South Africa is the sixth African country with the largest population, counting approximately 60.5 million individuals as of 2021. In 2023, the largest city in South Africa was Cape Town. The capital of Western Cape counted 3.4 million inhabitants, whereas South Africa's second largest city was Durban (eThekwini Municipality), with 3.1 million inhabitants. Note that when observing the number of inhabitants by municipality, Johannesburg is counted as largest city/municipality of South Africa.

From four provinces to nine provinces

Before Nelson Mandela became president in 1994, the country had four provinces, Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange Free State, and Transvaal and 10 “homelands” (also called Bantustans). The four larger regions were for the white population while the homelands for its black population. This system was dismantled following the new constitution of South Africa in 1996 and reorganized into nine provinces. Currently, Gauteng is the most populated province with around 15.9 million people residing there, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 11.68 million inhabiting the province. As of 2022, Black African individuals were almost 81 percent of the total population in the country, while colored citizens followed amounting to around 5.34 million.

A diverse population

Although the majority of South Africans are identified as Black, the country’s population is far from homogenous, with different ethnic groups usually residing in the different “homelands”. This can be recognizable through the various languages used to communicate between the household members and externally. IsiZulu was the most common language of the nation with around a quarter of the population using it in- and outside of households. IsiXhosa and Afrikaans ranked second and third with roughly 15 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

Lagos, in Nigeria, ranked as the most populated city in Africa as of 2024, with an estimated population of roughly nine million inhabitants living in the city proper. Kinshasa, in Congo, and Cairo, in Egypt, followed with some 7.8 million and 7.7 million dwellers. Among the 15 largest cities in the continent, another two, Kano, and Ibadan, were located in Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa. Population density trends in Africa As of 2022, Africa exhibited a population density of 48.3 individuals per square kilometer. At the beginning of 2000, the population density across the continent has experienced a consistent annual increment. Projections indicated that the average population residing within each square kilometer would rise to approximately 54 by the year 2027. Moreover, Mauritius stood out as the African nation with the most elevated population density, exceeding 640 individuals per square kilometre. Mauritius possesses one of the most compact territories on the continent, a factor that significantly influences its high population density. Urbanization dynamics in Africa The urbanization rate in Africa was anticipated to reach close to 44 percent in 2021. Urbanization across the continent has consistently risen since 2000, with urban areas accommodating 35 percent of the total population. This trajectory is projected to continue its ascent in the years ahead. Nevertheless, the distribution between rural and urban populations shows remarkable diversity throughout the continent. In 2021, Gabon and Libya stood out as Africa’s most urbanized nations, each surpassing 80 percent urbanization. In 2023, Africa's population was estimated to expand by 2.35 percent compared to the preceding year. Since 2000, the population growth rate across the continent has consistently exceeded 2.45 percent, reaching its pinnacle at 2.59 percent between 2012 and 2013. Although the growth rate has experienced a deceleration, Africa's population will persistently grow significantly in the forthcoming years.

South Africa ZA: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 26.327 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 26.291 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 23.218 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.327 % in 2017 and a record low of 18.806 % in 1991. South Africa ZA: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted Average;

As of 2023, South Africa's population increased and counted approximately 62.3 million inhabitants in total, of which the majority inhabited Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western-Eastern Cape. Gauteng (includes Johannesburg) is the smallest province in South Africa, though highly urbanized with a population of over 16 million people according to the estimates. Cape Town, on the other hand, is the largest city in South Africa with nearly 3.43 million inhabitants in the same year, whereas Durban counted 3.12 million citizens. However, looking at cities including municipalities, Johannesburg ranks first. High rate of young population South Africa has a substantial population of young people. In 2024, approximately 34.3 percent of the people were aged 19 years or younger. Those aged 60 or older, on the other hand, made-up over 10 percent of the total population. Distributing South African citizens by marital status, approximately half of the males and females were classified as single in 2021. Furthermore, 29.1 percent of the men were registered as married, whereas nearly 27 percent of the women walked down the aisle. Youth unemployment Youth unemployment fluctuated heavily between 2003 and 2022. In 2003, the unemployment rate stood at 36 percent, followed by a significant increase to 45.5 percent in 2010. However, it fluctuated again and as of 2022, over 51 percent of the youth were registered as unemployed. Furthermore, based on a survey conducted on the worries of South Africans, some 64 percent reported being worried about employment and the job market situation.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Buffalo City, South Africa metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

South Africa ZA: Urban Population Growth data was reported at 2.021 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.090 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Urban Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 2.837 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.548 % in 1960 and a record low of 1.930 % in 2008. South Africa ZA: Urban Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. 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.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Abstract

The 1970 South African Population Census was an enumeration of the population and housing in South Africa.The census collected data on dwellings and individuals' demographic, migration, family and employment details.

