Population aged 65 and over in South Africa in 2025 — 4,457,873 people. Ranked 31 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 699.2%.
1960–2025 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: South Africa
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.46M | +175,441 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 4.28M | +164,086 | +3.98% |
| 2023 | 4.12M | +150,064 | +3.78% |
| 2022 | 3.97M | +133,825 | +3.49% |
| 2021 | 3.83M | +134,405 | +3.63% |
| 2020 | 3.7M | +157,421 | +4.44% |
| 2019 | 3.54M | +156,787 | +4.63% |
| 2018 | 3.39M | +142,105 | +4.38% |
| 2017 | 3.24M | +109,617 | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 3.13M | +88,288 | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 3.05M | +81,987 | +2.77% |
| 2014 | 2.96M | +72,519 | +2.51% |
| 2013 | 2.89M | +67,623 | +2.39% |
| 2012 | 2.82M | +45,950 | +1.65% |
| 2011 | 2.78M | +31,069 | +1.13% |
| 2010 | 2.75M | +31,743 | +1.17% |
| 2009 | 2.71M | +38,719 | +1.45% |
| 2008 | 2.68M | +48,154 | +1.83% |
| 2007 | 2.63M | +50,716 | +1.97% |
| 2006 | 2.58M | +55,535 | +2.2% |
| 2005 | 2.52M | +60,965 | +2.48% |
| 2004 | 2.46M | +59,208 | +2.47% |
| 2003 | 2.4M | +56,357 | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 2.35M | +54,036 | +2.36% |
| 2001 | 2.29M | +52,807 | +2.36% |
| 2000 | 2.24M | +54,818 | +2.51% |
| 1999 | 2.18M | +62,697 | +2.96% |
| 1998 | 2.12M | +73,490 | +3.59% |
| 1997 | 2.05M | +91,293 | +4.67% |
| 1996 | 1.96M | +89,966 | +4.82% |
| 1995 | 1.87M | +84,764 | +4.76% |
| 1994 | 1.78M | +53,810 | +3.11% |
| 1993 | 1.73M | +34,922 | +2.06% |
| 1992 | 1.69M | +47,204 | +2.87% |
| 1991 | 1.65M | +34,785 | +2.16% |
| 1990 | 1.61M | +34,766 | +2.21% |
| 1989 | 1.58M | +40,424 | +2.63% |
| 1988 | 1.54M | +45,594 | +3.06% |
| 1987 | 1.49M | +48,490 | +3.36% |
| 1986 | 1.44M | +50,888 | +3.66% |
| 1985 | 1.39M | +57,122 | +4.28% |
| 1984 | 1.33M | +59,492 | +4.67% |
| 1983 | 1.27M | +54,830 | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 1.22M | +50,347 | +4.31% |
| 1981 | 1.17M | +45,745 | +4.07% |
| 1980 | 1.12M | +38,841 | +3.58% |
| 1979 | 1.08M | +33,828 | +3.22% |
| 1978 | 1.05M | +33,255 | +3.27% |
| 1977 | 1.02M | +32,387 | +3.29% |
| 1976 | 984,688 | +31,789 | +3.34% |
| 1975 | 952,899 | +31,513 | +3.42% |
| 1974 | 921,386 | +31,191 | +3.5% |
| 1973 | 890,195 | +30,994 | +3.61% |
| 1972 | 859,201 | +30,691 | +3.7% |
| 1971 | 828,510 | +31,084 | +3.9% |
| 1970 | 797,426 | +31,493 | +4.11% |
| 1969 | 765,933 | +30,834 | +4.19% |
| 1968 | 735,099 | +29,622 | +4.2% |
| 1967 | 705,477 | +27,924 | +4.12% |
| 1966 | 677,553 | +25,940 | +3.98% |
| 1965 | 651,613 | +23,804 | +3.79% |
| 1964 | 627,809 | +21,450 | +3.54% |
| 1963 | 606,359 | +18,998 | +3.23% |
| 1962 | 587,361 | +16,241 | +2.84% |
| 1961 | 571,120 | +13,301 | +2.38% |
| 1960 | 557,819 | — | — |
The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages
The population aged 65 and over. In absolute numbers this group is growing faster than any other: it expands both from the rise in life expectancy and from the entry of the large cohorts born in the middle of the 20th century. Japan and Italy lead by share of population, China and India by absolute number, and the divergence of the two rankings shows where the load on health care and pensions is larger in scale and where it is sharper.
Important: The threshold of 65 years is an international convention and is not tied to the retirement age of any particular country.
Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.
The share of older people in the population — the main measure of a country's aging.
Demography Children under 15How many children and adolescents younger than 15 there are in a country.
Demography Population aged 15–64How many people of working age a country has by the international definition.
Demography Life expectancy at birthLife expectancy at birth — how many years a newborn will live on average.
