Share of population living in urbanized areas in Eswatini
Eswatini: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 29.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
29.0%
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
185th
of 202 countries
All-time high
29.0%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Eswatini, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urbanized areas in Eswatini stood at 29.0%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urbanized areas in Eswatini peaked at 29.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
Eswatini ranks 185th of 202 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.2% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.2% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 0.2% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 0.2% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 1.0% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 1.1% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 1.2% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 1.5% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 1.8% | +9.5% |
| 1951 | 1.9% | +6.8% |
| 1952 | 2.0% | +6.8% |
| 1953 | 2.1% | +6.8% |
| 1954 | 2.3% | +6.8% |
| 1955 | 2.4% | +6.8% |
| 1956 | 2.6% | +6.7% |
| 1957 | 2.9% | +10.7% |
| 1958 | 3.2% | +10.9% |
| 1959 | 3.5% | +10.9% |
| 1960 | 3.9% | +10.8% |
| 1961 | 4.3% | +10.8% |
| 1962 | 4.8% | +10.7% |
| 1963 | 5.3% | +10.7% |
| 1964 | 5.9% | +10.6% |
| 1965 | 6.5% | +10.5% |
| 1966 | 7.2% | +10.2% |
| 1967 | 7.7% | +8.0% |
| 1968 | 8.3% | +8.0% |
| 1969 | 9.0% | +7.9% |
| 1970 | 9.7% | +7.8% |
| 1971 | 10.4% | +7.4% |
| 1972 | 11.2% | +7.6% |
| 1973 | 12.1% | +7.6% |
| 1974 | 13.0% | +7.7% |
| 1975 | 14.0% | +7.7% |
| 1976 | 15.0% | +7.2% |
| 1977 | 15.7% | +4.7% |
| 1978 | 16.4% | +4.3% |
| 1979 | 17.1% | +4.3% |
| 1980 | 17.8% | +4.4% |
| 1981 | 18.5% | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 19.2% | +3.8% |
| 1983 | 20.0% | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 20.8% | +4.3% |
| 1985 | 21.8% | +4.8% |
| 1986 | 22.6% | +3.7% |
| 1987 | 22.8% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 22.9% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 23.0% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 22.9% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 23.1% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 23.2% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 23.1% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 23.1% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 23.2% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 23.3% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 23.4% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 23.5% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 23.6% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 23.7% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 23.7% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 23.9% | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 24.2% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 24.5% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 24.7% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 25.0% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 25.3% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 25.5% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 25.8% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 26.1% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 26.4% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 26.9% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 27.4% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 27.9% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 28.5% | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 29.0% | +1.9% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 29.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 47.0%, 62% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 29.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 46.2%, 63% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urbanized areas in Eswatini changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1800s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1810s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1820s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1830s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1840s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1850s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1860s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1870s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1890s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1900s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1910s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1920s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1930s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1940s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1950s | 2.5% | 1.8% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.3% | 3.9% | 9.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.5% | 9.7% | 17.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.9% | 17.8% | 23.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.3% | 22.9% | 23.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.7% | 23.7% | 23.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.9% | 23.7% | 26.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.7% | 26.4% | 29.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More population data for Eswatini
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.312 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0005 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.06 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 77.96 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 74,031 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 2.89 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urbanized areas in Eswatini?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in Eswatini was 29.0% in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 29.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Eswatini rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- Eswatini ranks 185th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eswatini data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urbanized areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of population living in urban areas in a country over time.