South Africa vs Thailand: Urban agglomerations more than 1 million

South Africa
17.85 million
in 2020
Thailand
17.25 million
in 2020
South Africa rank
20th
Thailand rank
23rd

Urban agglomerations more than 1 million over time

  • South Africa
  • Thailand
05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M195019852020

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 17.85 million against 17.25 million in Thailand, a difference of 602,600.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Thailand ahead.

South Africa ranks 20th and Thailand ranks 23rd of 182 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Thailand in 7.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Thailand Difference Ahead
1950s 0 1.48 million 1.48 million Thailand
1960s 0 2.21 million 2.21 million Thailand
1970s 1.12 million 3.32 million 2.20 million Thailand
1980s 3.24 million 4.97 million 1.74 million Thailand
1990s 5.39 million 6.77 million 1.38 million Thailand
2000s 8.52 million 9.46 million 943,740 Thailand
2010s 13.54 million 13.95 million 407,950 Thailand
2020s 17.85 million 17.25 million 602,600 South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher urban agglomerations more than 1 million, South Africa or Thailand?
South Africa, at 17.85 million against 17.25 million in Thailand as of 2020.
What is the difference in urban agglomerations more than 1 million between South Africa and Thailand?
602,600, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Thailand?
15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
How do South Africa and Thailand rank globally for urban agglomerations more than 1 million?
South Africa ranks 20th and Thailand ranks 23rd of 182 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Urban agglomerations more than 1 million. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Thailand: Urban agglomerations more than 1 million. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/urban-agglomerations-more-than-1-million/south-africa/thailand/

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About this data

Indicator
Urban agglomerations more than 1 million
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
182 places, 2,532 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed