China vs South Africa: Population Comparison 2026
China
South AfricaChina has 1,347,461,004 more people than South Africa (21.6× as many): 1.41 billion vs 65.5 million in 2026. Median age is 40.6 in China and 28.9 in South Africa; fertility is 1.03 vs 2.17 children per woman.
China
20260
people
- Median age
- 40.6
- Fertility (TFR)
- 1.03
- Working age (15–64)
- 70.1%
- Trend
- Declining (-0.22%)
South Africa
20260
people
- Median age
- 28.9
- Fertility (TFR)
- 2.17
- Working age (15–64)
- 67.3%
- Trend
- Growing (+1.09%)
Population pyramids, 2026
Total Population
China
1412.9M
vs
South Africa
65.5M
Youth (0-14)
China
14.8%
vs
South Africa
25.6%
Elderly (65+)
China
15.1%
vs
South Africa
7.1%
Where the two pyramids differ
The pyramids are overlaid so you can read the difference by age and sex: the longer bar in each band marks the country with more people of that age.
📊 Understanding the Population Difference Chart
This visualization shows where and by how much the populations differ between China and South Africa for each age group, split by gender:
Left Side (Males)
Blue = China has more males
Green = South Africa has more males
Right Side (Females)
Pink = China has more females
Orange = South Africa has more females
💡 How to Read: Each age group shows up to 2 bars - one on the left (male difference) and one on the right (female difference). The bar's color tells you which country has more people, and the bar's length shows by how much. For example, if you see a green bar on the left, it means South Africa has more males in that age group.
Notable Differences (>20% variance):
Ages 0-4: China has 673.2% more people
Men: 20.7M more in China • Women: 18.6M more in China
China: 23.6M men, 21.4M women • South Africa: 3.0M men, 2.9M women
Population Ratio
45.1M
5.8M
Ages 5-9: China has 1193.9% more people
Men: 36.2M more in China • Women: 31.7M more in China
China: 39.1M men, 34.6M women • South Africa: 2.8M men, 2.8M women
Population Ratio
73.6M
5.7M
Ages 10-14: China has 1632.1% more people
Men: 45.9M more in China • Women: 39.4M more in China
China: 48.5M men, 42.0M women • South Africa: 2.6M men, 2.6M women
Population Ratio
90.5M
5.2M
Ages 15-19: China has 1472.4% more people
Men: 43.6M more in China • Women: 36.9M more in China
China: 46.3M men, 39.6M women • South Africa: 2.7M men, 2.7M women
Population Ratio
85.9M
5.5M
Ages 20-24: China has 1404.2% more people
Men: 39.8M more in China • Women: 33.6M more in China
China: 42.4M men, 36.1M women • South Africa: 2.6M men, 2.6M women
Population Ratio
78.6M
5.2M
Ages 25-29: China has 1409.9% more people
Men: 41.1M more in China • Women: 35.1M more in China
China: 43.8M men, 37.8M women • South Africa: 2.7M men, 2.7M women
Population Ratio
81.5M
5.4M
Ages 30-34: China has 1537.9% more people
Men: 46.4M more in China • Women: 40.6M more in China
China: 49.2M men, 43.5M women • South Africa: 2.8M men, 2.9M women
Population Ratio
92.7M
5.7M
Ages 35-39: China has 2117.7% more people
Men: 61.0M more in China • Women: 55.5M more in China
China: 63.7M men, 58.3M women • South Africa: 2.7M men, 2.8M women
Population Ratio
122.0M
5.5M
Ages 40-44: China has 2027.0% more people
Men: 51.8M more in China • Women: 48.7M more in China
China: 54.3M men, 51.2M women • South Africa: 2.5M men, 2.5M women
Population Ratio
105.5M
5.0M
Ages 45-49: China has 2244.5% more people
Men: 45.2M more in China • Women: 43.3M more in China
China: 47.2M men, 45.3M women • South Africa: 2.0M men, 2.0M women
Population Ratio
92.5M
3.9M
Ages 50-54: China has 3445.1% more people
Men: 53.7M more in China • Women: 52.5M more in China
China: 55.1M men, 54.1M women • South Africa: 1.5M men, 1.6M women
Population Ratio
109.2M
3.1M
Ages 55-59: China has 4462.3% more people
Men: 57.9M more in China • Women: 58.0M more in China
China: 59.0M men, 59.4M women • South Africa: 1.2M men, 1.4M women
Population Ratio
118.4M
2.6M
Ages 60-64: China has 4499.4% more people
Men: 49.9M more in China • Women: 51.5M more in China
China: 50.9M men, 52.8M women • South Africa: 974K men, 1.3M women
Population Ratio
103.7M
2.3M
Ages 65-69: China has 3499.6% more people
Men: 30.6M more in China • Women: 33.4M more in China
China: 31.4M men, 34.4M women • South Africa: 768K men, 1.1M women
Population Ratio
65.8M
1.8M
Ages 70-74: China has 5093.3% more people
Men: 30.2M more in China • Women: 35.6M more in China
