Share of population living in rural areas in Eswatini
Eswatini: Share of population living in rural areas was 76.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Eswatini, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Eswatini recorded 76.5% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Eswatini peaked at 89.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 69.5%, in 2000.
Eswatini ranks 11th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 89.6% | — |
| 1955 | 88.6% | -1.1% |
| 1960 | 87.7% | -1.1% |
| 1965 | 86.7% | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 85.4% | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 84.0% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 82.3% | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 78.2% | -5.0% |
| 1990 | 75.6% | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 71.3% | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 69.5% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 71.2% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 71.4% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 73.2% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 76.5% | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 89.1% | 88.6% | 89.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 87.2% | 86.7% | 87.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 84.7% | 84.0% | 85.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 80.2% | 78.2% | 82.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 73.5% | 71.3% | 75.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 70.4% | 69.5% | 71.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 72.3% | 71.4% | 73.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 76.5% | 76.5% | 76.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
- 10 Solomon Islands 78.1% compare
- 12 Micronesia (country) 70.6% compare
- 13 Vanuatu 70.0% compare
- 14 Bhutan 69.5% compare
More population data for Eswatini
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.312 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0005 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.06 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 77.96 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 74,031 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 2.89 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Eswatini?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Eswatini was 76.5% 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 Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 89.6% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.5% in 2000.
- How does Eswatini rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Eswatini ranks 11th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini 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.