678,791 persons2014: 55,594,838 persons2015: 56,723,537 persons2016: 57,259,551 persons2017: 57,635,162 persons2018: 58,613,001 persons2019: 59,587,885 persons2020: 60,562,381 persons2021: 61,502,603 persons2022: 62,378,410 persons2023: 63,212,384 persons2024: 64,007,187 persons2025: 64,747,319 persons
Population, 2001 to 2025. persons. Source: World Bank, Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL).

Sources: World Bank, Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL); World Bank, Population growth, annual % (SP.POP.GROW); United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Median age on 1 July, modelled estimates 1950 to 2023; projections excluded; World Bank, Population ages 65 and above, % of total population (SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS); World Bank, Population density, people per km² of land area (EN.POP.DNST); World Bank, Net migration (SM.POP.NETM). Population and demography statistics and rankings

Work and income

Unemployment rate in South Africa was 29.59% in 2025, down 2.69 percentage points from 2024.

Unemployment rate29.59%2025Down 2.69 percentage points from 2024
Employment-population ratio, ages 15 and over37.6%2025Down 0.1 percentage points from 2024The 15th lowest of 181 countries
Poverty rate at the national poverty line37.9%2022No 2021 figure to compare
Labor force participation rate, ages 15 and over55.6%2025Up less than 0.1 percentage points from 2024
Gini index (World Bank, income or consumption)54.12022No 2021 figure to compare
2022.52527.53032.53520012005200920132017202120252001: 30.69 %2002: 33.29 %2003: 32.31 %2004: 29.45 %2005: 29.12 %2006: 28.34 %2007: 26.54 %2008: 22.41 %2009: 23.52 %2010: 24.68 %2011: 24.64 %2012: 24.73 %2013: 24.56 %2014: 24.89 %2015: 25.15 %2016: 26.54 %2017: 27.04 %2018: 26.91 %2019: 28.47 %2020: 29.22 %2021: 34.01 %2022: 33.27 %2023: 32.1 %2024: 32.28 %2025: 29.59 %
Unemployment rate, 2001 to 2025. %. Source: International Labour Organization, Unemployment rate by sex and age, total, 15 and over, annual (DF_UNE_DEAP_SEX_AGE_RT).

Sources: International Labour Organization, Unemployment rate by sex and age, total, 15 and over, annual (DF_UNE_DEAP_SEX_AGE_RT); World Bank, Employment to population ratio, 15+, total, %, modeled ILO estimate (SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS); World Bank, Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines, % of population (SI.POV.NAHC); World Bank, Labor force participation rate, total, % of total population ages 15+, modeled ILO estimate (SL.TLF.CACT.ZS); World Bank, Gini index (SI.POV.GINI). Labor market statistics and rankings

Economy

GDP (US dollars) in South Africa was $427.18 billion in 2025, up 6.5% from 2024, and the 40th highest of 199 countries in 2024.

Gross domestic product (GDP), US dollars$427.18 billion2025Up 6.5% from 2024The 40th highest of 199 countries in 2024
GDP per capita, US dollars$6,5982025Up 5.3% from 2024The 85th lowest of 199 countries in 2024
Real GDP growth1.1%2025Up 0.6 percentage points from 2024The 28th lowest of 199 countries in 2024
GDP per capita, PPP (international dollars)15,906 international $2025Up 2.8% from 2024
Trade as a share of GDP60.9%2025Down 0.7 percentage points from 2024
100K200K300K400K500K20012005200920132017202120252001: 135,429.9 USD million2002: 129,087.6 USD million2003: 197,019 USD million2004: 255,806.9 USD million2005: 288,867.2 USD million2006: 303,858.7 USD million2007: 333,077.1 USD million2008: 316,131.3 USD million2009: 329,754.1 USD million2010: 417,363.8 USD million2011: 458,199.5 USD million2012: 434,400.5 USD million2013: 400,886 USD million2014: 381,198.9 USD million2015: 346,709.8 USD million2016: 323,585.5 USD million2017: 381,448.8 USD million2018: 405,260.7 USD million2019: 389,330 USD million2020: 337,974.7 USD million2021: 419,986.3 USD million2022: 407,596 USD million2023: 381,440.7 USD million2024: 401,145 USD million2025: 427,184.3 USD million
Gross domestic product (GDP), US dollars, 2001 to 2025. USD million. Source: World Bank, GDP, current US$ (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD).

