Rural population in South Africa
South Africa: Rural population was 30.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in South Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in South Africa is 30.7%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in South Africa peaked at 52.2% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 30.7%, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 123rd of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 52.2% | — |
| 1971 | 52.1% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 52.1% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 52.0% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 52.0% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 51.9% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 51.8% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 51.8% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 51.7% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 51.7% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 51.6% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 51.4% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 51.2% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 51.1% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 50.9% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 50.6% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 50.1% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 49.6% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 49.0% | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 48.5% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 48.0% | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 47.4% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 47.0% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 46.5% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 46.0% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 45.5% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 45.0% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 44.6% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 44.1% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 43.6% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 43.1% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 42.6% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 42.1% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 41.6% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 41.0% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 40.5% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 39.9% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 39.4% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 38.8% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 38.3% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 37.8% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 37.3% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 36.7% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 36.2% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 35.7% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 35.2% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 34.7% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 34.1% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 33.6% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 33.1% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 32.6% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 32.2% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 31.7% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 31.2% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 30.7% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 51.9% | 51.7% | 52.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.4% | 48.5% | 51.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.8% | 43.6% | 48.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.7% | 38.3% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.4% | 33.1% | 37.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.7% | 30.7% | 32.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More population data for South Africa
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7997 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1847 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 73,530 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8824 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0148 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 77.75 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 5.55 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in South Africa?
- Rural population in South Africa was 30.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 52.2% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.7% in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for rural population?
- South Africa ranks 123rd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa 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