Population ages 0-14 in South Africa
South Africa: Population ages 0-14 was 25.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population ages 0-14 in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects., United Nations Population Division. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population ages 0-14 in South Africa is 25.7%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population ages 0-14 in South Africa peaked at 42.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 25.7%, in 2025.
South Africa ranks 91st of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population ages 0-14 in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 42.1% | — |
| 1961 | 42.1% | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 42.1% | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 42.1% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 42.1% | -0.0% |
| 1965 | 42.1% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 42.1% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 42.2% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 42.2% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 42.2% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 42.3% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 42.2% | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 42.2% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 42.1% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 42.0% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 41.9% | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 41.8% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 41.7% | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 41.5% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 41.3% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 40.9% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 40.5% | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 40.1% | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 39.8% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 39.5% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 39.2% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 38.9% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 38.7% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 38.4% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 38.1% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 37.7% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 37.5% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 37.6% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 37.3% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 37.2% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 37.5% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 37.5% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 37.2% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 36.5% | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 35.7% | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 34.9% | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 34.0% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 33.2% | -2.6% |
| 2003 | 32.3% | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 31.6% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 31.1% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 30.6% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 30.2% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 29.9% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 29.7% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 29.4% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 29.1% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 28.9% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 28.7% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 28.5% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 28.3% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 28.3% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 28.3% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 27.9% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 27.4% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 27.0% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 26.6% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 26.3% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 26.1% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 25.9% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 25.7% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 42.1% | 42.1% | 42.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 41.9% | 41.3% | 42.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 39.4% | 38.1% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.2% | 35.7% | 37.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.8% | 29.7% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.5% | 27.4% | 29.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.3% | 25.7% | 27.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population ages 0-14 in South Africa?
- Population ages 0-14 in South Africa was 25.7% in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects., United Nations Population Division.
- What is the highest population ages 0-14 recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 42.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest population ages 0-14 recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.7% in 2025.
- How does South Africa rank for population ages 0-14?
- South Africa ranks 91st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population ages 0-14 rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects., United Nations Population Division, published as part of Population ages 0-14 (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population between the ages 0 to 14 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population.