Urban area over the long-term in South Africa
South Africa: Urban area over the long-term was 8,172 km² per grid cell in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
8,172 km² per grid cell
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
18th
of 202 countries
All-time high
8,172 km² per grid cell
in 2025
All-time low
0.0026 km² per grid cell
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Urban area over the long-term in South Africa, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in km² per grid cell.
Analysis
In 2025, urban area over the long-term in South Africa stood at 8,172 km² per grid cell. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 20.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban area over the long-term in South Africa peaked at 8,172 km² per grid cell in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0026 km² per grid cell, in 1000.
That places South Africa 18th out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0026 km² per grid cell | 0.0026 km² per grid cell | 0.0026 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0093 km² per grid cell | 0.0093 km² per grid cell | 0.0093 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0326 km² per grid cell | 0.0326 km² per grid cell | 0.0326 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.1118 km² per grid cell | 0.1118 km² per grid cell | 0.1118 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.3772 km² per grid cell | 0.3772 km² per grid cell | 0.3772 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1500s | 1.26 km² per grid cell | 1.26 km² per grid cell | 1.26 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1600s | 4.4 km² per grid cell | 4.4 km² per grid cell | 4.4 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1700s | 18.86 km² per grid cell | 18.86 km² per grid cell | 18.86 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1710s | 20.92 km² per grid cell | 20.92 km² per grid cell | 20.92 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1720s | 22.88 km² per grid cell | 22.88 km² per grid cell | 22.88 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1730s | 24.75 km² per grid cell | 24.75 km² per grid cell | 24.75 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1740s | 26.53 km² per grid cell | 26.53 km² per grid cell | 26.53 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1750s | 28.22 km² per grid cell | 28.22 km² per grid cell | 28.22 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1760s | 29.81 km² per grid cell | 29.81 km² per grid cell | 29.81 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1770s | 31.31 km² per grid cell | 31.31 km² per grid cell | 31.31 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1780s | 32.71 km² per grid cell | 32.71 km² per grid cell | 32.71 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1790s | 34.03 km² per grid cell | 34.03 km² per grid cell | 34.03 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1800s | 35.25 km² per grid cell | 35.25 km² per grid cell | 35.25 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1810s | 36.38 km² per grid cell | 36.38 km² per grid cell | 36.38 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1820s | 37.41 km² per grid cell | 37.41 km² per grid cell | 37.41 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1830s | 38.35 km² per grid cell | 38.35 km² per grid cell | 38.35 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1840s | 39.19 km² per grid cell | 39.19 km² per grid cell | 39.19 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1850s | 48.2 km² per grid cell | 48.2 km² per grid cell | 48.2 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1860s | 61.75 km² per grid cell | 61.75 km² per grid cell | 61.75 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1870s | 84.07 km² per grid cell | 84.07 km² per grid cell | 84.07 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1880s | 166.07 km² per grid cell | 166.07 km² per grid cell | 166.07 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1890s | 193.06 km² per grid cell | 193.06 km² per grid cell | 193.06 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1900s | 237.22 km² per grid cell | 237.22 km² per grid cell | 237.22 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1910s | 298.57 km² per grid cell | 298.57 km² per grid cell | 298.57 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1920s | 331.84 km² per grid cell | 331.84 km² per grid cell | 331.84 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1930s | 397.13 km² per grid cell | 397.13 km² per grid cell | 397.13 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1940s | 487.77 km² per grid cell | 487.77 km² per grid cell | 487.77 km² per grid cell | 1 |
| 1950s | 1,057 km² per grid cell | 896.63 km² per grid cell | 1,229 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,477 km² per grid cell | 1,271 km² per grid cell | 1,685 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 1970s | 2,038 km² per grid cell | 1,733 km² per grid cell | 2,346 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,840 km² per grid cell | 2,420 km² per grid cell | 3,325 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,087 km² per grid cell | 3,456 km² per grid cell | 4,722 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,352 km² per grid cell | 4,856 km² per grid cell | 5,921 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,693 km² per grid cell | 6,050 km² per grid cell | 7,350 km² per grid cell | 10 |
| 2020s | 7,835 km² per grid cell | 7,501 km² per grid cell | 8,172 km² per grid cell | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.191 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban area over the long-term in South Africa?
- Urban area over the long-term in South Africa was 8,172 km² per grid cell in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest urban area over the long-term recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8,172 km² per grid cell in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban area over the long-term recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0026 km² per grid cell in 1000.
- How does South Africa rank for urban area over the long-term?
- South Africa ranks 18th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban area over the long-term rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total built-up area of a country over time.