Indicator	Value
Total population	64,000,000 peopleUN DESA WPP [2024] 64,010,000 people·World Bank WDI [2024] 64,010,000 people
Median age	28.5 yearsUN DESA WPP [2024]
Life expectancy	66.1–66.3 yearsWorld Bank WDI [2024] 66.31 years·UNDP HDI [2023] 66.14 years
Ethnic groups	Black African 80.9%, Colored 8.8%, White 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.6% (2021 est.); note: Colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry who developed a distinct cultural identity over several hundred yearsCIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Languages	isiZulu or Zulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa or Xhosa (official) 14.8%, Afrikaans (official) 12.2%, Sepedi or Pedi (official) 10.1%, Setswana or Tswana (official) 9.1%, English (official) 8.1%, Sesotho or Sotho (official) 7.9%, Xitsonga or Tsonga (official) 3.6%, siSwati or Swati (official) 2.8%, Tshivenda or Venda (official) 2.5%, isiNdebele or Ndebele (official) 1.6%, other (includes South African sign language (official) and Khoi or Khoisan or Khoe languages) 2% (2018 est.)CIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Religions	Christian 86%, ancestral, tribal, animist, or other traditional African religions 5.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other 1.5%, nothing in particular 5.2% (2015 est.)CIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Urbanization	68.8% of total population (2023)CIA World Factbook [2025] · 2026 archive
Population growth	1.25 %World Bank WDI [2024]
Birth rate	18.5 per 1,000World Bank WDI [2024]
Death rate	9.24 per 1,000World Bank WDI [2024]
Urban population	63.7 %World Bank WDI [2024]
Languages (structured)	!Gã!ne //Xegwi /Xam Afrikaans Archaic Angloromani Birwa Camtho Danster !Ui Eastern Yiddish English Fanagalo Gail Hai//om-Akhoe Hottentot Dutch Kalanga Kgalagadi Khuai Korana Kxoe Lower-Nosop Nama (Namibia) North-Central Ju N||ng Oorlams Pedi Phuthi Ronga Shona South African Sign Language Southern Sotho Sumayela Ndebele Swati Tsonga Tsotsitaal Tswa Tswana Tswapong Vaal-Orange Venda West !Xoon Xhosa Xiri Zulu Glottolog [2026]