South Africa vs Nigeria: Population Comparison 2026
South Africa
NigeriaNigeria has 176,978,747 more people than South Africa (3.7× as many): 242.4 million vs 65.5 million in 2026. Median age is 28.9 in South Africa and 18.3 in Nigeria; fertility is 2.17 vs 4.21 children per woman.
South Africa
20260
people
- Median age
- 28.9
- Fertility (TFR)
- 2.17
- Working age (15–64)
- 67.3%
- Trend
- Growing (+1.09%)
Nigeria
20260
people
- Median age
- 18.3
- Fertility (TFR)
- 4.21
- Working age (15–64)
- 56.9%
- Trend
- Growing (+2.06%)
Population pyramids, 2026
Total Population
South Africa
65.5M
vs
Nigeria
242.4M
Youth (0-14)
South Africa
25.6%
vs
Nigeria
40.0%
Elderly (65+)
South Africa
7.1%
vs
Nigeria
3.1%
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 South Africa and Nigeria for each age group, split by gender:
Left Side (Males)
Blue = South Africa has more males
Green = Nigeria has more males
Right Side (Females)
Pink = South Africa has more females
Orange = Nigeria 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 Nigeria has more males in that age group.
Notable Differences (>20% variance):
Ages 0-4: Nigeria has 83.2% more people
Men: 14.6M more in Nigeria • Women: 14.2M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 3.0M men, 2.9M women • Nigeria: 17.5M men, 17.1M women
Population Ratio
5.8M
34.6M
Ages 5-9: Nigeria has 82.1% more people
Men: 13.3M more in Nigeria • Women: 12.8M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 2.8M men, 2.8M women • Nigeria: 16.1M men, 15.6M women
Population Ratio
5.7M
31.7M
Ages 10-14: Nigeria has 82.9% more people
Men: 13.0M more in Nigeria • Women: 12.4M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 2.6M men, 2.6M women • Nigeria: 15.6M men, 15.1M women
Population Ratio
5.2M
30.6M
Ages 15-19: Nigeria has 80.2% more people
Men: 11.3M more in Nigeria • Women: 10.8M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 2.7M men, 2.7M women • Nigeria: 14.1M men, 13.5M women
Population Ratio
5.5M
27.6M
Ages 20-24: Nigeria has 78.0% more people
Men: 9.5M more in Nigeria • Women: 9.1M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 2.6M men, 2.6M women • Nigeria: 12.1M men, 11.6M women
Population Ratio
5.2M
23.7M
Ages 25-29: Nigeria has 71.4% more people
Men: 6.9M more in Nigeria • Women: 6.6M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 2.7M men, 2.7M women • Nigeria: 9.6M men, 9.3M women
Population Ratio
5.4M
18.9M
Ages 30-34: Nigeria has 63.5% more people
Men: 5.1M more in Nigeria • Women: 4.7M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 2.8M men, 2.9M women • Nigeria: 7.9M men, 7.6M women
Population Ratio
5.7M
15.5M
Ages 35-39: Nigeria has 58.1% more people
Men: 3.9M more in Nigeria • Women: 3.7M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 2.7M men, 2.8M women • Nigeria: 6.7M men, 6.5M women
Population Ratio
5.5M
13.1M
Ages 40-44: Nigeria has 56.7% more people
Men: 3.3M more in Nigeria • Women: 3.2M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 2.5M men, 2.5M women • Nigeria: 5.8M men, 5.7M women
Population Ratio
5.0M
11.5M
Ages 45-49: Nigeria has 59.5% more people
Men: 3.0M more in Nigeria • Women: 2.8M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 2.0M men, 2.0M women • Nigeria: 4.9M men, 4.8M women
Population Ratio
3.9M
9.7M
Ages 50-54: Nigeria has 59.7% more people
Men: 2.4M more in Nigeria • Women: 2.2M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 1.5M men, 1.6M women • Nigeria: 3.8M men, 3.8M women
Population Ratio
3.1M
7.6M
Ages 55-59: Nigeria has 55.3% more people
Men: 1.7M more in Nigeria • Women: 1.5M more in Nigeria
South Africa: 1.2M men, 1.4M women • Nigeria: 2.9M men, 2.9M women
Population Ratio
2.6M
5.8M
Ages 60-64: Nigeria has 49.3% more people
Men: 1.2M more in Nigeria • Women: 988K more in Nigeria
South Africa: 974K men, 1.3M women • Nigeria: 2.2M men, 2.3M women
Population Ratio
2.3M
4.4M
Ages 65-69: Nigeria has 43.8% more people
Men: 798K more in Nigeria • Women: 625K more in Nigeria
South Africa: 768K men, 1.1M women • Nigeria: 1.6M men, 1.7M women
Population Ratio
1.8M
3.3M
Ages 70-74: Nigeria has 40.3% more people
Men: 508K more in Nigeria • Women: 364K more in Nigeria
South Africa: 520K men, 772K women • Nigeria: 1.0M men, 1.1M women
