South Africa: Population density

The latest value from 2023 is 52 people per square km, an increase from 51 people per square km in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 471 people per square km, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for South Africa from 1961 to 2023 is 33 people per square km. The minimum value, 14 people per square km, was reached in 1961 while the maximum of 52 people per square km was recorded in 2023. See the global rankings or world map for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

Definition: Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.