Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Congo
Congo: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 30.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
30.4%
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
124th
of 214 countries
All-time high
60.9%
in 1970
All-time low
30.4%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Congo, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Congo stood at 30.4%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Congo peaked at 60.9% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 30.4%, in 2024.
That places Congo 124th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Congo, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 60.9% | — |
| 1971 | 60.1% | -1.3% |
| 1972 | 59.3% | -1.3% |
| 1973 | 58.5% | -1.3% |
| 1974 | 57.6% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 56.7% | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 55.8% | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 54.9% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 54.0% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 53.1% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 52.1% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 51.2% | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 50.3% | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 49.4% | -1.8% |
| 1984 | 48.4% | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 47.8% | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 47.4% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 46.9% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 46.5% | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 46.1% | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 45.7% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 45.3% | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 44.8% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 44.4% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 44.0% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 43.6% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 43.2% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 42.7% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 42.2% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 41.8% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 41.3% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 40.8% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 40.4% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 39.9% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 39.5% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 39.0% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 38.6% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 38.1% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 37.7% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 37.2% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 36.7% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 36.3% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 35.8% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 35.4% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 34.9% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 34.5% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 34.0% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 33.5% | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 33.1% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 32.6% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 32.2% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 31.7% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 31.3% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 30.8% | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 30.4% | -1.5% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 30.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.1%, 57% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 30.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 54.5%, 56% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 57.1% | 53.1% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 48.6% | 46.1% | 52.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 43.8% | 41.8% | 45.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 39.2% | 37.2% | 41.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.7% | 32.6% | 36.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.3% | 30.4% | 32.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More population data for Congo
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.6949 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.6949 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5095 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 10,379 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.17 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0471 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.684 (2100)
- Population density 58.64 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1.51 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Congo?
- Rural population in Congo was 30.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 60.9% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.4% in 2024.
- How does Congo rank for rural population?
- Congo ranks 124th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release