Children under 15 — all countries

Children under 15 — Southern Africa

Children under 15 in Southern Africa in 2025 — 19,827,937 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 151.1%.

2025 19.83M people +0.55% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 19.83M people2025
Period minimum 7.9M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Children under 15 — Southern Africa, 1960–20255M10M15M20M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 7,896,741 people1962: 8,370,384 people1964: 8,881,509 people1966: 9,453,609 people1968: 10,063,282 people1970: 10,688,807 people1972: 11,308,160 people1974: 11,942,515 people1976: 12,580,993 people1978: 13,208,922 people1980: 13,853,114 people1982: 14,566,345 people1984: 15,391,342 people1986: 16,214,312 people1988: 17,011,588 people1990: 17,735,022 people1992: 18,413,483 people1994: 18,921,629 people1996: 19,549,850 people1998: 19,526,489 people2000: 19,107,494 people2002: 18,562,353 people2004: 18,109,998 people2006: 17,897,484 people2008: 17,889,535 people2010: 18,021,305 people2012: 18,238,407 people2014: 18,623,461 people2016: 19,073,506 people2018: 19,257,994 people2020: 19,357,594 people2022: 19,513,418 people2024: 19,719,405 people2025: 19,827,937 people
Change over the period: +11.93M (+151.09%) Average annual rate: 1.43 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Southern Africa

Southern Africa 19.83M people
World 2.01B people
Children under 15 — Southern Africa, by year Southern Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 19.83M +108,532 +0.55%
2024 19.72M +103,309 +0.53%
2023 19.62M +102,678 +0.53%
2022 19.51M +94,274 +0.49%
2021 19.42M +61,550 +0.32%
2020 19.36M +45,399 +0.24%
2019 19.31M +54,201 +0.28%
2018 19.26M +75,832 +0.4%
2017 19.18M +108,656 +0.57%
2016 19.07M +201,061 +1.07%
2015 18.87M +248,984 +1.34%
2014 18.62M +200,780 +1.09%
2013 18.42M +184,274 +1.01%
2012 18.24M +146,549 +0.81%
2011 18.09M +70,553 +0.39%
2010 18.02M +58,547 +0.33%
2009 17.96M +73,223 +0.41%
2008 17.89M +27,684 +0.15%
2007 17.86M −35,633 −0.2%
2006 17.9M −78,461 −0.44%
2005 17.98M −134,053 −0.74%
2004 18.11M −199,958 −1.09%
2003 18.31M −252,397 −1.36%
2002 18.56M −273,504 −1.45%
2001 18.84M −271,637 −1.42%
2000 19.11M −238,081 −1.23%
1999 19.35M −180,914 −0.93%
1998 19.53M −114,456 −0.58%
1997 19.64M +91,095 +0.47%
1996 19.55M +262,863 +1.36%
1995 19.29M +365,358 +1.93%
1994 18.92M +274,669 +1.47%
1993 18.65M +233,477 +1.27%
1992 18.41M +355,220 +1.97%
1991 18.06M +323,241 +1.82%
1990 17.74M +342,827 +1.97%
1989 17.39M +380,607 +2.24%
1988 17.01M +398,018 +2.4%
1987 16.61M +399,258 +2.46%
1986 16.21M +404,215 +2.56%
1985 15.81M +418,755 +2.72%
1984 15.39M +420,689 +2.81%
1983 14.97M +404,308 +2.78%
1982 14.57M +371,939 +2.62%
1981 14.19M +341,292 +2.46%
1980 13.85M +325,610 +2.41%
1979 13.53M +318,582 +2.41%
1978 13.21M +313,310 +2.43%
1977 12.9M +314,619 +2.5%
1976 12.58M +318,571 +2.6%
1975 12.26M +319,907 +2.68%
1974 11.94M +318,647 +2.74%
1973 11.62M +315,708 +2.79%
1972 11.31M +309,768 +2.82%
1971 11M +309,585 +2.9%
1970 10.69M +313,714 +3.02%
1969 10.38M +311,811 +3.1%
1968 10.06M +306,980 +3.15%
1967 9.76M +302,693 +3.2%
1966 9.45M +292,942 +3.2%
1965 9.16M +279,158 +3.14%
1964 8.88M +261,494 +3.03%
1963 8.62M +249,631 +2.98%
1962 8.37M +244,967 +3.01%
1961 8.13M +228,676 +2.9%
1960 7.9M

About the indicator

The population aged 0 to 14 inclusive. The absolute number answers a different question than the share — not how young the country is, but how many children are in it, and it is this number that is needed to gauge the load on schools, pediatric care and child nutrition. The world total for the group has almost stopped growing: fertility is falling faster than population is rising.

Important: Estimates of the UN Population Division rather than census counts: values are interpolated for the years between censuses.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.