Sources: World Bank, GDP, current US$ (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD); World Bank, GDP per capita, current US$ (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD); World Bank, GDP growth, annual % (NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG); World Bank, GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) (NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD); World Bank, Trade, % of GDP (NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS). Economy statistics and rankings

Business and tourism

International tourist arrivals in South Africa were 10.5 million in 2025, up 17.7% from 2024, and the 15th lowest of 32 countries in 2023.

International tourist arrivals10.5 million2025Up 17.7% from 2024The 15th lowest of 32 countries in 2023
Tourism direct share of GDP4.9% of GDP2024Up 0.5 percentage points from 2023The 13th highest of 27 countries in 2019
2M4M6M8M10M12M2009201220152018202120252009: 7,012,000 count2010: 8,074,000 count2011: 8,339,000 count2012: 9,188,000 count2013: 9,537,000 count2014: 9,549,000 count2015: 8,904,000 count2016: 10,044,000 count2017: 10,285,000 count2018: 10,472,000 count2019: 10,228,000 count2020: 2,802,000 count2021: 2,256,000 count2022: 5,698,000 count2023: 8,483,000 count2024: 8,919,000 count2025: 10,498,506 count
International tourist arrivals, 2009 to 2025. count. Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD Inbound tourism: arrivals of non-resident overnight visitors (tourists), tourism demand surveys and frontier statistics (DSD_TOURISM_INTER@DF_INBOUND).

Sources: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD Inbound tourism: arrivals of non-resident overnight visitors (tourists), tourism demand surveys and frontier statistics (DSD_TOURISM_INTER@DF_INBOUND); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD Key tourism economic indicators: tourism direct GDP, percentage of GDP (DSD_TOURISM_KEY@DF_KEY_IND_PC, GDP_SH). Companies statistics and rankings

Health

Life expectancy in South Africa was 66.14 years in 2023, up 0.69 years from 2022, and the 36th lowest of 215 countries.

Life expectancy at birth66.14 years2023Up 0.69 years from 2022The 36th lowest of 215 countries
Infant mortality rate24.2 per 1,000 live births2024Down 0.1 per 1,000 live births from 2023The 58th highest of 195 countries
Adult obesity rate, age-standardized31.8%2024Up 0.3 percentage points from 2023The 51st highest of 199 countries
Tobacco use, age-standardized23.4%2020No 2019 figure to compare
52.55557.56062.56567.519992003200720112015201920231999: 59.19 years2000: 58.37 years2001: 57.16 years2002: 55.58 years2003: 54.25 years2004: 53.96 years2005: 53.91 years2006: 54.22 years2007: 54.95 years2008: 55.98 years2009: 57.41 years2010: 58.89 years2011: 60.6 years2012: 61.74 years2013: 62.39 years2014: 63.18 years2015: 64.05 years2016: 64.75 years2017: 65.42 years2018: 65.73 years2019: 66.07 years2020: 65.15 years2021: 62.01 years2022: 65.45 years2023: 66.14 years
Life expectancy at birth, 1999 to 2023. years. Source: World Bank, Life expectancy at birth, total, years (SP.DYN.LE00.IN).

Sources: World Bank, Life expectancy at birth, total, years (SP.DYN.LE00.IN); World Bank, Mortality rate, infant, per 1,000 live births (SP.DYN.IMRT.IN); World Health Organization, Age-standardized prevalence of obesity among adults (18+ years), both sexes (NCD_BMI_30A); World Health Organization, Age-standardized prevalence of tobacco use among persons 15 years and older (%), both sexes (M_Est_tob_curr_std). Health statistics and rankings

Sources and citations

Each figure comes from the table cited here. Cite the publisher; these citations include any notice the publisher requires.

