What is the population of Cape Town?
Cape Town's metropolitan area has about 4,801,000 people, making it the 84th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.
In South Africa
Metro population
4,801,000
0.058% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
+1.45%
About 191 people a day
Archive estimateDensity
1,951/km²
2,461 km² metro area
City proper
4,772,846
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNamesAbout Cape Town
With a metropolitan population of 4,801,000 and a city-proper population of 4,772,846, Cape Town ranks among Africa's largest urban centers. The city sprawls across 1,951 people per km², situated at an elevation of 25 meters in South Africa. Founded in 1652, Cape Town has grown at an annual rate of 1.5% in recent years. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis oversees municipal governance. Cape Town International Airport serves the region's air transport needs.
This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Key Facts
- Country
- South Africa
- Continent
- Africa
- World rank
- #84 of 140
- Share of country
- 7.4%
- Founded
- 1652
- Leadership
- Geordin Hill-Lewis
- Elevation
- 25 m
- Coordinates
- -33.926, 18.423
Airports
Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.
- Cape Town International AirportCPT
18 km from the city centre
Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.
| Name | Metro population |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | 37.4M |
| Delhi | 32.9M |
| Shanghai | 29.2M |
| São Paulo | 22.6M |
| Dhaka | 22.5M |
| Mexico City | 22.3M |
| Cairo | 22.2M |
| Mumbai | 21.7M |
| Beijing | 21.5M |
| Osaka | 19M |
| New York | 18.9M |
| Karachi | 17.1M |
| Kinshasa | 17.1M |
| Chongqing | 16.9M |
| Lagos | 15.9M |
| Cape Town | 4.8M |
Population Trend in South Africa
No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 13,038,491 |
| 1960 | 16,440,172 |
| 1970 | 22,279,984 |
| 1980 | 29,518,857 |
| 1990 | 40,746,268 |
| 2000 | 47,159,719 |
| 2010 | 52,344,051 |
| 2020 | 60,562,381 |
| 2030 | 68,161,359 |
| 2040 | 74,035,624 |
| 2050 | 79,177,328 |
| 2060 | 83,443,514 |
| 2070 | 86,857,023 |
| 2080 | 89,674,092 |
| 2090 | 92,160,724 |
| 2100 | 94,314,448 |
Other Major Cities in South Africa
2 more cities in our dataset.
- Johannesburg6.07M · +1.52%
- Durban3.16M · +0.85%
Nearest Major Cities
Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.
Cape Town Population FAQ
What is the difference between Cape Town's city and metro population?
About 4,772,846 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 4,801,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.
Is Cape Town growing or shrinking?
Cape Town is growing at +1.45% a year.
What share of South Africa's population lives in Cape Town?
Cape Town's metro area holds about 7.4% of South Africa's total population.
How densely populated is Cape Town?
Cape Town has roughly 1,951 people per km² across a metro area of about 2,461 km².
Which airports serve Cape Town?
The nearest major airports are Cape Town International Airport (CPT).
Which country is Cape Town in?
Cape Town is in South Africa, in Africa.
Explore More Cities
- #1 TokyoJapan · 37.4M · −0.14%
- #2 DelhiIndia · 32.9M · +2.78%
- #3 ShanghaiChina · 29.2M · +0.86%
- #4 São PauloBrazil · 22.6M · +0.75%
- #5 DhakaBangladesh · 22.5M · +2.89%
- #6 Mexico CityMexico · 22.3M · +0.80%