Congo vs South Africa: Rural population
Congo
30.4%
in 2024
South Africa
30.7%
in 2024
Congo rank
124th
South Africa rank
123rd
Rural population over time
- Congo
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 30.7% against 30.4% in Congo, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Congo ahead.
Congo ranks 124th and South Africa ranks 123rd of 214 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Congo averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Congo | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 57.1% | 51.9% | 5.2% | Congo |
| 1980s | 48.6% | 50.4% | 1.8% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 43.8% | 45.8% | 2.0% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 39.2% | 40.7% | 1.5% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 34.7% | 35.4% | 0.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 31.3% | 31.7% | 0.4% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Congo or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 30.7% against 30.4% in Congo as of 2024.
- What is the difference in rural population between Congo and South Africa?
- 0.3%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Congo and South Africa?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Congo and South Africa rank globally for rural population?
- Congo ranks 124th and South Africa ranks 123rd of 214 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release