Share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Share of population living in rural areas was 15.59 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
15.59
World rank
178th
of 236 countries
All-time high
49.49
in 1950
All-time low
15.59
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020
Share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 15.59 for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 27.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan peaked at 49.49 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 15.59, in 2020.
That places Afghanistan 178th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.49 | — |
| 1955 | 47.79 | -3.4% |
| 1960 | 45.78 | -4.2% |
| 1965 | 43.19 | -5.7% |
| 1970 | 40.3 | -6.7% |
| 1975 | 37.3 | -7.4% |
| 1980 | 37 | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 39.71 | +7.3% |
| 1990 | 37.94 | -4.5% |
| 1995 | 32.03 | -15.6% |
| 2000 | 28.05 | -12.4% |
| 2005 | 24.38 | -13.1% |
| 2010 | 21.62 | -11.3% |
| 2015 | 18.08 | -16.3% |
| 2020 | 15.59 | -13.8% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 15.59 is below the median for low income countries, which is 35.61, 44% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 15.59 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 12.01, 1.3× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 48.64 | 47.79 | 49.49 | 2 |
| 1960s | 44.48 | 43.19 | 45.78 | 2 |
| 1970s | 38.8 | 37.3 | 40.3 | 2 |
| 1980s | 38.35 | 37 | 39.71 | 2 |
| 1990s | 34.98 | 32.03 | 37.94 | 2 |
| 2000s | 26.21 | 24.38 | 28.05 | 2 |
| 2010s | 19.85 | 18.08 | 21.62 | 2 |
| 2020s | 15.59 | 15.59 | 15.59 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More population data for Afghanistan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.2412 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4637 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2115 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 74,075 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.39 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2522 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.424 (2100)
- Population density 199.65 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 9.03 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Afghanistan was 15.59 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 49.49 in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.59 in 2020.
- How does Afghanistan rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Afghanistan ranks 178th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).