USA vs South Africa: Population Comparison 2026
USA
South AfricaThe United States has 283,582,410 more people than South Africa (5.3× as many): 349.0 million vs 65.5 million in 2026. Median age is 38.7 in the United States and 28.9 in South Africa; fertility is 1.63 vs 2.17 children per woman.
United States
20260
people
- Median age
- 38.7
- Fertility (TFR)
- 1.63
- Working age (15–64)
- 64.3%
- Trend
- Growing (+0.51%)
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
United States
349.0M
vs
South Africa
65.5M
Youth (0-14)
United States
16.9%
vs
South Africa
25.6%
Elderly (65+)
United States
18.8%
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 United States and South Africa for each age group, split by gender:
Left Side (Males)
Blue = United States has more males
Green = South Africa has more males
Right Side (Females)
Pink = United States 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: United States has 219.9% more people
Men: 6.6M more in United States • Women: 6.2M more in United States
United States: 9.5M men, 9.1M women • South Africa: 3.0M men, 2.9M women
Population Ratio
18.6M
5.8M
Ages 5-9: United States has 240.9% more people
Men: 7.1M more in United States • Women: 6.6M more in United States
United States: 9.9M men, 9.5M women • South Africa: 2.8M men, 2.8M women
Population Ratio
19.4M
5.7M
Ages 10-14: United States has 301.3% more people
Men: 8.2M more in United States • Women: 7.6M more in United States
United States: 10.8M men, 10.2M women • South Africa: 2.6M men, 2.6M women
Population Ratio
21.0M
5.2M
Ages 15-19: United States has 314.9% more people
Men: 8.9M more in United States • Women: 8.3M more in United States
United States: 11.7M men, 11.0M women • South Africa: 2.7M men, 2.7M women
Population Ratio
22.7M
5.5M
Ages 20-24: United States has 350.4% more people
Men: 9.5M more in United States • Women: 8.8M more in United States
United States: 12.1M men, 11.4M women • South Africa: 2.6M men, 2.6M women
Population Ratio
23.5M
5.2M
Ages 25-29: United States has 322.5% more people
Men: 9.1M more in United States • Women: 8.3M more in United States
United States: 11.8M men, 11.0M women • South Africa: 2.7M men, 2.7M women
Population Ratio
22.8M
5.4M
Ages 30-34: United States has 315.5% more people
Men: 9.4M more in United States • Women: 8.5M more in United States
United States: 12.2M men, 11.3M women • South Africa: 2.8M men, 2.9M women
Population Ratio
23.5M
5.7M
Ages 35-39: United States has 342.6% more people
Men: 9.8M more in United States • Women: 9.0M more in United States
United States: 12.6M men, 11.8M women • South Africa: 2.7M men, 2.8M women
Population Ratio
24.3M
5.5M
Ages 40-44: United States has 370.2% more people
Men: 9.5M more in United States • Women: 8.8M more in United States
United States: 12.0M men, 11.3M women • South Africa: 2.5M men, 2.5M women
Population Ratio
23.3M
5.0M
Ages 45-49: United States has 455.9% more people
Men: 9.3M more in United States • Women: 8.7M more in United States
United States: 11.2M men, 10.7M women • South Africa: 2.0M men, 2.0M women
Population Ratio
21.9M
3.9M
Ages 50-54: United States has 555.2% more people
Men: 8.8M more in United States • Women: 8.3M more in United States
United States: 10.3M men, 9.9M women • South Africa: 1.5M men, 1.6M women
Population Ratio
20.2M
3.1M
Ages 55-59: United States has 699.8% more people
Men: 9.3M more in United States • Women: 8.9M more in United States
United States: 10.5M men, 10.3M women • South Africa: 1.2M men, 1.4M women
Population Ratio
20.8M
2.6M
Ages 60-64: United States has 840.8% more people
Men: 9.6M more in United States • Women: 9.4M more in United States
United States: 10.5M men, 10.7M women • South Africa: 974K men, 1.3M women
Population Ratio
21.2M
2.3M
Ages 65-69: United States has 1012.1% more people
Men: 9.1M more in United States • Women: 9.4M more in United States
United States: 9.9M men, 10.4M women • South Africa: 768K men, 1.1M women
Population Ratio
20.3M
1.8M
Ages 70-74: United States has 1217.8% more people
Men: 7.5M more in United States • Women: 8.2M more in United States
United States: 8.0M men, 9.0M women • South Africa: 520K men, 772K women
Population Ratio
17.0M
1.3M
Ages 75-79: United States has 1666.1% more people
Men: 5.8M more in United States • Women: 6.6M more in United States
United States: 6.0M men, 7.1M women • South Africa: 275K men, 469K women
Population Ratio
13.2M
745K
Ages 80-84: United States has 2031.5% more people
