Urban pop in out of slums in South Africa

South Africa: Urban pop in out of slums was 9.58 million in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
9.58 million
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
18th
of 174 countries
All-time high
9.58 million
in 2022
All-time low
7.33 million
in 2000
Years of data
12
2000–2022

Urban pop in out of slums in South Africa, 2000–2022

02.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M10.0M2000201120222000: 7.3M2002: 7.5M2004: 7.8M2006: 8.0M2008: 8.2M2010: 8.4M2012: 8.6M2014: 8.8M2016: 8.9M2018: 9.0M2020: 9.3M2022: 9.6M

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2022, urban pop in out of slums in South Africa stood at 9.58 million. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, urban pop in out of slums in South Africa peaked at 9.58 million in 2022 and was at its lowest, 7.33 million, in 2000.

That places South Africa 18th out of 174 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Urban pop in out of slums in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Urban pop in out of slums in South Africa, 2000 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2000 7.33 million
2002 7.54 million +2.9%
2004 7.77 million +3.1%
2006 8.01 million +3.0%
2008 8.24 million +2.8%
2010 8.43 million +2.3%
2012 8.58 million +1.8%
2014 8.76 million +2.1%
2016 8.90 million +1.6%
2018 8.98 million +0.9%
2020 9.30 million +3.5%
2022 9.58 million +3.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7.78 million 7.33 million 8.24 million 5
2010s 8.73 million 8.43 million 8.98 million 5
2020s 9.44 million 9.30 million 9.58 million 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 15 Sudan 12.64 million compare
  2. 16 Vietnam 12.16 million compare
  3. 17 Turkey 10.69 million compare
  4. 19 Myanmar 9.50 million compare
  5. 20 Nepal 7.89 million compare
  6. 21 Cote d'Ivoire 7.75 million compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is urban pop in out of slums in South Africa?
Urban pop in out of slums in South Africa was 9.58 million in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest urban pop in out of slums recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 9.58 million in 2022.
What is the lowest urban pop in out of slums recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 7.33 million in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for urban pop in out of slums?
South Africa ranks 18th out of 174 countries with data for 2022.
Is urban pop in out of slums rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Urban pop in out of slums. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Urban pop in out of slums in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/urban-pop-in-out-of-slums/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Urban pop in out of slums
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
174 places, 1,988 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed