Land area (sq. km) in South Africa was reported at 1213090 sq. Km in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Land area (sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Forest area (% of land area) in South Africa was reported at 14 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Forest area (% of land area) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Arable land (% of land area) in South Africa was reported at 9.8921 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Arable land (% of land area) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. As of 2025, the country counted over 237.5 million individuals, whereas Ethiopia, which ranked second, has around 135.5 million inhabitants. Egypt registered the largest population in North Africa, reaching nearly 118.4 million people. In terms of inhabitants per square kilometer, Nigeria only ranked seventh, while Mauritius had the highest population density on the whole African continent in 2023. 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 Chad, South Sudan, Somalia, and the Central African Republic, the population increase peaks at over 3.4 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. African cities are also growing at large rates. Indeed, the continent has three megacities and is expected to add four more by 2050. Furthermore, Africa's fastest-growing cities are forecast to be Bujumbura, in Burundi, and Zinder, Nigeria, by 2035.

Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) in South Africa was reported at 9.5 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

As of April 2025, South Africa's GDP was estimated at over 410 billion U.S. dollars, the highest in Africa. Egypt followed, with a GDP worth around 347 billion U.S. dollars, and ranked as the second-highest on the continent. Algeria ranked third, with nearly 269 billion U.S. dollars. These African economies are among some of the fastest-growing economies worldwide. Dependency on oil For some African countries, the oil industry represents an enormous source of income. In Nigeria, oil generates over five percent of the country’s GDP in the third quarter of 2023. However, economies such as the Libyan, Algerian, or Angolan are even much more dependent on the oil sector. In Libya, for instance, oil rents account for over 40 percent of the GDP. Indeed, Libya is one of the economies most dependent on oil worldwide. Similarly, oil represents for some of Africa’s largest economies a substantial source of export value. The giants do not make the ranking Most of Africa’s largest economies do not appear in the leading ten African countries for GDP per capita. The GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country’s GDP by its population. Therefore, a populated country with a low total GDP will have a low GDP per capita, while a small rich nation has a high GDP per capita. For instance, South Africa has Africa’s highest GDP, but also counts the sixth-largest population, so wealth has to be divided into its big population. The GDP per capita also indicates how a country’s wealth reaches each of its citizens. In Africa, Seychelles has the greatest GDP per capita.

Key information about South Africa Total Exports

• South Africa Total Exports expanded 3.5 % YoY in Jan 2025, compared with a decrease of 2.9 % YoY in the previous month
• South Africa Total Exports Growth data is updated monthly, available from Oct 2005 to Jan 2025, with an averaged rate of 8.9 %
• The data reached an all-time high of 210.3 % in Apr 2021 and a record low of -49.9 % in Apr 2020

CEIC calculates Total Exports Growth from monthly Total Exports. South African Revenue Service provides Total Exports, FOB, in local currency. Total Exports Growth prior to January 2011 exclude Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.


Further information about South Africa Total Exports

• In the latest reports, South Africa Total Exports recorded 8.0 USD bn in Jan 2025
• Total Imports recorded 8.8 USD bn in Jan 2025, which registered an increase of 7.6 % year on year
• South Africa Trade Balance recorded a deficit of 877.5 USD mn in Jan 2025

Permanent cropland (% of land area) in South Africa was reported at 0.34045 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Permanent cropland (% of land area) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

