Rural population in Yemen
Yemen: Rural population was 59.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
59.5%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
44th
of 214 countries
All-time high
86.7%
in 1970
All-time low
59.5%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Yemen, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Yemen stood at 59.5%. 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 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Yemen peaked at 86.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 59.5%, in 2024.
Yemen ranks 44th 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 Yemen, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 86.7% | — |
| 1971 | 86.4% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 86.1% | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 85.8% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 85.5% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 85.2% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 84.8% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 84.5% | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 84.2% | -0.4% |
| 1979 | 83.8% | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 83.5% | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 83.1% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 82.7% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 82.4% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 82.0% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 81.6% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 81.2% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 80.7% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 80.2% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 79.6% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 79.1% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 78.5% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 77.9% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 77.4% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 76.8% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 76.2% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 75.8% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 75.3% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 74.8% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 74.2% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 73.7% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 73.2% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 72.7% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 72.2% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 71.6% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 71.1% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 70.5% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 69.9% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 69.4% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 68.8% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 68.2% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 67.6% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 67.0% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 66.4% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 65.8% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 65.2% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 64.6% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 64.0% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 63.4% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 62.7% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 62.1% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 61.5% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 60.8% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 60.2% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 59.5% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 85.3% | 83.8% | 86.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 81.7% | 79.6% | 83.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 76.6% | 74.2% | 79.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.3% | 68.8% | 73.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.5% | 62.7% | 68.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.8% | 59.5% | 62.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Yemen
- 41 Laos 61.1% compare
- 42 Mozambique 60.7% compare
- 43 Vietnam 59.8% compare
- 45 Mauritius 59.1% compare
- 46 Bangladesh 58.8% compare
- 47 Madagascar 58.8% compare
More population data for Yemen
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.2706 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.67 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.2706 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 55,296 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.01 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5817 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.258 (2100)
- Population density 208.41 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 6.88 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Yemen?
- Rural population in Yemen was 59.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Yemen?
- The highest recorded value was 86.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Yemen?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.5% in 2024.
- How does Yemen rank for rural population?
- Yemen ranks 44th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Yemen?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Yemen 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