Share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau: Share of population living in rural areas was 45.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Guinea-Bissau recorded 45.1% 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 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau peaked at 60.6% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 45.1%, in 2020.
That places Guinea-Bissau 42nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 57.0% | — |
| 1955 | 57.3% | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 58.1% | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 59.3% | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 60.6% | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 59.7% | -1.6% |
| 1980 | 58.6% | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 58.6% | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 56.0% | -4.5% |
| 1995 | 53.8% | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 51.6% | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 49.8% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 47.8% | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 45.8% | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 45.1% | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 57.2% | 57.0% | 57.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 58.7% | 58.1% | 59.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 60.2% | 59.7% | 60.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 58.6% | 58.6% | 58.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 54.9% | 53.8% | 56.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 50.7% | 49.8% | 51.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 46.8% | 45.8% | 47.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 45.1% | 45.1% | 45.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Guinea-Bissau
More population data for Guinea-Bissau
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1572 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1406 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.35 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1406 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development 0.1% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 302,001 people (2100)
- Population density 165.91 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4106 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Guinea-Bissau was 45.1% 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 Guinea-Bissau?
- The highest recorded value was 60.6% in 1970.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Guinea-Bissau?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.1% in 2020.
- How does Guinea-Bissau rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Guinea-Bissau ranks 42nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Guinea-Bissau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guinea-Bissau 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.