Global change over the last 50 years in South Africa

South Africa: Global change over the last 50 years was 530,377 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
530,377
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
42nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
2.21 million
in 1968
All-time low
455,573
in 1996
Years of data
60
1965–2024

Global change over the last 50 years in South Africa, 1965–2024

500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M196519942024

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for global change over the last 50 years in South Africa is 530,377, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 28.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, global change over the last 50 years in South Africa peaked at 2.21 million in 1968 and was at its lowest, 455,573, in 1996.

South Africa ranks 42nd of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 1.76 million 1.42 million 2.21 million 5
1970s 1.30 million 1.09 million 1.55 million 10
1980s 1.00 million 785,460 1.47 million 10
1990s 576,404 455,573 716,648 10
2000s 769,334 553,322 953,523 10
2010s 638,363 511,860 796,152 10
2020s 589,855 530,377 663,839 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 39 Mauritania 640,322 compare
  2. 40 Angola 631,824 compare
  3. 41 Ghana 617,969 compare
  4. 43 Mozambique 502,895 compare
  5. 44 Senegal 502,151 compare
  6. 45 Denmark 496,186 compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is global change over the last 50 years in South Africa?
Global change over the last 50 years in South Africa was 530,377 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest global change over the last 50 years recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 2.21 million in 1968.
What is the lowest global change over the last 50 years recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 455,573 in 1996.
How does South Africa rank for global change over the last 50 years?
South Africa ranks 42nd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
Is global change over the last 50 years rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Global change over the last 50 years. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Global change over the last 50 years
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 11,955 data points, 1965–2024
Last refreshed