Ethiopia vs South Africa: Population ages 65 and above, female

Ethiopia
2.48 million
in 2025
South Africa
2.73 million
in 2025
Ethiopia rank
31st
South Africa rank
29th

Population ages 65 and above, female over time

  • Ethiopia
  • South Africa
500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M196019922025

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 2.73 million against 2.48 million in Ethiopia, a difference of 251,350.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ethiopia's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Ethiopia ahead.

Ethiopia ranks 31st and South Africa ranks 29th of 218 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ethiopia South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 414,130 350,967 63,163 Ethiopia
1970s 529,973 511,923 18,050 Ethiopia
1980s 644,096 758,408 114,312 South Africa
1990s 834,207 1.09 million 253,987 South Africa
2000s 1.11 million 1.55 million 442,688 South Africa
2010s 1.63 million 1.92 million 288,740 South Africa
2020s 2.23 million 2.50 million 271,720 South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population ages 65 and above, female, Ethiopia or South Africa?
South Africa, at 2.73 million against 2.48 million in Ethiopia as of 2025.
What is the difference in population ages 65 and above, female between Ethiopia and South Africa?
251,350, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for population ages 65 and above, female?
Ethiopia ranks 31st and South Africa ranks 29th of 218 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as Population ages 65 and above, female. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ethiopia vs South Africa: Population ages 65 and above, female. Statizoid, drawing on World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/population-ages-65-and-above-female/ethiopia/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Population ages 65 and above, female
Source
World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
266 places, 17,526 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Female population 65 years of age or older. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.