South Africa — Population growth
Population Growth (Annual %) for South Africa, 1961–2025.
Population growth for South Africa was 1.15% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 3.49% in 1983. The lowest was 0.65% in 2017 (about 1.8× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -1.38% per year.
South Africa ranks 93 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 43%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 2.30%, so South Africa sits below it. It peaked in 1983 and has fallen 67% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 43%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 43 of 48 economies; Seychelles (1.13%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 157% in 2018. That is 17% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 67th of 216 in 1961 → 40th of 216 in 1970 → 46th of 216 in 1980 → 56th of 216 in 1990 → 141st of 217 in 2000 → 108th of 217 in 2010 → 75th of 217 in 2020 → 93rd of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.15% | -0.1 pp |
| 2024 | 1.25% | -0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 1.33% | -0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 1.41% | -0.1 pp |
| 2021 | 1.54% | -0.1 pp |
| 2020 | 1.62% | -0.0 pp |
| 2019 | 1.65% | -0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 1.68% | +1.0 pp |
| 2017 | 0.65% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 0.94% | -1.1 pp |
| 2015 | 2.01% | +0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 1.66% | +0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 1.65% | +0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 1.47% | +0.2 pp |
| 2011 | 1.24% | +0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 1.18% | -0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 1.19% | +0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 1.15% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 1.06% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 1.02% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 1.01% | +0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 1.01% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 1% | +0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 0.95% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 0.86% | -0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 0.91% | -0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 1.09% | -0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 1.21% | +0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 1.2% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 1.3% | +0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 1.21% | -0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 1.62% | -0.4 pp |
| 1993 | 1.99% | +0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 1.8% | -0.5 pp |
| 1991 | 2.28% | -0.5 pp |
| 1990 | 2.78% | -0.2 pp |
| 1989 | 2.94% | -0.1 pp |
| 1988 | 3.05% | -0.1 pp |
| 1987 | 3.12% | -0.1 pp |
| 1986 | 3.2% | -0.1 pp |
| 1985 | 3.33% | -0.1 pp |
| 1984 | 3.46% | -0.0 pp |
| 1983 | 3.49% | +0.0 pp |
| 1982 | 3.46% | +0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 3.4% | +0.4 pp |
| 1980 | 3.04% | +0.3 pp |
| 1979 | 2.71% | -0.0 pp |
| 1978 | 2.73% | +0.0 pp |
| 1977 | 2.7% | -0.0 pp |
| 1976 | 2.71% | -0.1 pp |
| 1975 | 2.77% | -0.1 pp |
| 1974 | 2.82% | -0.0 pp |
| 1973 | 2.86% | -0.0 pp |
| 1972 | 2.87% | -0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 2.93% | -0.1 pp |
| 1970 | 3.03% | -0.1 pp |
| 1969 | 3.09% | -0.0 pp |
| 1968 | 3.12% | -0.0 pp |
| 1967 | 3.12% | +0.0 pp |
| 1966 | 3.1% | +0.0 pp |
| 1965 | 3.07% | +0.0 pp |
| 1964 | 3.05% | +0.0 pp |
| 1963 | 3.03% | +0.1 pp |
| 1962 | 2.97% | +0.2 pp |
| 1961 | 2.81% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was South Africa’s Population growth in 1962?
2.97% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is South Africa’s Population growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -59.0% in total — about 1.4% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.GROW. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 1.15%; 2024: 1.25%; 2023: 1.33%; 2022: 1.41%; 2021: 1.54%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.GROW — Population Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.