Australia vs South Africa: Net migration
Australia
137,109
in 2025
South Africa
146,370
in 2025
Australia rank
11th
South Africa rank
9th
Net migration over time
- Australia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 146,370 against 137,109 in Australia, a difference of 9,261.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 13 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 11th and South Africa ranks 9th of 215 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 89,373 | 68,955 | 20,418 | Australia |
| 1970s | 85,532 | 46,061 | 39,471 | Australia |
| 1980s | 112,088 | 264,458 | 152,370 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 69,077 | -52,295 | 121,372 | Australia |
| 2000s | 163,673 | 15,644 | 148,029 | Australia |
| 2010s | 217,176 | 165,719 | 51,457 | Australia |
| 2020s | 119,673 | 267,166 | 147,493 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher net migration, Australia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 146,370 against 137,109 in Australia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in net migration between Australia and South Africa?
- 9,261, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Australia and South Africa rank globally for net migration?
- Australia ranks 11th and South Africa ranks 9th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as Net migration. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Net migration is the net total of migrants during the period, that is, the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants, including both citizens and noncitizens.