Population growth rate in Eswatini
Eswatini: Population growth rate was 0.9% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population growth rate in Eswatini, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Eswatini recorded 0.9% for population growth rate in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 70.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Eswatini peaked at 5.3% in 1988 and was at its lowest, -2.2%, in 1994.
That places Eswatini 115th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth rate in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.5% | — |
| 1951 | 2.5% | -1.3% |
| 1952 | 2.5% | -1.5% |
| 1953 | 2.4% | -1.1% |
| 1954 | 2.4% | -1.4% |
| 1955 | 2.4% | -0.7% |
| 1956 | 2.4% | -1.0% |
| 1957 | 2.4% | -0.7% |
| 1958 | 2.3% | -0.6% |
| 1959 | 2.3% | -1.2% |
| 1960 | 2.3% | -1.4% |
| 1961 | 2.3% | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 2.3% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 2.3% | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 2.4% | +5.0% |
| 1965 | 2.6% | +7.3% |
| 1966 | 2.7% | +2.9% |
| 1967 | 2.4% | -10.8% |
| 1968 | 2.5% | +3.6% |
| 1969 | 2.6% | +3.3% |
| 1970 | 2.6% | +2.8% |
| 1971 | 2.7% | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 2.8% | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 2.8% | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 2.9% | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 3.0% | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 3.1% | +4.8% |
| 1977 | 3.3% | +5.8% |
| 1978 | 3.3% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 3.3% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 3.3% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 3.3% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 3.3% | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 4.1% | +24.2% |
| 1986 | 3.9% | -4.4% |
| 1987 | 3.9% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 5.3% | +35.9% |
| 1989 | 4.0% | -23.8% |
| 1990 | 4.1% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 4.0% | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 3.7% | -7.9% |
| 1993 | 2.2% | -39.8% |
| 1994 | -2.2% | -201.0% |
| 1995 | 2.1% | -192.9% |
| 1996 | 1.9% | -7.9% |
| 1997 | 1.5% | -22.7% |
| 1998 | 1.1% | -24.8% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | -7.7% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | -12.7% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -15.3% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -12.4% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -10.7% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | -8.8% |
| 2006 | 0.5% | -7.5% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | +39.5% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 0.6% | -11.0% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.6% | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | +56.4% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | +31.2% |
| 2021 | 1.1% | -11.9% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -12.3% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | -0.7% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 0.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 55% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 0.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 40% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | -201.0% | 2.2% | -2.2% |
| 1995 | +192.9% | -2.2% | 2.1% |
| 2017 | +56.4% | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| 2007 | +39.5% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| 1993 | -39.8% | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| 1988 | +35.9% | 3.9% | 5.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.0% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.8% | 3.3% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.9% | -2.2% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More population data for Eswatini
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0005 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 74,031 people (2100)
- Population density 77.96 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.06 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.7328 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Eswatini?
- Population growth rate in Eswatini was 0.9% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 5.3% in 1988.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.2% in 1994.
- How does Eswatini rank for population growth rate?
- Eswatini ranks 115th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 70.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eswatini data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.