Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Madagascar
Madagascar: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 58.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
58.8%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
47th
of 214 countries
All-time high
85.9%
in 1970
All-time low
58.8%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Madagascar, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Madagascar recorded 58.8% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Madagascar peaked at 85.9% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 58.8%, in 2024.
Madagascar ranks 47th 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 (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Madagascar, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 85.9% | — |
| 1971 | 85.5% | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 85.0% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 84.6% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 84.1% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 83.7% | -0.6% |
| 1976 | 83.2% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 82.8% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 82.4% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 81.9% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 81.5% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 81.0% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 80.5% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 80.1% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 79.6% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 79.1% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 78.6% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 78.0% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 77.5% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 77.0% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 76.4% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 75.9% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 75.3% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 74.7% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 74.5% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 74.2% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 73.9% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 73.7% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 73.4% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 73.1% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 72.9% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 72.6% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 72.3% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 72.1% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 71.8% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 71.2% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 70.6% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 70.0% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 69.3% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 68.7% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 68.1% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 67.4% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 66.8% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 66.1% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 65.5% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 64.8% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 64.1% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 63.5% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 62.8% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 62.1% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 61.5% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 60.8% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 60.1% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 59.4% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 58.8% | -1.1% |
Madagascar compared with similar countries
- Madagascar's 58.8% is below the median for low income countries, which is 59.5%, 99% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Madagascar's 58.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 54.5%, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 83.9% | 81.9% | 85.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 79.3% | 77.0% | 81.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 74.5% | 73.1% | 76.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.1% | 68.7% | 72.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.1% | 62.1% | 68.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.1% | 58.8% | 61.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Madagascar
More population data for Madagascar
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.445 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.153 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.445 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.463 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2896 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.436 (2100)
- Population density 146.69 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 6.06 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.436 (2100)
- Urbanization vs gdp, annual growth rate 1.44 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Madagascar?
- Rural population in Madagascar was 58.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Madagascar?
- The highest recorded value was 85.9% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Madagascar?
- The lowest recorded value was 58.8% in 2024.
- How does Madagascar rank for rural population?
- Madagascar ranks 47th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Madagascar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Madagascar 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