Ethiopia vs South Africa: Population in largest city
Ethiopia
5.96 million
in 2025
South Africa
6.44 million
in 2025
Ethiopia rank
38th
South Africa rank
35th
Population in largest city over time
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 6.44 million against 5.96 million in Ethiopia, a difference of 487,900.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ethiopia's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Ethiopia ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 35th of 153 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 595,013 | 1.28 million | 681,488 | South Africa |
| 1970s | 912,430 | 1.49 million | 580,914 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 1.45 million | 1.87 million | 428,571 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 2.09 million | 2.47 million | 385,943 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2.63 million | 3.58 million | 942,644 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 3.82 million | 4.92 million | 1.11 million | South Africa |
| 2020s | 5.36 million | 6.12 million | 765,635 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in largest city, Ethiopia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 6.44 million against 5.96 million in Ethiopia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in largest city between Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 487,900, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for population in largest city?
- Ethiopia ranks 38th and South Africa ranks 35th of 153 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in largest city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.