Geographic coverage

National coverage of the so-called white areas of South Africa, i.e. the areas in the former four provinces of the Cape, the Orange Free State, Transvaal, and Natal, and the so-called National States of Ciskei, KwaZulu, Gazankulu, Lebowa, Qwaqwa, Kangwane, Kwandebele, Transkei and Bophuthatswana.

Analysis unit

The units of analysis for the South African Census 1970 were households and individuals

Universe

The South African population census of 1970 covered all de jure household members (usual residents) of South Africa and the "national states".

The Census was enumerated on a de facto basis, that is, according to the place where persons were located during the census. All persons who were present on Republic of South African territory during census night were enumerated and included in the data. Visitors from abroad who were present in the RSA on holiday or business on the night of the census, as well as foreigners (and their families) who were studying or economically active, were not enumerated and included in the figures. Likewise, members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps of foreign countries were not included. However, the South African personnel linked to the foreign missions including domestic workers were enumerated. Crews and passengers of ships were also not enumerated, unless they were normally resident in the Republic of South Africa. Residents of the RSA who were absent from the night were as far as possible enumerated on their return and included in the region where they normally resided. Personnel of the South African Government stationed abroad and their families were, however enumerated. Such persons were included in the Transvaal (Pretoria).

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data [cen]

Sampling procedure

The 1970 Census was a full count for Whites, Coloureds and Asians, and a 5% sample for Blacks (Africans)

Sampling deviation

The country was divided into 400 census districts for the 1970 Census. In most cases the boundaries of the census districts corresponded with those of the magisterial districts. However, in some cases the boundaries did not correspond, particularly in the areas in and around the "National States". This was to facilitate the administration of the census and to make it easier to exclude figures of the "National states" from provincial totals.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The 1970 Population Census of the Republic of South Africa questionnaires were: Form 01, to be completed by "Whites, Coloured and Asiatics" Form 02, to be completed by "Bantu" Form 03, for families, households and dwellings

Form 01 collected data on relationship to household head, population group, sex, age, marital status, place of birth, and citizenship, as well as usual place of residence, home language, religion, level of education and income. Employment data collected included occupation, employment status and industry type.

Form 02 collected data for African South Africans on relationship to household head, sex, age, marital status, fertility, place of birth, home language and literacy, religion and level of education. Employment data collected included occupation, employment status and industry type.

Form 03 collected household data, including data on dwelling type, building material of dwelling walls, number of rooms and age of the dwelling. Data on home ownership. Data was also collected on the number and sex of household members and their relationship to the household head. Data on household heads included their population group, age and marital status. Income data was also collected, for husbands and wives. Data on home ownership, household size and domestic workers was also collected, but for Urban households only.

South Africa ZA: Urban Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 65.850 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 65.341 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Urban Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 51.239 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 65.850 % in 2017 and a record low of 46.619 % in 1960. South Africa ZA: Urban Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

In 2023, over 68.82 percent of South Africa's total population lived in urban areas and cities. Urbanization defines the share of urban population from the total population of a country. Just like urbanization, the population density within the nation has risen, reaching 46 inhabitants per square kilometer, meaning more people are sharing less space. Many opportunities for work and leisure can be found in the urban locations of South Africa, and as such the five largest municipalities each now have over three million residents. Facing its economic strengths and drawbacks South Africa is a leading services destination, as it is one of the most industrialized countries in the continent of Africa. The majority of the country’s gross domestic product comes from the services sector, where more than 70 percent of the employed population works. Unemployment is seen as a critical indicator of the state of an economy, and for South Africa, a high rate of over 25 percent could indicate a need for a shift in economic policy. As of 2017, South Africa was one of the twenty countries with the highest rate of unemployment in the world.

Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) in South Africa was reported at 35.67 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

The data deposited include:

1. South Africa wards on consistent spatial boundaries for 2001 and 2011 with Index of Multiple deprivation and domain scores (ArcGIS TM shapefile format ward boundaries, attributes in comma separated values (csv) format)
2. Cape Town population grid for 2001: unemployment rates (ArcGIS TM shapefile format grid square boundaries with linked atrributes)
3. Cape Town population grid for 2011: unemployment rates (ArcGIS TM shapefile format grid square boundaries with linked atrributes)

In each case, a metadata file is provided in comma separated values (csv) format.

