Iran, Islamic Republic of vs South Africa: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million
Iran, Islamic Republic of
23.31 million
in 2025
South Africa
23.36 million
in 2025
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
18th
South Africa rank
17th
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million over time
- Iran, Islamic Republic of
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 23.36 million against 23.31 million in Iran, Islamic Republic of, a difference of 47,600.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Africa ahead.
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 17th of 121 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Iran, Islamic Republic of averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran, Islamic Republic of | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.21 million | 4.59 million | 372,789 | South Africa |
| 1970s | 7.01 million | 5.95 million | 1.06 million | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
| 1980s | 11.03 million | 7.61 million | 3.42 million | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
| 1990s | 14.33 million | 10.56 million | 3.76 million | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
| 2000s | 17.19 million | 14.54 million | 2.64 million | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
| 2010s | 20.28 million | 18.69 million | 1.59 million | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
| 2020s | 22.59 million | 22.33 million | 264,467 | Iran, Islamic Republic of |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, Iran, Islamic Republic of or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 23.36 million against 23.31 million in Iran, Islamic Republic of as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million between Iran, Islamic Republic of and South Africa?
- 47,600, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Iran, Islamic Republic of and South Africa rank globally for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 17th of 121 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.