Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita was 0.3607 units per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
In 2025, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita in South Africa stood at 0.3607 units per person. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.3607 units per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.217 units per person, in 1989.
That places South Africa 26th out of 121 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.2444 units per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.2445 units per person | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 0.2442 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 0.2438 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 0.2434 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 0.2429 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 0.2424 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 0.2418 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 0.2413 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 0.2408 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 0.2403 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 0.2387 units per person | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 0.2374 units per person | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 0.236 units per person | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 0.2349 units per person | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 0.2338 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 0.233 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 0.2322 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 0.2313 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 0.2306 units per person | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 0.2291 units per person | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 0.2268 units per person | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 0.2245 units per person | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 0.2221 units per person | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 0.2199 units per person | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 0.2183 units per person | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 0.2177 units per person | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 0.2173 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 0.217 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 0.217 units per person | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.2173 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 0.2194 units per person | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 0.2242 units per person | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 0.2287 units per person | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.2342 units per person | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 0.241 units per person | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 0.2478 units per person | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 0.2538 units per person | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 0.2595 units per person | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 0.2657 units per person | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 0.2725 units per person | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 0.2797 units per person | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 0.2847 units per person | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 0.2887 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 0.2929 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 0.2971 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 0.3013 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 0.3056 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 0.3097 units per person | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 0.3137 units per person | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 0.3178 units per person | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 0.3219 units per person | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 0.3253 units per person | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 0.3282 units per person | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 0.3311 units per person | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 0.3329 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 0.3383 units per person | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 0.3449 units per person | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 0.3481 units per person | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 0.3497 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.3512 units per person | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.3529 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 0.3548 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 0.3567 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 0.3587 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 0.3607 units per person | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.243 units per person | 0.2408 units per person | 0.2445 units per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2348 units per person | 0.2306 units per person | 0.2403 units per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.221 units per person | 0.217 units per person | 0.2291 units per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2392 units per person | 0.2173 units per person | 0.2657 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2946 units per person | 0.2725 units per person | 0.3137 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3338 units per person | 0.3178 units per person | 0.3497 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3558 units per person | 0.3512 units per person | 0.3607 units per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More urban development data for South Africa
- Population in the largest city 15.6% (2025)
- Population density 52.11 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 23.36 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 18.59 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 6.44 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 8.05 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 750.74 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita in South Africa?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita in South Africa was 0.3607 units per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3607 units per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.217 units per person in 1989.
- How does South Africa rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 26th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.