Quick facts
Durban overview
Durban (orange) and the other large cities of South Africa
Durban lies in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa at 29.86°S, 31.03°E, about 21 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Johannesburg (UTC+2); GeoNames classifies it as a district seat.
It is smaller than Cape Town (4,772,846) and larger than Pretoria (2,112,693). The largest city in South Africa is Johannesburg with 9,418,183 people; the capital, Pretoria, has 2,112,693.
The national capital, Pretoria, is about 536 km away; the nearest large city is Pinetown, 14 km from Durban.
South Africa as a whole has a live population of 65,656,172 (+1.1% a year) and ranks #24 of 238 countries — see the South Africa population page for the full statistics and the South Africa atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Durban
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Pinetown KwaZulu-Natal | 14 km | 144,026 |
| Ntuzuma KwaZulu-Natal | 15 km | 125,394 |
| Mpumalanga KwaZulu-Natal | 38 km | 140,121 |
| KwaDukuza KwaZulu-Natal | 64 km | 161,177 |
| Pietermaritzburg KwaZulu-Natal | 67 km | 839,327 |
| Richards Bay KwaZulu-Natal | 154 km | 252,968 |
| Ladysmith KwaZulu-Natal | 189 km | 143,446 |
Largest cities in South Africa
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | Gauteng | 9,418,183 |
| 2 | Cape Town | Western Cape | 4,772,846 |
| 3 | Durban | KwaZulu-Natal | 3,338,026 |
| 4 | PretoriaCapital | Gauteng | 2,112,693 |
| 5 | Soweto | Gauteng | 1,695,047 |
| 6 | Gqeberha | Eastern Cape | 1,050,078 |
| 7 | Soshanguve | Gauteng | 872,309 |
| 8 | Pietermaritzburg | KwaZulu-Natal | 839,327 |
| 9 | Evaton | Gauteng | 725,468 |
| 10 | Benoni | Gauteng | 605,344 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Durban?
Durban has about 3,338,026 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Durban the capital of South Africa?
No. The capital of South Africa is Pretoria (2,112,693 people), about 536 km away. Durban is the 3rd largest city of the country and a district seat.
How big is Durban compared with the rest of South Africa?
Its 3,338,026 residents are 5.1% of the 65,656,172 people living in South Africa today. Johannesburg is larger with 9,418,183 people.
Where is Durban?
In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, at latitude -29.86 and longitude 31.03, 21 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Pinetown (14 km), Ntuzuma (15 km), Mpumalanga (38 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Durban Population 2026 — South Africa. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/durban/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/south-africa/durban/">Durban Population 2026 — South Africa</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.