Men: 3.5M more in United States • Women: 4.4M more in United States
United States: 3.6M men, 4.6M women • South Africa: 127K men, 261K women
Population Ratio
8.3M
388K
Ages 85-89: United States has 1824.2% more people
Men: 1.7M more in United States • Women: 2.5M more in United States
United States: 1.8M men, 2.6M women • South Africa: 64K men, 164K women
Population Ratio
4.4M
228K
Ages 90-94: United States has 1713.9% more people
Men: 666K more in United States • Women: 1.2M more in United States
United States: 694K men, 1.3M women • South Africa: 28K men, 79K women
Population Ratio
2.0M
108K
Ages 95-99: United States has 1484.2% more people
Men: 156K more in United States • Women: 359K more in United States
United States: 166K men, 384K women • South Africa: 10K men, 25K women
Population Ratio
550K
35K
Ages 100+: United States has 1010.3% more people
Men: 16K more in United States • Women: 54K more in United States
United States: 18K men, 59K women • South Africa: 2K men, 5K women
Population Ratio
77K
7K
Demographic comparison, 2026
| Indicator | United States | South Africa | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2026) | 349,035,494 | 65,453,084 | United States has 283.6 million more (5.3×) |
| Change 2025–2026 | +0.5% (Growing) | +1.1% (Growing) | |
| Median age (2026) | 38.7 | 28.9 | United States older by 9.8 yrs |
| Total fertility rate | 1.63 — 0.48 below replacement | 2.17 — 0.07 above replacement | |
| Fertility rate, 2030 (UN projection) | 1.63 | 2.10 | |
| Birth rate (per 1,000) | 10.5 | 17.8 | |
| Population 2050 (UN projection) | 380.8 million (+9.1%) | 79.2 million (+21.0%) | |
| Peak population | Peaks 2100 | Peaks 2100 |
Differences by age group, 2026
| Age | United States (M / F) | South Africa (M / F) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 9549K / 9091K | 2954K / 2872K | United States has 219.9% more people aged 0-4 |
| 5-9 | 9938K / 9464K | 2847K / 2845K | United States has 240.9% more people aged 5-9 |
| 10-14 | 10774K / 10190K | 2618K / 2605K | United States has 301.3% more people aged 10-14 |
| 15-19 | 11671K / 11002K | 2742K / 2722K | United States has 314.9% more people aged 15-19 |
| 20-24 | 12122K / 11403K | 2639K / 2584K | United States has 350.4% more people aged 20-24 |
| 25-29 | 11801K / 11017K | 2707K / 2694K | United States has 322.5% more people aged 25-29 |
| 30-34 | 12170K / 11342K | 2788K / 2871K | United States has 315.5% more people aged 30-34 |
| 35-39 | 12570K / 11772K | 2721K / 2780K | United States has 342.6% more people aged 35-39 |
| 40-44 | 12004K / 11314K | 2459K / 2500K | United States has 370.2% more people aged 40-44 |
| 45-49 | 11227K / 10699K | 1951K / 1993K | United States has 455.9% more people aged 45-49 |
| 50-54 | 10280K / 9907K | 1468K / 1613K | United States has 555.2% more people aged 50-54 |
| 55-59 | 10481K / 10283K | 1174K / 1422K | United States has 699.8% more people aged 55-59 |
| 60-64 | 10548K / 10660K | 974K / 1280K | United States has 840.8% more people aged 60-64 |
| 65-69 | 9910K / 10428K | 768K / 1060K | United States has 1012.1% more people aged 65-69 |
| 70-74 | 8040K / 8981K | 520K / 772K | United States has 1217.8% more people aged 70-74 |
| 75-79 | 6042K / 7108K | 275K / 469K | United States has 1666.1% more people aged 75-79 |
| 80-84 | 3636K / 4632K | 127K / 261K | United States has 2031.5% more people aged 80-84 |
| 85-89 | 1758K / 2638K | 64K / 164K | United States has 1824.2% more people aged 85-89 |
| 90-94 | 694K / 1262K | 28K / 79K | United States has 1713.9% more people aged 90-94 |
| 95-99 | 166K / 384K | 10K / 25K | United States has 1484.2% more people aged 95-99 |
| 100+ | 18K / 59K | 2K / 5K | United States has 1010.3% more people aged 100+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which has more people, USA or South Africa?
The United States has more: 349.0 million vs 65.5 million in 2026 — 5.3× as many, 283.6 million more people.
Which country is older?
The United States, with a median age of 38.7 vs 28.9 in South Africa (2026).
Which has higher fertility?
South Africa, at 2.17 children per woman vs 1.63 in the United States. Replacement is 2.1, so both are compared against it.
How will USA and South Africa compare in 2050?
By 2050 the UN projects the United States at 380.8 million (+9.1% from 2026) and South Africa at 79.2 million (+21.0%).
Are USA and South Africa growing or shrinking?
The United States is growing (+0.5% in 2026); South Africa is growing (+1.1%).
