Population — Total Population - Both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Population — Total Population - Both sexes was 63,212 1000 No in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population — Total Population - Both sexes in South Africa, 2010–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 No.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population — total population - both sexes in South Africa is 63,212 1000 No, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 15.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population — total population - both sexes in South Africa peaked at 63,212 1000 No in 2023 and was at its lowest, 52,344 1000 No, in 2010.
South Africa ranks 18th of 164 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Population — Total Population - Both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | 1000 No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 52,344 1000 No | — |
| 2011 | 52,995 1000 No | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 53,783 1000 No | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 54,679 1000 No | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 55,595 1000 No | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 56,724 1000 No | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 57,260 1000 No | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 57,635 1000 No | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 58,613 1000 No | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 59,588 1000 No | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 60,562 1000 No | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 61,503 1000 No | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 62,378 1000 No | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 63,212 1000 No | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 55,921 1000 No | 52,344 1000 No | 59,588 1000 No | 10 |
| 2020s | 61,914 1000 No | 60,562 1000 No | 63,212 1000 No | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3618 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 2.8% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 2.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population — total population - both sexes in South Africa?
- Population — total population - both sexes in South Africa was 63,212 1000 No in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest population — total population - both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 63,212 1000 No in 2023.
- What is the lowest population — total population - both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 52,344 1000 No in 2010.
- How does South Africa rank for population — total population - both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 18th out of 164 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population — total population - both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Population — Total Population - Both sexes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
A food balance sheet presents a comprehensive picture of the pattern of a country's food supply during a specified reference period. The food balance sheet shows for each food item - i.e. each primary commodity and a number of processed commodities potentially available for human consumption - the sources of supply and its utilization. The total quantity of foodstuffs produced in a country added to the total quantity imported and adjusted to any change in stocks that may have occurred since the beginning of the reference period gives the supply available during that period. On the utilization side a distinction is made between the quantities exported, fed to livestock, used for seed, put to manufacture for food use and non-food uses, losses during storage and transportation, and food supplies available for human consumption. The per caput supply of each such food item available for human consumption is then obtained by dividing the respective quantity by the related data on the population actually partaking of it. Data on per capita food supplies are expressed in terms of quantity and - by applying appropriate food composition factors for all primary and processed products - also in terms of caloric value and protein and fat content.