As of 2023, the total population of Africa was over 1.48 billion. The number of inhabitants on the continent increased annually from 2000 onwards. In comparison, the total population was around 831 million in 2000. According to forecasts, Africa will experience impressive population growth in the coming years and will close the gap with the Asian population by 2100. Over 200 million people in Nigeria Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. In 2025, the country’s population exceeded 237 million people. Ethiopia followed with a population of around 135 million, while Egypt ranked third, accounting for approximately 118 million individuals. Other leading African countries in terms of population were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya. Additionally, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad recorded the highest population growth rate on the continent in 2023, with the number of residents rising by over 3.08 percent compared to the previous year. On the other hand, the populations of Tunisia and Eswatini registered a growth rate below 0.85 percent, while for Mauritius and Seychelles, it was negative. Drivers for population growth Several factors have driven Africa’s population growth. For instance, the annual number of births on the continent has risen constantly over the years, jumping from nearly 32 million in 2000 to almost 46 million in 2023. Moreover, despite the constant decline in the number of births per woman, the continent’s fertility rate has remained considerably above the global average. Each woman in Africa had an average of over four children throughout her reproductive years as of 2023, compared to a world rate of around two births per woman. At the same time, improved health and living conditions contributed to decreasing mortality rate and increasing life expectancy in recent years, driving population growth.

Surface area (sq. km) in South Africa was reported at 1219090 sq. Km in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Surface area (sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Key information about South Africa Total Exports

• South Africa Total Exports recorded 8.0 USD bn in Jan 2025, compared with 8.7 USD bn in the previous month
• South Africa Total Exports data is updated monthly, available from Oct 2004 to Jan 2025, with an averaged value of 7.6 USD bn
• The data reached an all-time high of 12.5 USD bn in Mar 2022 and a record low of 2.8 USD bn in Apr 2020

CEIC converts monthly Total Exports into USD. South African Revenue Service provides Total Exports, FOB, in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Total Exports prior to January 2010 exclude Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.


Further information about South Africa Total Exports

• In the latest reports, South Africa Total Exports grew 3.5 % YoY in Jan 2025
• Total Imports recorded 8.8 USD bn in Jan 2025, which registered an increase of 7.6 % year on year
• South Africa Trade Balance recorded a deficit of 877.5 USD mn in Jan 2025

Key information about South Africa Total Imports

• South Africa Total Imports recorded 8.8 USD bn in Jan 2025, compared with a value of 7.9 USD bn in the previous month
• South Africa Total Imports data is updated monthly, available from Oct 2004 to Jan 2025, with an average number of 7.4 USD bn
• The data reached an all-time high of 10.2 USD bn in Mar 2023 and a record low of 3.9 USD bn in Feb 2005

CEIC converts monthly Total Imports into USD. South African Revenue Service provides Total Imports, FOB, in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Total Imports prior to January 2010 exclude Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland.


Further information about South Africa Total Imports

• In the latest reports, South Africa Total Imports grew 7.6 % YoY in Jan 2025
• Total Exports grew 3.5 % YoY, to 8.0 USD bn in Jan 2025
• South Africa Trade Balance recorded a deficit of 877.5 USD mn in Jan 2025

As of 2022, South Africa's population increased and counted approximately 60.6 million inhabitants in total, of which the majority (roughly 49.1 million) were Black Africans. Individuals with an Indian or Asian background formed the smallest population group, counting approximately 1.56 million people overall. Looking at the population from a regional perspective, Gauteng (includes Johannesburg) is the smallest province of South Africa, though highly urbanized with a population of nearly 16 million people.

Increase in number of households

The total number of households increased annually between 2002 and 2022. Between this period, the number of households in South Africa grew by approximately 65 percent. Furthermore, households comprising two to three members were more common in urban areas (39.2 percent) than they were in rural areas (30.6 percent). Households with six or more people, on the other hand, amounted to 19.3 percent in rural areas, being roughly twice as common as those in urban areas.

Main sources of income

The majority of the households in South Africa had salaries or grants as a main source of income in 2019. Roughly 10.7 million drew their income from regular wages, whereas 7.9 million households received social grants paid by the government for citizens in need of state support.

