Population — all countries

Population — Southern Africa

Population in Southern Africa in 2025 — 74,021,756 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 297.3%.

2025 74.02M people +1.21% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 74.02M people2025
Period minimum 18.63M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population — Southern Africa, 1960–2025020M40M60M80M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 18,629,639 people1962: 19,717,646 people1964: 20,930,250 people1966: 22,226,244 people1968: 23,624,047 people1970: 25,088,675 people1972: 26,596,113 people1974: 28,194,284 people1976: 29,837,068 people1978: 31,551,701 people1980: 33,440,941 people1982: 35,763,300 people1984: 38,302,206 people1986: 40,873,116 people1988: 43,465,460 people1990: 46,103,391 people1992: 48,101,554 people1994: 49,919,385 people1996: 51,267,294 people1998: 52,581,226 people2000: 53,701,075 people2002: 54,708,268 people2004: 55,784,937 people2006: 56,894,180 people2008: 58,176,257 people2010: 59,594,874 people2012: 61,244,055 people2014: 63,295,409 people2016: 65,213,469 people2018: 66,842,001 people2020: 69,085,493 people2022: 71,212,991 people2024: 73,138,702 people2025: 74,021,756 people
Change over the period: +55.39M (+297.33%) Average annual rate: 2.15 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Southern Africa 74.02M people
World 8.22B people
Population — Southern Africa, by year Southern Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 74.02M +883,054 +1.21%
2024 73.14M +941,001 +1.3%
2023 72.2M +984,710 +1.38%
2022 71.21M +1.03M +1.47%
2021 70.18M +1.1M +1.59%
2020 69.09M +1.13M +1.66%
2019 67.96M +1.12M +1.67%
2018 66.84M +1.12M +1.7%
2017 65.72M +510,598 +0.78%
2016 65.21M +664,935 +1.03%
2015 64.55M +1.25M +1.98%
2014 63.3M +1.04M +1.67%
2013 62.26M +1.01M +1.66%
2012 61.24M +897,148 +1.49%
2011 60.35M +752,033 +1.26%
2010 59.59M +712,255 +1.21%
2009 58.88M +706,362 +1.21%
2008 58.18M +673,899 +1.17%
2007 57.5M +608,178 +1.07%
2006 56.89M +565,590 +1%
2005 56.33M +543,653 +0.97%
2004 55.78M +539,630 +0.98%
2003 55.25M +537,039 +0.98%
2002 54.71M +520,249 +0.96%
2001 54.19M +486,944 +0.91%
2000 53.7M +518,359 +0.97%
1999 53.18M +601,490 +1.14%
1998 52.58M +658,668 +1.27%
1997 51.92M +655,264 +1.28%
1996 51.27M +702,864 +1.39%
1995 50.56M +645,045 +1.29%
1994 49.92M +820,306 +1.67%
1993 49.1M +997,525 +2.07%
1992 48.1M +905,648 +1.92%
1991 47.2M +1.09M +2.37%
1990 46.1M +1.3M +2.91%
1989 44.8M +1.34M +3.07%
1988 43.47M +1.31M +3.1%
1987 42.16M +1.29M +3.15%
1986 40.87M +1.28M +3.24%
1985 39.59M +1.29M +3.37%
1984 38.3M +1.29M +3.47%
1983 37.02M +1.25M +3.5%
1982 35.76M +1.19M +3.46%
1981 34.57M +1.13M +3.37%
1980 33.44M +998,844 +3.08%
1979 32.44M +890,396 +2.82%
1978 31.55M +871,756 +2.84%
1977 30.68M +842,877 +2.82%
1976 29.84M +823,400 +2.84%
1975 29.01M +819,384 +2.91%
1974 28.19M +806,950 +2.95%
1973 27.39M +791,221 +2.97%
1972 26.6M +763,476 +2.96%
1971 25.83M +743,962 +2.97%
1970 25.09M +737,736 +3.03%
1969 24.35M +726,892 +3.08%
1968 23.62M +709,990 +3.1%
1967 22.91M +687,813 +3.09%
1966 22.23M +659,216 +3.06%
1965 21.57M +636,778 +3.04%
1964 20.93M +617,999 +3.04%
1963 20.31M +594,605 +3.02%
1962 19.72M +566,514 +2.96%
1961 19.15M +521,493 +2.8%
1960 18.63M

About the indicator

Total population counts all residents of a country regardless of legal status or citizenship, as of mid-year. The series follows the World Population Prospects revisions of the UN: national censuses and population registers are harmonized to a single de facto definition of population, so the figures may diverge from the official data of countries that count resident population instead.

Important: Values for the years after the latest census are estimates; for countries with heavy migration the gap with national statistics can reach several percent.

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