Sample size in South Africa

South Africa: Sample size was 146,461 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
146,461
Change on year
down 22.3%
World rank
15th
of 80 countries
All-time high
255,130
in 2008
All-time low
47,830
in 2017
Years of data
19
2000–2020

Sample size in South Africa, 2000–2020

50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k2000201020202000: 96.1k2001: 144.5k2003: 136.6k2004: 141.4k2005: 148.4k2006: 146.5k2007: 146.1k2008: 255.1k2009: 244.8k2010: 236.0k2012: 235.9k2013: 239.4k2014: 234.8k2015: 197.8k2016: 191.2k2017: 47.8k2018: 190.5k2019: 188.6k2020: 146.5k

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 146,461 for sample size in 2020.

The figure is down 22.3% on the previous year and down 37.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sample size in South Africa peaked at 255,130 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 47,830, in 2017.

South Africa ranks 15th of 80 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Sample size in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Sample size in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 96,051 —
2001 144,471 +50.4%
2003 136,589 -5.5%
2004 141,352 +3.5%
2005 148,352 +5.0%
2006 146,496 -1.3%
2007 146,148 -0.2%
2008 255,130 +74.6%
2009 244,820 -4.0%
2010 235,974 -3.6%
2012 235,863 -0.0%
2013 239,416 +1.5%
2014 234,838 -1.9%
2015 197,825 -15.8%
2016 191,171 -3.4%
2017 47,830 -75.0%
2018 190,491 +298.3%
2019 188,559 -1.0%
2020 146,461 -22.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 146,461 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 46,880, 3.1× the median. (27 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 146,461 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 34,881, 4.2× the median. (9 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Sample size in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2018 +298.3% 47,830 190,491
2008 +74.6% 146,148 255,130
2017 -75.0% 191,171 47,830
2001 +50.4% 96,051 144,471

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 162,157 96,051 255,130 9
2010s 195,774 47,830 239,416 9
2020s 146,461 146,461 146,461 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 12 Morocco 187,422 compare
  2. 13 Chile 151,315 compare
  3. 14 El Salvador 148,455 compare
  4. 16 Jordan 143,366 compare
  5. 17 Venezuela 113,925 compare
  6. 18 Ethiopia 107,500 compare

See the full ranking of 80 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is sample size in South Africa?
Sample size in South Africa was 146,461 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest sample size recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 255,130 in 2008.
What is the lowest sample size recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 47,830 in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for sample size?
South Africa ranks 15th out of 80 countries with data for 2020.
Is sample size rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 37.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Sample size. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Sample size in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/sample-size/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Sample size
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
80 places, 1,012 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed