What is the population of South Africa?

The population of South Africa is approximately 64,747,319 as of 2025, according to UN estimates.

What is the life expectancy in South Africa?

Life expectancy at birth in South Africa is 66.5 years as of 2025.

What is the fertility rate in South Africa?

The total fertility rate in South Africa is 2.19 children per woman as of 2025.

What is the median age in South Africa?

The median age in South Africa is 28.7 years as of 2025.

South Africa

Today's demographic activity

Updated continuously for December 15, 2025 at 14:26:04 UTC

Births today

1,936

Deaths today

989

Net migration today

241

As of today, South Africa has approximately 65,078,464 people. Estimated births today: 1,936; deaths: 988.

Watch South Africa's population change in real time. These counters estimate births, deaths, and migration activity every second based on annual demographic rates.

Key terms

Real-time counters: — Live estimates derived from annual demographic rates evenly distributed throughout the year.
Natural change: — Net change from births minus deaths (excluding migration).
Net migration: — Balance of people moving into vs. leaving the country.
Population growth: — Total change combining births, deaths, and migration.

Understanding the live counters

These real-time estimates model demographic activity based on annual rates from 2025. The population is growing, changing by about 0.02 people every second.

Rates are averaged across the year, so actual daily counts will fluctuate.
Unexpected events (pandemics, disasters, policy changes) can shift these numbers quickly.
Migration plays a significant role in net change alongside births and deaths.

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024. Historical estimates (1950–2024) and medium-variant projections (2025–2100).