The map above shows New York and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
New York vs South Africa Geography
Land area: New York has a land area of 47,123 square miles (122,049 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²). South Africa's land area is 10.0 times (895%) larger than New York's.
Total area: New York: 54,559 square miles (141,306 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water. South Africa's total area is 8.6 times (764%) larger than New York's.
Length: New York is 312 miles (503 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km). South Africa's north-south length is 3.4 times (237%) longer than New York's.
Width: New York spans 415 miles (668 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km). South Africa's east-west width is 2.4 times (144%) wider than New York's.
Highest point: New York's highest point is Mount Marcy at 5,335 feet (1,626 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m). Mafadi is 5,984 feet higher than Mount Marcy.
Lowest point: New York'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 York vs South Africa Population and History
Population: New York has a population of 19,867,248 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026). South Africa's population is 3.2 times (220%) larger than New York's.
Population density: New York: 421.6 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5. New York's population density is 3.1 times (211%) higher than South Africa's.
Biggest city: New York's biggest city is New York with 8,478,072 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262. New York's population is 1.8 times (77%) larger than Johannesburg's.
Largest metro area: New York'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 York: Admitted to the Union on July 26, 1788, as the 11th state. South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961. In its current form, New York is the older of the two by 122 years.
New York vs South Africa Economy
GDP: New York's GDP is $2,322.1 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion. New York's economic output is 5.4 times (444%) larger than South Africa's.
GDP per capita: New York: $116,883 per person vs South Africa: $6,598. New York's GDP per capita is 17.7 times higher than South Africa's.
Average income: New York: $85,552 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income). New York's average income is 13.6 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
New York official website · South Africa official website
More Size Comparisons
All New York 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.