Population Ratio
1.3M
2.2M
Ages 75-79: Nigeria has 40.0% more people
Men: 307K more in Nigeria • Women: 189K more in Nigeria
South Africa: 275K men, 469K women • Nigeria: 583K men, 658K women
Population Ratio
745K
1.2M
Ages 80-84: Nigeria has 35.4% more people
Men: 156K more in Nigeria • Women: 57K more in Nigeria
South Africa: 127K men, 261K women • Nigeria: 283K men, 318K women
Population Ratio
388K
601K
Ages 90-94: South Africa has 182.6% more people
Men: 13K more in South Africa • Women: 57K more in South Africa
South Africa: 28K men, 79K women • Nigeria: 16K men, 22K women
Population Ratio
108K
38K
Ages 95-99: South Africa has 789.9% more people
Men: 8K more in South Africa • Women: 23K more in South Africa
South Africa: 10K men, 25K women • Nigeria: 1K men, 3K women
Population Ratio
35K
4K
Ages 100+: South Africa has 3236.1% more people
Men: 2K more in South Africa • Women: 5K more in South Africa
South Africa: 2K men, 5K women • Nigeria: 56 men, 152 women
Population Ratio
7K
208
Demographic comparison, 2026
| Indicator | South Africa | Nigeria | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2026) | 65,453,084 | 242,431,831 | Nigeria has 177.0 million more (3.7×) |
| Change 2025–2026 | +1.1% (Growing) | +2.1% (Growing) | |
| Median age (2026) | 28.9 | 18.3 | South Africa older by 10.6 yrs |
| Total fertility rate | 2.17 — 0.07 above replacement | 4.21 — 2.10 above replacement | |
| Fertility rate, 2030 (UN projection) | 2.10 | 3.82 | |
| Birth rate (per 1,000) | 17.8 | 31.8 | |
| Population 2050 (UN projection) | 79.2 million (+21.0%) | 359.2 million (+48.2%) | |
| Peak population | Peaks 2100 | Peaks 2100 |
Differences by age group, 2026
| Age | South Africa (M / F) | Nigeria (M / F) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 2954K / 2872K | 17540K / 17102K | Nigeria has 494.5% more people aged 0-4 |
| 5-9 | 2847K / 2845K | 16102K / 15639K | Nigeria has 457.7% more people aged 5-9 |
| 10-14 | 2618K / 2605K | 15573K / 15055K | Nigeria has 486.4% more people aged 10-14 |
| 15-19 | 2742K / 2722K | 14062K / 13537K | Nigeria has 405.1% more people aged 15-19 |
| 20-24 | 2639K / 2584K | 12091K / 11644K | Nigeria has 354.5% more people aged 20-24 |
| 25-29 | 2707K / 2694K | 9611K / 9272K | Nigeria has 249.6% more people aged 25-29 |
| 30-34 | 2788K / 2871K | 7896K / 7617K | Nigeria has 174.2% more people aged 30-34 |
| 35-39 | 2721K / 2780K | 6653K / 6460K | Nigeria has 138.4% more people aged 35-39 |
| 40-44 | 2459K / 2500K | 5799K / 5651K | Nigeria has 130.9% more people aged 40-44 |
| 45-49 | 1951K / 1993K | 4920K / 4821K | Nigeria has 147.0% more people aged 45-49 |
| 50-54 | 1468K / 1613K | 3829K / 3808K | Nigeria has 147.9% more people aged 50-54 |
| 55-59 | 1174K / 1422K | 2891K / 2921K | Nigeria has 123.9% more people aged 55-59 |
| 60-64 | 974K / 1280K | 2175K / 2268K | Nigeria has 97.1% more people aged 60-64 |
| 65-69 | 768K / 1060K | 1566K / 1686K | Nigeria has 77.8% more people aged 65-69 |
| 70-74 | 520K / 772K | 1027K / 1136K | Nigeria has 67.5% more people aged 70-74 |
| 75-79 | 275K / 469K | 583K / 658K | Nigeria has 66.7% more people aged 75-79 |
| 80-84 | 127K / 261K | 283K / 318K | Nigeria has 54.9% more people aged 80-84 |
| 85-89 | 64K / 164K | 89K / 107K | South Africa has 16.6% more people aged 85-89 |
| 90-94 | 28K / 79K | 16K / 22K | South Africa has 182.6% more people aged 90-94 |
| 95-99 | 10K / 25K | 1K / 3K | South Africa has 789.9% more people aged 95-99 |
| 100+ | 2K / 5K | 0K / 0K | South Africa has 3236.1% more people aged 100+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has more people, South Africa or Nigeria?
Nigeria has more: 242.4 million vs 65.5 million in 2026 — 3.7× as many, 177.0 million more people.
Which country is older?
South Africa, with a median age of 28.9 vs 18.3 in Nigeria (2026).
Which has higher fertility?
Nigeria, at 4.21 children per woman vs 2.17 in South Africa. Replacement is 2.1, so both are compared against it.
How will South Africa and Nigeria compare in 2050?
By 2050 the UN projects South Africa at 79.2 million (+21.0% from 2026) and Nigeria at 359.2 million (+48.2%).
Are South Africa and Nigeria growing or shrinking?
South Africa is growing (+1.1% in 2026); Nigeria is growing (+2.1%).
