Japan vs South Africa: Population by labor force status bars
Japan
13.83 million
in 2025
South Africa
16.66 million
in 2025
Japan rank
29th
South Africa rank
26th
Population by labor force status bars over time
- Japan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 16.66 million against 13.83 million in Japan, a difference of 2.82 million.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 35 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 186 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.81 million | 16.48 million | 3.33 million | Japan |
| 2000s | 17.69 million | 15.63 million | 2.06 million | Japan |
| 2010s | 16.44 million | 15.91 million | 522,450 | Japan |
| 2020s | 14.65 million | 16.47 million | 1.83 million | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population by labor force status bars, Japan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 16.66 million against 13.83 million in Japan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population by labor force status bars between Japan and South Africa?
- 2.82 million, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Africa?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do Japan and South Africa rank globally for population by labor force status bars?
- Japan ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 26th of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Population by labor force status bars. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.