Population aged 15–64 — all countries

Population aged 15–64 — Southern Africa

Population aged 15–64 in Southern Africa in 2025 — 49,367,726 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 389.6%.

2025 49.37M people +1.2% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 49.37M people2025
Period minimum 10.08M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population aged 15–64 — Southern Africa, 1960–2025020M40M60M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 10,083,844 people1962: 10,665,958 people1964: 11,323,880 people1966: 11,994,110 people1968: 12,719,823 people1970: 13,491,997 people1972: 14,314,097 people1974: 15,211,296 people1976: 16,146,938 people1978: 17,161,443 people1980: 18,325,866 people1982: 19,830,234 people1984: 21,420,305 people1986: 23,050,147 people1988: 24,741,193 people1990: 26,571,097 people1992: 27,800,166 people1994: 29,012,848 people1996: 29,549,685 people1998: 30,713,576 people2000: 32,126,261 people2002: 33,564,071 people2004: 34,971,056 people2006: 36,170,662 people2008: 37,357,252 people2010: 38,568,287 people2012: 39,916,046 people2014: 41,431,465 people2016: 42,716,291 people2018: 43,893,737 people2020: 45,707,320 people2022: 47,399,159 people2024: 48,780,711 people2025: 49,367,726 people
Change over the period: +39.28M (+389.57%) Average annual rate: 2.47 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Southern Africa 49.37M people
World 5.36B people
Population aged 15–64 — Southern Africa, by year Southern Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 49.37M +587,015 +1.2%
2024 48.78M +661,209 +1.37%
2023 48.12M +720,343 +1.52%
2022 47.4M +795,524 +1.71%
2021 46.6M +896,315 +1.96%
2020 45.71M +915,031 +2.04%
2019 44.79M +898,552 +2.05%
2018 43.89M +892,224 +2.07%
2017 43M +285,222 +0.67%
2016 42.72M +369,267 +0.87%
2015 42.35M +915,559 +2.21%
2014 41.43M +757,499 +1.86%
2013 40.67M +757,920 +1.9%
2012 39.92M +700,788 +1.79%
2011 39.22M +646,971 +1.68%
2010 38.57M +619,021 +1.63%
2009 37.95M +592,014 +1.58%
2008 37.36M +595,863 +1.62%
2007 36.76M +590,727 +1.63%
2006 36.17M +585,814 +1.65%
2005 35.58M +613,792 +1.76%
2004 34.97M +677,258 +1.97%
2003 34.29M +729,727 +2.17%
2002 33.56M +736,042 +2.24%
2001 32.83M +701,768 +2.18%
2000 32.13M +697,363 +2.22%
1999 31.43M +715,322 +2.33%
1998 30.71M +695,245 +2.32%
1997 30.02M +468,646 +1.59%
1996 29.55M +345,962 +1.18%
1995 29.2M +190,875 +0.66%
1994 29.01M +487,728 +1.71%
1993 28.53M +724,954 +2.61%
1992 27.8M +498,989 +1.83%
1991 27.3M +730,080 +2.75%
1990 26.57M +920,132 +3.59%
1989 25.65M +909,772 +3.68%
1988 24.74M +856,495 +3.59%
1987 23.88M +834,551 +3.62%
1986 23.05M +821,453 +3.7%
1985 22.23M +808,389 +3.77%
1984 21.42M +800,846 +3.88%
1983 20.62M +789,225 +3.98%
1982 19.83M +768,133 +4.03%
1981 19.06M +736,235 +4.02%
1980 18.33M +630,321 +3.56%
1979 17.7M +534,102 +3.11%
1978 17.16M +521,727 +3.14%
1977 16.64M +492,778 +3.05%
1976 16.15M +470,221 +3%
1975 15.68M +465,421 +3.06%
1974 15.21M +454,817 +3.08%
1973 14.76M +442,382 +3.09%
1972 14.31M +420,939 +3.03%
1971 13.89M +401,161 +2.97%
1970 13.49M +390,294 +2.98%
1969 13.1M +381,880 +3%
1968 12.72M +370,928 +3%
1967 12.35M +354,785 +2.96%
1966 11.99M +338,218 +2.9%
1965 11.66M +332,012 +2.93%
1964 11.32M +333,424 +3.03%
1963 10.99M +324,498 +3.04%
1962 10.67M +303,923 +2.93%
1961 10.36M +278,191 +2.76%
1960 10.08M

About the indicator

The population aged 15 to 64 inclusive — the group that international statistics treat as working age regardless of the national retirement age. Its growth relative to the other groups is called the demographic dividend: it gives a country a period when workers are many and dependents are few. That period is finite, and this series shows which countries are passing through it now and which have already passed it.

Important: The 15–64 bounds are a convention and do not coincide with the retirement age in any country. This is not the number of people employed — the labor force indicator covers that.

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