South Africa—Population in Agglomerations >1M (% of total)
Category: Urban DevelopmentSource: World Bank World Development Indicators ↗Global Rank: #27 of 121Updated April 2026
Latest Value
36.1%
2025
YoY Change
+0.6%
2024 → 2025
Global Rank
#27
of 121 countries
Maximum
36.1%
2025
Minimum
27.3%
2000
CAGR
+1.1%
26 years
Last
36.1%
Previous
35.9%
Highest
36.1%
Lowest
27.3%
Source
World Bank World Development Indicators
South Africa's population in agglomerations >1m (% of total) was 36.1% in 2025, ranking #27 out of 121 countries. This represents a +0.6% change from 2024. Over the past 26 years, the highest recorded value was 36.1% (2025) and the lowest was 27.3% (2000). Data sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators.
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators
Historical Data
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36.1% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 35.9% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 35.7% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 35.5% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 35.3% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 35.1% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 35.0% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 34.8% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 34.5% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 33.8% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 33.3% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 33.1% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 32.8% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 32.5% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 32.2% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 31.8% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 31.4% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 31.0% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 30.6% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 30.1% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 29.7% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 29.3% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 28.9% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 28.5% | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 28.0% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 27.3% |
Top Countries — Population in Agglomerations >1M (% of total)
| # | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hong Kong SAR, China | 100.0% | 2025 |
| 2 | Singapore | 100.0% | 2025 |
| 3 | Puerto Rico (US) | 76.3% | 2025 |
| 4 | Kuwait | 68.4% | 2025 |
| 5 | Japan | 65.7% | 2025 |
| 6 | Congo, Rep. | 65.3% | 2025 |
| 7 | Australia | 61.1% | 2025 |
| 8 | United Arab Emirates | 58.9% | 2025 |
| 9 | Israel | 57.1% | 2025 |
| 10 | Uruguay | 52.8% | 2025 |
About This Indicator
Definition
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.
Methodology
Data compiled by World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), uri: https://population.un.org/wup/, publisher: UN Population Division, date published: 2018.