  1. World Bank, World Development Indicators. Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL. Retrieved 2026-10-09. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  2. World Bank, World Development Indicators. Population growth, annual % (SP.POP.GROW). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW. Retrieved 2026-10-09. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  3. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Median age on 1 July, modelled estimates 1950 to 2023; projections excluded. Modelled estimate. https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Excel%20Files/1_Indicator%20(Standard)/CSV_FILES/WPP2024_Demographic_Indicators_Medium.csv.gz. Retrieved 2026-10-10. CC BY 3.0 IGO.
  4. World Bank, World Development Indicators. Population ages 65 and above, % of total population (SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-09. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  5. World Bank, World Development Indicators. Population density, people per km² of land area (EN.POP.DNST). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST. Retrieved 2026-10-09. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  6. World Bank, World Development Indicators. Net migration (SM.POP.NETM). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SM.POP.NETM. Retrieved 2026-10-11. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  7. International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT. Unemployment rate by sex and age, total, 15 and over, annual (DF_UNE_DEAP_SEX_AGE_RT). https://data.ilo.org/vis?df%5Bds%5D=ds-production&df%5Bid%5D=DF_UNE_DEAP_SEX_AGE_RT&df%5Bag%5D=ILO (Accessed on 2026-10-12). Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  8. World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Employment to population ratio, 15+, total, %, modeled ILO estimate (SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-11. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  9. World Bank, World Development Indicators. Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines, % of population (SI.POV.NAHC). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.NAHC. Retrieved 2026-10-12. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  10. World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Labor force participation rate, total, % of total population ages 15+, modeled ILO estimate (SL.TLF.CACT.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-11. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  11. World Bank, World Development Indicators. Gini index (SI.POV.GINI). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI. Retrieved 2026-10-09. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  12. World Bank, World Development Indicators. GDP, current US$ (NY.GDP.MKTP.CD). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD. Retrieved 2026-10-09. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  13. World Bank, World Development Indicators. GDP per capita, current US$ (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD. Retrieved 2026-10-09. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  14. World Bank, World Development Indicators. GDP growth, annual % (NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG. Retrieved 2026-10-09. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  15. World Bank, World Development Indicators. GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) (NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD. Retrieved 2026-10-11. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  16. World Bank, World Development Indicators. Trade, % of GDP (NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-11. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  17. OECD. OECD Inbound tourism: arrivals of non-resident overnight visitors (tourists), tourism demand surveys and frontier statistics (DSD_TOURISM_INTER@DF_INBOUND). https://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ds]=dsDisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_TOURISM_INTER%40DF_INBOUND&df[ag]=OECD.CFE.TOU. Accessed 2026-10-12. Data reuse terms and downstream attribution: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/terms-conditions.html
  18. OECD. OECD Key tourism economic indicators: tourism direct GDP, percentage of GDP (DSD_TOURISM_KEY@DF_KEY_IND_PC, GDP_SH). https://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ds]=dsDisseminateFinalDMZ&df[id]=DSD_TOURISM_KEY%40DF_KEY_IND_PC&df[ag]=OECD.CFE.TOU. Accessed 2026-10-12. Data reuse terms and downstream attribution: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/terms-conditions.html
  19. World Bank, World Development Indicators. Life expectancy at birth, total, years (SP.DYN.LE00.IN). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN. Retrieved 2026-10-09. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  20. World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Mortality rate, infant, per 1,000 live births (SP.DYN.IMRT.IN). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.IMRT.IN. Retrieved 2026-10-11. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  21. World Health Organization, data.who.int. Age-standardized prevalence of obesity among adults (18+ years), both sexes (NCD_BMI_30A) [Indicator]. https://data.who.int/indicators/i/C6262EC/BEFA58B (Accessed on 2026-10-12). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. No changes made to source values. WHO does not endorse Invokely or this use of the data.
  22. World Health Organization, data.who.int. Age-standardized prevalence of tobacco use among persons 15 years and older (%), both sexes (M_Est_tob_curr_std) [Indicator]. https://data.who.int/indicators/i/847662C/75DDA77 (Accessed on 2026-10-12). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. No changes made to source values. WHO does not endorse Invokely or this use of the data.

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