Madagascar vs South Africa: Population density
Population density over time
- Madagascar
- South Africa
How they compare
Madagascar currently reports 53.62 people per sq. km of land area against 52.11 people per sq. km of land area in South Africa, a difference of 1.51 people per sq. km of land area.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was South Africa ahead.
Madagascar ranks 150th and South Africa ranks 151st of 216 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Madagascar averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Madagascar | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.04 people per sq. km of land area | 15.8 people per sq. km of land area | 5.76 people per sq. km of land area | South Africa |
| 1970s | 13.17 people per sq. km of land area | 20.92 people per sq. km of land area | 7.76 people per sq. km of land area | South Africa |
| 1980s | 17.73 people per sq. km of land area | 28.44 people per sq. km of land area | 10.71 people per sq. km of land area | South Africa |
| 1990s | 23.92 people per sq. km of land area | 36.31 people per sq. km of land area | 12.38 people per sq. km of land area | South Africa |
| 2000s | 32.58 people per sq. km of land area | 40.65 people per sq. km of land area | 8.07 people per sq. km of land area | South Africa |
| 2010s | 43.21 people per sq. km of land area | 46.1 people per sq. km of land area | 2.89 people per sq. km of land area | South Africa |
| 2020s | 51.68 people per sq. km of land area | 51.04 people per sq. km of land area | 0.6453 people per sq. km of land area | Madagascar |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population density, Madagascar or South Africa?
- Madagascar, at 53.62 people per sq. km of land area against 52.11 people per sq. km of land area in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in population density between Madagascar and South Africa?
- 1.51 people per sq. km of land area, with Madagascar ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Madagascar and South Africa?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do Madagascar and South Africa rank globally for population density?
- Madagascar ranks 150th and South Africa ranks 151st of 216 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.