Cairo, in Egypt, ranked as the most populated city in Africa as of 2025, with an estimated population of over 23 million inhabitants living in Greater Cairo. Kinshasa, in Congo, and Lagos, in Nigeria, followed with some 17.8 million and 17.2 million, respectively. Among the 15 largest cities in the continent, another one, Kano, was located in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. Population density trends in Africa As of 2023, Africa exhibited a population density of 50.1 individuals per square kilometer. Since 2000, the population density across the continent has been experiencing a consistent annual increment. Projections indicated that the average population residing within each square kilometer would rise to approximately 58.5 by the year 2030. Moreover, Mauritius stood out as the African nation with the most elevated population density, exceeding 627 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 45.5 percent in 2024. Urbanization across the continent has consistently risen since 2000, with urban areas accommodating only around a third of the total population then. This trajectory is projected to continue its rise in the years ahead. Nevertheless, the distribution between rural and urban populations shows remarkable diversity throughout the continent. In 2024, Gabon and Libya stood out as Africa’s most urbanized nations, each surpassing 80 percent urbanization. As of the same year, Africa's population was estimated to expand by 2.27 percent compared to the preceding year. Since 2000, the population growth rate across the continent has consistently exceeded 2.3 percent, reaching its pinnacle at 2.63 percent in 2013. Although the growth rate has experienced a deceleration, Africa's population will persistently grow significantly in the forthcoming years.

Key information about South Africa Total Exports to China

• South Africa Total Exports to China recorded 934.436 USD mn in Jan 2025, compared with 997.883 USD mn in the previous month
• South Africa Total Exports to China data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1998 to Jan 2025, with an averaged value of 574.478 USD mn
• The data reached an all-time high of 1.698 USD bn in Mar 2018 and a record low of 4.921 USD mn in Aug 1998

CEIC converts monthly Total Exports to China into USD. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition provides Total Exports to China, FOB, in local currency. The Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Total Exports to China prior to January 2009 is sourced from the International Monetary Fund.

Key information about South Africa Total Imports from USA

• South Africa Total Imports from USA recorded 636.387 USD mn in Jan 2025, compared with 432.272 USD mn in the previous month
• South Africa Total Imports from USA data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1998 to Jan 2025, with an averaged value of 458.348 USD mn
• The data reached an all-time high of 1.094 USD bn in Mar 2017 and a record low of 0.821 USD mn in Feb 2021

CEIC converts monthly Total Imports from USA into USD. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition provides Total Imports from USA, FOB, in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Total Imports from USA prior to January 2009 is sourced from the International Monetary Fund.

In 2025, the total ratios of medical specialties per 100,000 population in South Africa are expected to make minor improvements in some areas of expertise compared to those ratios recorded in 2019. However, the actual ratios are presumed to be lower than the recommended target ratios in all specialties, with anesthesiology having the biggest capacity shortage at ****, with the recommended target being ****. On the other hand, nuclear physicians are expected to make the most notable improvements and only fall short of the recommended target by ****.

The total population of South Africa amounted to approximately 63.20 million people in 2024. Following a continuous upward trend, the total population has risen by around 34.12 million people since 1980. Between 2024 and 2030, the total population will rise by around 5.88 million people, continuing its consistent upward trajectory.This indicator describes the total population in the country at hand. This total population of the country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.

Statistics illustrates consumption, production, prices, and trade of Carpets and other textile floor coverings; of felt, (not tufted or flocked), whether or not made up, having a maximum surface area exceeding 0.3 m2 but not exceeding 1 m2 in South Africa from Jan 2019 to Sep 2025.

Key information about South Africa Total Exports to USA

• South Africa Total Exports to USA recorded 521.985 USD mn in Jan 2025, compared with 601.227 USD mn in the previous Dec 2024
• South Africa Total Exports to USA data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1998 to Jan 2025, with an averaged value of 516.767 USD mn
• The data reached an all-time high of 1.463 USD bn in May 2021 and a record low of 99.616 USD mn in Dec 1998

CEIC converts monthly Total Exports to USA into USD. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition provides Total Exports to USA, FOB, in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Total Exports to USA prior to January 2009 exclude Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland and prior to January 2007 is sourced from the International Monetary Fund.