Explore South Africa's latest macroeconomic trends and forecasts to inform business strategy and pinpoint opportunities and risks

The Population Density in South Africa (2018 - 2026, People per square kilometres)

  • The Population density in South Africa attained a value of 49.58 People per square kilometres in 2021

  • The indicator recorded a historical growth (CAGR) of 1.38% between 2018 to 2021, and is expected to grow by...

  • GlobalData projects the figure to grow at a CAGR of ...

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The Population Density in South Africa (2018 - 2026, People per square kilometres)

Published: Oct 2021
Source: GlobalData

Explore South Africa's latest macroeconomic trends and forecasts to inform business strategy and pinpoint opportunities and risks
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Population Density Overview of South Africa 

Between 2015-2021, the population density in South Africa was highest in the year 2021. The Population density reached 49.58 people per square kilometer in 2021. Between 2015 to 2021, the population density of South Africa grew by 9.4%. On a year-on-year basis, the population density increased by 0.9% in 2021. 

Global Population Density Outlook 

Population density is defined as the number of persons per square kilometer of land area.  

With a population density of 19,737 people per square kilometer, Macao in China was the most densely inhabited country in the world in 2020. Monaco ranked second in terms of population density with 19,361 people per square kilometer. China and Monaco were the only two countries globally that had a population density of more than 10,000 people per square kilometer. Singapore was rated third in terms of population density with 8,019 people per square kilometer in 2020. Singapore is followed by Hong Kong and Gibraltar, with a population density of 7,126 and 3,369 people per square kilometer. China, Monaco, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Gibraltar form the top five most densely populated countries in the world.   

Factors Affecting the Population Density of a Country   

Population growth of a country depends on multiple physical factors including the terrain, climate, water supply, and soil. Birth rates, death rates, healthcare facilities, increasing urbanization, immigration & emigration rates, education, and other social & cultural aspects strongly affect the distribution and density of the population of any country. 

Most Populated Cities of South Africa in 2021 

Bloemfontein is the judicial capital of South Africa and home to the Supreme Court of South Africa. With about 520,000 inhabitants, the city is the seventh-largest city in the country. Cape Town is another major city that has a population of 433,688 inhabitants and over 3.7 million in the metropolitan area. 

 

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