Rural population in Eritrea
Eritrea: Rural population was 56.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
56.1%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
52nd
of 214 countries
All-time high
87.3%
in 1970
All-time low
56.1%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Eritrea, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Eritrea is 56.1%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Eritrea peaked at 87.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 56.1%, in 2024.
Eritrea ranks 52nd of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 87.3% | — |
| 1971 | 87.2% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 87.0% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 86.8% | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 86.7% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 86.5% | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 86.3% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 86.1% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 86.0% | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 85.8% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 85.6% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 85.4% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 85.2% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 85.1% | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 84.8% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 84.2% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 83.6% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 83.0% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 82.4% | -0.8% |
| 1989 | 81.8% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 81.1% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 80.4% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 79.7% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 79.0% | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 78.2% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 77.5% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 76.7% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 75.9% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 75.1% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 74.3% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 73.4% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 72.5% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 71.7% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 70.8% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 69.8% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 68.9% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 67.9% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 67.0% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 66.0% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 65.4% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 64.8% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 64.2% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 63.6% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 63.0% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 62.4% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 61.8% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 61.2% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 60.5% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 59.9% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 59.3% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 58.7% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 58.0% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 57.4% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 56.7% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 56.1% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 86.6% | 85.8% | 87.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 84.1% | 81.8% | 85.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 77.8% | 74.3% | 81.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 69.3% | 65.4% | 73.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 62.1% | 59.3% | 64.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.4% | 56.1% | 58.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
- 49 Faroe Islands 56.8% compare
- 50 Egypt 56.7% compare
- 51 Republic of Moldova 56.4% compare
- 53 Central African Republic 55.9% compare
- 54 Aruba 55.5% compare
- 55 Sierra Leone 55.2% compare
More population data for Eritrea
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,964 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.97 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4564 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.264 (2100)
- Population density 69.76 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 525,382 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.264 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.97 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -0.8888 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 119 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Eritrea?
- Rural population in Eritrea was 56.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 87.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.1% in 2024.
- How does Eritrea rank for rural population?
- Eritrea ranks 52nd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eritrea 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