COUNTRY PROFILE / ZAF
South Africa
ZAF / ZA
For South Africa, population is 64,747,319 people (2025, #24/215) and area is 1,219,090 km² (2023, #24/215). This profile covers 90 comparable rankings and 9 thematic maps. Largest religious group: Christianity (2015 / 86%); Main language: English.
01 / BASIC INFORMATION
South Africa in numbers.
02 / JAPAN COMPARISON & TRENDS
Compare South Africa with Japan and track change.
JAPAN REFERENCE
In the recorded data for South Africa, population is about 52.5% of Japan's value and area is about 3.23 times Japan's value. Reference years can differ, so check the year shown for each value.
| Indicator | South Africa | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 people2025 / About 52.5% of Japan's value | 123,366,734 people2025 |
| Area | 1,219,090 km²2023 / About 3.23 times Japan's value | 377,969 km²2023 |
| Population density | 53.1 people/km²Population 2025 · area 2023 / About 16.3% of Japan's value | 326.4 people/km²Population 2025 · area 2023 |
| Life expectancy | 66.31 years2024 / 17.72 years shorter than Japan | 84.04 years2024 |
| GDP per capita | US$ 6,5982025 / About 18.4% of Japan's value | US$ 35,9512025 |
RECORDED CHANGE OVER TIME
Population
2000 → 2025Recorded population moved from 47,159,719 people in 2000 to 64,747,319 people in 2025, an increase of about 37.3%.Life expectancy
2000 → 2024Recorded life expectancy moved from 58.37 years in 2000 to 66.31 years in 2024, an increase of 7.94 years.GDP per capita
2000 → 2025Recorded GDP per capita moved from US$ 3,218 in 2000 to US$ 6,598 in 2025, an increase of about 105%. The values are in current US dollars, so exchange rates and inflation affect the comparison.03 / ALL RANKINGS
85 additional rankings for South Africa.
85 rankings in 9 categories
Essentials5 rankings
People & society12 rankings
Health10 rankings
Economy & work23 rankings
Education & science6 rankings
Food & agriculture6 rankings
Environment & digital14 rankings
Safety & politics6 rankings
Travel & culture3 rankings
04 / CULTURE & INDUSTRY