Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Madagascar
Madagascar: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 18.3% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Madagascar, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Madagascar stood at 18.3%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 52.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Madagascar peaked at 18.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 1950.
That places Madagascar 177th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Madagascar, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.7% | — |
| 1955 | 2.7% | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 3.1% | +14.4% |
| 1965 | 3.2% | +4.2% |
| 1970 | 3.4% | +6.7% |
| 1975 | 3.7% | +8.9% |
| 1980 | 4.9% | +31.9% |
| 1985 | 5.7% | +16.2% |
| 1990 | 7.1% | +23.6% |
| 1995 | 7.5% | +6.6% |
| 2000 | 9.3% | +23.6% |
| 2005 | 10.0% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | 12.0% | +19.6% |
| 2015 | 15.0% | +24.8% |
| 2020 | 18.3% | +22.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 5.3% | 4.9% | 5.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 7.3% | 7.1% | 7.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.7% | 9.3% | 10.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 13.5% | 12.0% | 15.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 18.3% | 18.3% | 18.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Madagascar
More population data for Madagascar
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.463 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.445 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.4% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 6.06 million people (2100)
- Population density 146.69 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2896 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.671 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Madagascar?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Madagascar was 18.3% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Madagascar?
- The highest recorded value was 18.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Madagascar?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 1950.
- How does Madagascar rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Madagascar ranks 177th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Madagascar?
- Over the last ten years it is up 52.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Madagascar data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.