South Africa vs Spain: Share of population living in rural areas
South Africa
21.4%
in 2020
Spain
21.4%
in 2020
South Africa rank
148th
Spain rank
149th
Share of population living in rural areas over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 21.4% against 21.4% in Spain, a difference of 0.0%.
Across all 15 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 148th and Spain ranks 149th of 236 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 50.5% | 32.7% | 17.8% | South Africa |
| 1960s | 45.8% | 30.6% | 15.2% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 39.7% | 28.3% | 11.5% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 34.7% | 26.5% | 8.3% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 29.9% | 25.6% | 4.3% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 26.4% | 24.1% | 2.3% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 23.6% | 22.5% | 1.0% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 21.4% | 21.4% | 0.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in rural areas, South Africa or Spain?
- South Africa, at 21.4% against 21.4% in Spain as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in rural areas between South Africa and Spain?
- 0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for share of population living in rural areas?
- South Africa ranks 148th and Spain ranks 149th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.