The project also funded inclusion of a bespoke question on inequalities in the 2017 round of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS).

The 2017 SASAS data are available through the Human Sciences Research Council: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/en/departments/sasas

This project provides an innovative analysis of how people's lived experiences of socio-economic inequality are shaped by the complex dynamics of urban change in South Africa and how such experiences in turn shape the country's urban social fabric. The collaboration was between Queen's University Belfast (QUB) (the project moved from the University of Liverpool (UoL)), Southern African Social Policy Research Insights (SASPRI) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and comprised an inter-disciplinary team (Geography, Demography, Social Policy and Urban Planning) with complementary areas of expertise in relation to socioeconomic inequality and urban population change. The project relates to the themes of diversity, migration and practice.

South Africa continues to be a deeply unequal society with markedly different standards of living across population groups (or race) and spatially. The current evidence base concerning inequality in South Africa is relatively small, and says little about the changing geographies of inequalities, the associated impacts which are felt on the ground as individuals' 'lived experience' of inequality, and consequences for the urban social fabric of the country. In this project quantitative and qualitative methods were combined to examine the interplay between urban spatial transformation and social attitudes towards inequality, attachment to place, and social inclusion.

The three-year research programme had four parts: (i) Mapping the changing geographies of inequality across South Africa between 1996 and 2011. Measures of spatial evenness and clustering were generated to characterise the spatial context of areas. (ii) Focus groups were undertaken in Cape Town to explore the factors and processes that shape people's experiences of inequality, and whether people's experiences of inequality affect their attachment to place and sense of social inclusion. (iii) Surveying people's experiences of inequality and their attitudes to inequality. A new module of inequality-related questions was included in the 2017 round of the nationally representative South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS). (iv) Testing whether people's attitudes to inequality are associated with their experiences of inequality using new/refined dependent and independent variables in multilevel regression models. The quantitative spatial measures developed in (i) were linked to the SASAS 2017 data to develop a more nuanced analytical appreciation of how inequality impacts on residents' lives and their attitudes about inequality and redress.

The results of this project offer important new insights which will support national and local government when developing evidence-based policies to tackle inequality. It will enable policies in the areas of housing, urban planning and poverty alleviation to be informed by analysis of the lived experience of inequality, derived from an inter-play of highly context-specific qualitative enquiry and cutting-edge quantitative techniques.

This dataset is about cities and is filtered where the country includes South Africa, featuring 7 columns including city, continent, country, latitude, and longitude. The preview is ordered by population (descending).

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. As of 2024, the country counted over 232.6 million individuals, whereas Ethiopia, which ranked second, has around 132 million inhabitants. Egypt registered the largest population in North Africa, reaching nearly 116 million people. In terms of inhabitants per square kilometer, Nigeria only ranks seventh, while Mauritius has the highest population density on the whole African continent. The fastest-growing world region Africa is the second most populous continent in the world, after Asia. Nevertheless, Africa records the highest growth rate worldwide, with figures rising by over two percent every year. In some countries, such as Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad, the population increase peaks at over three percent. With so many births, Africa is also the youngest continent in the world. However, this coincides with a low life expectancy. African cities on the rise The last decades have seen high urbanization rates in Asia, mainly in China and India. However, African cities are currently growing at larger rates. Indeed, most of the fastest-growing cities in the world are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Gwagwalada, in Nigeria, and Kabinda, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ranked first worldwide. By 2035, instead, Africa's fastest-growing cities are forecast to be Bujumbura, in Burundi, and Zinder, Nigeria.

South Africa urban population for 2023 was 41,576,651, a 1.58% increase from 2022.

• South Africa urban population for 2022 was 40,928,486, a 1.57% increase from 2021.
• South Africa urban population for 2021 was 40,295,863, a 1.74% increase from 2020.
• South Africa urban population for 2020 was 39,605,450, a 1.98% increase from 2019.

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.

Abstract

The World Values Survey aims to attain a broad understanding of socio-political trends (i.e. perceptions, behaviour and expectations) among adults across the world.

