Country profile · Africa · ZAF
South Africa: area, population and density
South Africa has 1,213,090 sq km of land and a 2025 population estimate of 64,747,319; calculated population density is 53 people/km².
Sources: World Bank — Land area · 2023 · World Bank — Population, total · 2025.
South Africa ranks 24th of 196 by land area, 24th by population and 135th by calculated population density among the the supported country set. Density uses the displayed population divided by land area converted to square kilometres.
- Land area
- 1,213,090 sq kmWorld Bank — Land area · 2023
- Population
- 64,747,319World Bank — Population, total · 2025
- Calculated density
- 53 people/km²Population ÷ land area in km²
Reading the figures
South Africa in the country comparison set
South Africa has 1,213,090 sq km of land area and a population value of 64,747,319 for 2025. In the 196-profile supported country set, it is 24th by land area, 24th by population, and 135th by calculated density.
Density is calculated from the two values above; it is not presented as an independent statistic. World Bank population and land-area series can refer to different years, so both years remain visible.
Country outline: Natural Earth Admin 0 at 1:10m. The drawing is fitted to this profile panel; use a comparison page for a shared-area scale.
Browse a separate South Africa first-level divisions map and list. It includes generalized reference boundaries and approximate outline-area comparisons, not official regional population or land-area statistics.
Browse the Africa country comparison for regional scale context.