China: 30.7M men, 36.4M women • South Africa: 520K men, 772K women
Population Ratio
67.1M
1.3M
Ages 75-79: China has 5592.2% more people
Men: 18.4M more in China • Women: 23.2M more in China
China: 18.7M men, 23.7M women • South Africa: 275K men, 469K women
Population Ratio
42.4M
745K
Ages 80-84: China has 5659.0% more people
Men: 9.2M more in China • Women: 12.7M more in China
China: 9.3M men, 13.0M women • South Africa: 127K men, 261K women
Population Ratio
22.3M
388K
Ages 85-89: China has 4851.7% more people
Men: 4.2M more in China • Women: 6.9M more in China
China: 4.2M men, 7.1M women • South Africa: 64K men, 164K women
Population Ratio
11.3M
228K
Ages 90-94: China has 3699.9% more people
Men: 1.2M more in China • Women: 2.8M more in China
China: 1.2M men, 2.9M women • South Africa: 28K men, 79K women
Population Ratio
4.1M
108K
Ages 95-99: China has 1873.5% more people
Men: 129K more in China • Women: 521K more in China
China: 138K men, 546K women • South Africa: 10K men, 25K women
Population Ratio
685K
35K
Ages 100+: China has 659.7% more people
Men: 2K more in China • Women: 43K more in China
China: 4K men, 48K women • South Africa: 2K men, 5K women
Population Ratio
53K
7K
Demographic comparison, 2026
| Indicator | China | South Africa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2026) | 1,412,914,088 | 65,453,084 | China has 1.35 billion more (21.6×) |
| Change 2025–2026 | -0.2% (Declining) | +1.1% (Growing) | |
| Median age (2026) | 40.6 | 28.9 | China older by 11.7 yrs |
| Total fertility rate | 1.03 — 1.07 below replacement | 2.17 — 0.07 above replacement | |
| Fertility rate, 2030 (UN projection) | 1.06 | 2.10 | |
| Birth rate (per 1,000) | 6.1 | 17.8 | |
| Population 2050 (UN projection) | 1.26 billion (-10.8%) | 79.2 million (+21.0%) | |
| Peak population | Peaks 2021 | Peaks 2100 |
Differences by age group, 2026
| Age | China (M / F) | South Africa (M / F) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 23622K / 21432K | 2954K / 2872K | China has 673.2% more people aged 0-4 |
| 5-9 | 39076K / 34560K | 2847K / 2845K | China has 1193.9% more people aged 5-9 |
| 10-14 | 48504K / 41971K | 2618K / 2605K | China has 1632.1% more people aged 10-14 |
| 15-19 | 46340K / 39578K | 2742K / 2722K | China has 1472.4% more people aged 15-19 |
| 20-24 | 42415K / 36142K | 2639K / 2584K | China has 1404.2% more people aged 20-24 |
| 25-29 | 43779K / 37771K | 2707K / 2694K | China has 1409.9% more people aged 25-29 |
| 30-34 | 49168K / 43509K | 2788K / 2871K | China has 1537.9% more people aged 30-34 |
| 35-39 | 63689K / 58292K | 2721K / 2780K | China has 2117.7% more people aged 35-39 |
| 40-44 | 54302K / 51171K | 2459K / 2500K | China has 2027.0% more people aged 40-44 |
| 45-49 | 47164K / 45301K | 1951K / 1993K | China has 2244.5% more people aged 45-49 |
| 50-54 | 55143K / 54078K | 1468K / 1613K | China has 3445.1% more people aged 50-54 |
| 55-59 | 59034K / 59415K | 1174K / 1422K | China has 4462.3% more people aged 55-59 |
| 60-64 | 50868K / 52813K | 974K / 1280K | China has 4499.4% more people aged 60-64 |
| 65-69 | 31394K / 34434K | 768K / 1060K | China has 3499.6% more people aged 65-69 |
| 70-74 | 30704K / 36375K | 520K / 772K | China has 5093.3% more people aged 70-74 |
| 75-79 | 18688K / 23697K | 275K / 469K | China has 5592.2% more people aged 75-79 |
| 80-84 | 9335K / 13004K | 127K / 261K | China has 5659.0% more people aged 80-84 |
| 85-89 | 4220K / 7092K | 64K / 164K | China has 4851.7% more people aged 85-89 |
| 90-94 | 1221K / 2877K | 28K / 79K | China has 3699.9% more people aged 90-94 |
| 95-99 | 138K / 546K | 10K / 25K | China has 1873.5% more people aged 95-99 |
| 100+ | 4K / 48K | 2K / 5K | China has 659.7% more people aged 100+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has more people, China or South Africa?
China has more: 1.41 billion vs 65.5 million in 2026 — 21.6× as many, 1.35 billion more people.
Which country is older?
China, with a median age of 40.6 vs 28.9 in South Africa (2026).
Which has higher fertility?
South Africa, at 2.17 children per woman vs 1.03 in China. Replacement is 2.1, so both are compared against it.
How will China and South Africa compare in 2050?
By 2050 the UN projects China at 1.26 billion (-10.8% from 2026) and South Africa at 79.2 million (+21.0%).
Are China and South Africa growing or shrinking?
China is declining (-0.2% in 2026); South Africa is growing (+1.1%).
