Mexico vs South Africa: Land use over the long term
Mexico
74.43 million
in 2025
South Africa
83.93 million
in 2025
Mexico rank
12th
South Africa rank
10th
Land use over the long term over time
- Mexico
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 83.93 million against 74.43 million in Mexico, a difference of 9.50 million.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Mexico's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was South Africa ahead.
Mexico ranks 12th and South Africa ranks 10th of 199 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, Mexico averaged higher in 24 and South Africa in 16.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Mexico | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0 | 87,821 | 87,821 | South Africa |
| 1100s | 0 | 131,731 | 131,731 | South Africa |
| 1200s | 0 | 192,108 | 192,108 | South Africa |
| 1300s | 0 | 274,440 | 274,440 | South Africa |
| 1400s | 0 | 385,931 | 385,931 | South Africa |
| 1500s | 0 | 536,015 | 536,015 | South Africa |
| 1600s | 7.37 million | 781,689 | 6.58 million | Mexico |
| 1700s | 14.73 million | 1.40 million | 13.34 million | Mexico |
| 1710s | 15.65 million | 1.71 million | 13.94 million | Mexico |
| 1720s | 16.54 million | 2.10 million | 14.44 million | Mexico |
| 1730s | 17.38 million | 2.57 million | 14.80 million | Mexico |
| 1740s | 18.18 million | 3.15 million | 15.03 million | Mexico |
| 1750s | 18.94 million | 3.86 million | 15.08 million | Mexico |
| 1760s | 19.67 million | 3.78 million | 15.89 million | Mexico |
| 1770s | 20.36 million | 3.70 million | 16.66 million | Mexico |
| 1780s | 21.01 million | 3.62 million | 17.40 million | Mexico |
| 1790s | 21.64 million | 3.54 million | 18.10 million | Mexico |
| 1800s | 22.23 million | 3.46 million | 18.77 million | Mexico |
| 1810s | 22.78 million | 3.37 million | 19.41 million | Mexico |
| 1820s | 23.31 million | 3.29 million | 20.02 million | Mexico |
| 1830s | 23.81 million | 3.21 million | 20.60 million | Mexico |
| 1840s | 24.28 million | 3.13 million | 21.15 million | Mexico |
| 1850s | 24.72 million | 3.69 million | 21.04 million | Mexico |
| 1860s | 25.14 million | 4.55 million | 20.59 million | Mexico |
| 1870s | 25.53 million | 6.03 million | 19.50 million | Mexico |
| 1880s | 25.89 million | 11.94 million | 13.96 million | Mexico |
| 1890s | 31.13 million | 14.65 million | 16.48 million | Mexico |
| 1900s | 34.73 million | 20.44 million | 14.29 million | Mexico |
| 1910s | 39.00 million | 27.41 million | 11.59 million | Mexico |
| 1920s | 34.82 million | 33.93 million | 890,500 | Mexico |
| 1930s | 40.92 million | 42.23 million | 1.31 million | South Africa |
| 1940s | 48.40 million | 51.22 million | 2.82 million | South Africa |
| 1950s | 71.97 million | 75.90 million | 3.93 million | South Africa |
| 1960s | 77.50 million | 85.42 million | 7.92 million | South Africa |
| 1970s | 78.28 million | 82.00 million | 3.72 million | South Africa |
| 1980s | 80.26 million | 81.59 million | 1.33 million | South Africa |
| 1990s | 81.26 million | 83.44 million | 2.18 million | South Africa |
| 2000s | 80.03 million | 83.93 million | 3.89 million | South Africa |
| 2010s | 74.56 million | 83.93 million | 9.37 million | South Africa |
| 2020s | 74.28 million | 83.93 million | 9.65 million | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher land use over the long term, Mexico or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 83.93 million against 74.43 million in Mexico as of 2025.
- What is the difference in land use over the long term between Mexico and South Africa?
- 9.50 million, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Mexico and South Africa?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do Mexico and South Africa rank globally for land use over the long term?
- Mexico ranks 12th and South Africa ranks 10th of 199 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Land use over the long term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.