The map above shows New Jersey and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
New Jersey vs South Africa Geography
Land area: New Jersey has a land area of 7,355 square miles (19,049 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²). South Africa's land area is 63.8 times larger than New Jersey's.
Total area: New Jersey: 8,719 square miles (22,583 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Africa's total area is 54.1 times larger than New Jersey's.
Length: New Jersey is 169 miles (271 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km). South Africa's north-south length is 6.2 times (521%) longer than New Jersey's.
Width: New Jersey spans 129 miles (207 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km). South Africa's east-west width is 7.8 times (684%) wider than New Jersey's.
Highest point: New Jersey's highest point is High Point at 1,798 feet (548 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m). Mafadi is 9,521 feet higher than High Point.
Lowest point: New Jersey's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Africa's is Indian Ocean at 0 feet. Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
New Jersey vs South Africa Population and History
Population: New Jersey has a population of 9,500,851 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026). South Africa's population is 6.7 times (569%) larger than New Jersey's.
Population density: New Jersey: 1,291.8 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5. New Jersey's population density is 9.5 times (853%) higher than South Africa's.
Biggest city: New Jersey's biggest city is Newark with 317,303 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262. Johannesburg's population is 15.1 times larger than Newark's.
Largest metro area: New Jersey's largest metropolitan area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (19,940,274 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175). New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area's population is 2.8 times (182%) larger than Johannesburg's.
History: New Jersey: Admitted to the Union on December 18, 1787, as the 3rd state. South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961. In its current form, New Jersey is the older of the two by 123 years.
New Jersey vs South Africa Economy
GDP: New Jersey's GDP is $846.0 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion. New Jersey's economic output is 2.0 times (98%) larger than South Africa's.
GDP per capita: New Jersey: $89,045 per person vs South Africa: $6,598. New Jersey's GDP per capita is 13.5 times higher than South Africa's.
Average income: New Jersey: $84,893 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income). New Jersey's average income is 13.5 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
New Jersey official website · South Africa official website
More Size Comparisons
All New Jersey size comparisons · All South Africa size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.