What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between Argentina and South Africa?

596 km² per grid cell, with South Africa ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Argentina and South Africa?

108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.

Where does this data come from?

HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Argentina vs South Africa: Urban area over the long-term

Argentina

7,576 km² per grid cell

in 2025

South Africa

8,172 km² per grid cell

in 2025

Argentina rank

20th

South Africa rank

18th

Urban area over the long-term over time

Argentina
South Africa

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 8,172 km² per grid cell against 7,576 km² per grid cell in Argentina, a difference of 596 km² per grid cell.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Argentina's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Argentina ahead.

Argentina ranks 20th and South Africa ranks 18th of 202 countries.

Across the 40 decades both report, Argentina averaged higher in 22 and South Africa in 18.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Argentina	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1000s	0.0028 km² per grid cell	0.0026 km² per grid cell	0.0003 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1100s	0.0094 km² per grid cell	0.0093 km² per grid cell	0.0001 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1200s	0.0307 km² per grid cell	0.0326 km² per grid cell	0.0019 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1300s	0.0997 km² per grid cell	0.1118 km² per grid cell	0.0121 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1400s	0.322 km² per grid cell	0.3772 km² per grid cell	0.0552 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1500s	1.03 km² per grid cell	1.26 km² per grid cell	0.2224 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1600s	3.1 km² per grid cell	4.4 km² per grid cell	1.3 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1700s	9.31 km² per grid cell	18.86 km² per grid cell	9.55 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1710s	10.49 km² per grid cell	20.92 km² per grid cell	10.42 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1720s	11.49 km² per grid cell	22.88 km² per grid cell	11.39 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1730s	12.59 km² per grid cell	24.75 km² per grid cell	12.16 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1740s	13.79 km² per grid cell	26.53 km² per grid cell	12.74 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1750s	15.1 km² per grid cell	28.22 km² per grid cell	13.12 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1760s	16.54 km² per grid cell	29.81 km² per grid cell	13.27 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1770s	18.11 km² per grid cell	31.31 km² per grid cell	13.19 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1780s	19.84 km² per grid cell	32.71 km² per grid cell	12.88 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1790s	21.73 km² per grid cell	34.03 km² per grid cell	12.3 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1800s	23.8 km² per grid cell	35.25 km² per grid cell	11.45 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1810s	36.23 km² per grid cell	36.38 km² per grid cell	0.1457 km² per grid cell	South Africa
1820s	50.7 km² per grid cell	37.41 km² per grid cell	13.29 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1830s	70.96 km² per grid cell	38.35 km² per grid cell	32.61 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1840s	99.3 km² per grid cell	39.19 km² per grid cell	60.11 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1850s	138.92 km² per grid cell	48.2 km² per grid cell	90.72 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1860s	194.12 km² per grid cell	61.75 km² per grid cell	132.37 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1870s	281.82 km² per grid cell	84.07 km² per grid cell	197.75 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1880s	426.26 km² per grid cell	166.07 km² per grid cell	260.19 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1890s	588.52 km² per grid cell	193.06 km² per grid cell	395.46 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1900s	787.25 km² per grid cell	237.22 km² per grid cell	550.03 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1910s	955.88 km² per grid cell	298.57 km² per grid cell	657.31 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1920s	1,063 km² per grid cell	331.84 km² per grid cell	731.42 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1930s	1,137 km² per grid cell	397.13 km² per grid cell	739.6 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1940s	1,225 km² per grid cell	487.77 km² per grid cell	737.42 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1950s	1,682 km² per grid cell	1,057 km² per grid cell	625.65 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1960s	2,229 km² per grid cell	1,477 km² per grid cell	751.7 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1970s	2,929 km² per grid cell	2,038 km² per grid cell	890.58 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1980s	3,762 km² per grid cell	2,840 km² per grid cell	922.06 km² per grid cell	Argentina
1990s	4,772 km² per grid cell	4,087 km² per grid cell	684.7 km² per grid cell	Argentina
2000s	5,812 km² per grid cell	5,352 km² per grid cell	459.5 km² per grid cell	Argentina
2010s	6,747 km² per grid cell	6,693 km² per grid cell	54.4 km² per grid cell	Argentina
2020s	7,378 km² per grid cell	7,835 km² per grid cell	457.39 km² per grid cell	South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher urban area over the long-term, Argentina or South Africa?: South Africa, at 8,172 km² per grid cell against 7,576 km² per grid cell in Argentina as of 2025.
What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between Argentina and South Africa?: 596 km² per grid cell, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Argentina and South Africa?: 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
How do Argentina and South Africa rank globally for urban area over the long-term?: Argentina ranks 20th and South Africa ranks 18th of 202 countries.
Where does this data come from?: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator: Urban area over the long-term
Unit: km² per grid cell
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 202 places, 21,816 data points, 1000–2025
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

Total built-up area of a country over time.