Share of population living in rural areas in Egypt
Egypt: Share of population living in rural areas was 3.1% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population living in rural areas in Egypt, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Egypt recorded 3.1% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Egypt peaked at 15.2% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 2020.
That places Egypt 227th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in rural areas in Egypt, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 15.2% | — |
| 1955 | 14.0% | -8.1% |
| 1960 | 12.7% | -8.9% |
| 1965 | 11.5% | -9.7% |
| 1970 | 10.4% | -9.4% |
| 1975 | 9.5% | -9.0% |
| 1980 | 8.1% | -14.2% |
| 1985 | 7.0% | -14.0% |
| 1990 | 5.8% | -16.3% |
| 1995 | 5.0% | -13.8% |
| 2000 | 4.4% | -12.4% |
| 2005 | 3.9% | -11.0% |
| 2010 | 3.6% | -9.5% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 3.1% | -8.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 14.6% | 14.0% | 15.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 12.1% | 11.5% | 12.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 9.9% | 9.5% | 10.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 7.6% | 7.0% | 8.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 5.4% | 5.0% | 5.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 4.2% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Egypt
More population data for Egypt
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0535 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.0962 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0535 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1102 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 160,340 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.43 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4636 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Population density 202.82 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 11.08 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Egypt?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Egypt was 3.1% 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 rural areas recorded in Egypt?
- The highest recorded value was 15.2% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Egypt?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 2020.
- How does Egypt rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Egypt ranks 227th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Egypt?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Egypt 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 rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.