World StatisticsSouth Africa: key statistics
Last updated:
RegionSub-Saharan Africa
Income groupUpper middle income
CapitalPretoria
| Indicators | Value | Year | # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 2025 | rank 24 of 217 |
| GDP (current US$, billions) | 427.2 | 2025 | rank 40 of 214 |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | 6,598 | 2025 | rank 126 of 214 |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 1.1 | 2025 | rank 170 of 214 |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) | 3.2 | 2025 | rank 94 of 193 |
| Unemployment (% of labour force, ILO estimate) | 32.4 | 2025 | rank 2 of 187 |
| Life expectancy at birth (years) | 66.3 | 2024 | rank 183 of 217 |
| Fertility rate (births per woman) | 2.20 | 2024 | rank 94 of 217 |
| Population aged 65 and above (% of total) | 6.9 | 2025 | rank 126 of 217 |
| Urban population (% of total) | 63.8 | 2025 | rank 111 of 217 |
| Internet users (% of population) | 78.4 | 2024 | rank 113 of 213 |
| Surface area (km²) | 1,219,090 | 2023 | rank 24 of 216 |
| Population density (people per km² of land) | 52.1 | 2023 | rank 151 of 216 |
| Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) | 31.4 | 2025 | rank 117 of 193 |
Population — Trend since 2000
GDP per capita (current US$) — Trend since 2000
History and rank by indicator
- Population
- GDP (current US$, billions)
- GDP per capita (current US$)
- GDP growth (annual %)
- Inflation, consumer prices (annual %)
- Unemployment (% of labour force, ILO estimate)
- Life expectancy at birth (years)
- Fertility rate (births per woman)
- Population aged 65 and above (% of total)
- Urban population (% of total)
- Internet users (% of population)
- Surface area (km²)
- Population density (people per km² of land)
- Exports of goods and services (% of GDP)
Method
For each indicator and economy the most recent non-empty year is used, so years can differ between countries. Ranks compare only economies that have data. Aggregates (regions, income groups) are excluded from rankings; the world value is shown for reference. Values are as published by the World Bank and are revised several times a year.
About this page
South Africa is in the World Bank region “Sub-Saharan Africa” and the income group “Upper middle income”.