Geographic coverage

National The sample was distributed as follows: 60% metropolitan (large cities with populations of 250 000+); 40% non-metropolitan (including cities, large towns, small towns, villages and rural areas)

Analysis unit

Individual

Universe

The sample included adults 16 years+ in South Africa

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample had to be representative of urban as well as rural populations. Roughly the distribution was as follows: - South Africa: 60% metropolitan (large cities with populations of 250 000+); 40% non-metropolitan (including cities, large towns, small towns, villages and rural areas).

A standard form of sampling instructions was sent to each agency to ensure uniformity in the sampling procedure. Markinor stratified the samples for each country by region, sex and community size. To this end, statistics and figures that were supplied to us by the agencies were used. However, we requested the agencies to revise these where necessary or where alternatives would be more effective. The agencies then supplied the street names for the urban starting points, and made suggestions for sampling procedures in rural areas where neither maps nor street names were available. From sample-point level, the respondent selection was done randomly according to a selection grid used by Markinor (the first two pages of the master questionnaire).

Substitution was permitted after three unsuccessful calls. Six interviews were conducted at each sample point. The male/female split was 50/50. The urban sample included all community sizes greater than 500 and the rural sample all community sizes less than 500. This is the definition of urban and rural used in South Africa.

Remarks about sampling: -Final numbers of clusters or sampling points: 500 -Sample unit from office sampling: Street Names

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The WVS questionnaire was translated from the English questionnaire by a specialist translator The translated questionnaire was pre-tested. The pre-tests were part of the general pilots. In total 20 pilots were conducted. The English questionnaire from the University of Michigan was used to make the WVS. Extra questions were added at the end of the questionnaire. Also, country specific questions were included at the end of the questionnaire, just before the demographics.The sample was designed to be representative of the entire adult population, i.e. 18 years and older, of your country. The lower age cut-off for the sample was 16 and there was not any upper age cut-off for the sample.

Cleaning operations

Some measures of coding reliability were employed. Each questionnaire is coded against the coding frame. A minimum of 10% of each coders work is checked to ensure consistency in interpretation. If any discrepancies in interpretation are World Values Survey (1999-2004) - South Africa 2001 v.2015.04.18 discovered, a 100% check is carried out on that particular coders work. Errors were corrected individually and automatically.

Sampling error estimates

The error margins for this survey can be calculated by taking the following factors into account: - all samples were random (as opposed to quota-controlled) - the sample size per country (or segment being analysed) - the substitution rate per country (or segment being analysed) - the rates were recorded on CARD 1; col. 805 of the questionnaire. From the substitution rate, the response rate can be calculated.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Pretoria, South Africa metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

South Africa ZA: Access to Electricity: Urban: % of Population data was reported at 92.852 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 92.370 % for 2015. South Africa ZA: Access to Electricity: Urban: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 87.445 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 92.852 % in 2016 and a record low of 81.671 % in 1990. South Africa ZA: Access to Electricity: Urban: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Energy Production and Consumption. Access to electricity, urban is the percentage of urban population with access to electricity.; ; World Bank, Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) database from the SE4ALL Global Tracking Framework led jointly by the World Bank, International Energy Agency, and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program.; Weighted average;

This horizontal bar chart displays urban population (people) by ISO 3 country code using the aggregation sum and is filtered where the country is South Africa. The data is about countries per year.

The High Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL) provides estimates of human population distribution at a resolution of 1 arc-second (approximately 30m) for the year 2015. The population estimates are based on recent census data and high-resolution (0.5m) satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe. The population grids provide detailed delineation of settlements in both urban and rural areas, which is useful for many research areas—from disaster response and humanitarian planning to the development of communications infrastructure. The settlement extent data were developed by the Connectivity Lab at Facebook using computer vision techniques to classify blocks of optical satellite data as settled (containing buildings) or not. Center for International Earth Science Information Networks (CIESIN) at Earth Institute Columbia University used proportional allocation to distribute population data from subnational census data to the settlement extents.

The data-sets contain the population surfaces, metadata, and data quality layers. The population data surfaces are stored as GeoTIFF files for use in remote sensing or geographic information system (GIS) software.

The data can also be explored via an interactive map - http://columbia.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=ce441db6aa54494cbc6c6cee11b95917

Citation: Facebook Connectivity Lab and Center for International Earth Science Information Network - CIESIN - Columbia University. 2016. High Resolution Settlement Layer (HRSL). Source imagery for HRSL © 2016 DigitalGlobe.

People using at least basic drinking water services, urban (% of urban population) in South Africa was reported at 99.11% in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - People using at least basic drinking water services, urban (% of urban population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.