Share of population living in rural areas in Mozambique
Mozambique: Share of population living in rural areas was 50.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Mozambique, 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 rural areas in Mozambique stood at 50.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Mozambique peaked at 64.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 49.1%, in 2015.
That places Mozambique 30th 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 Mozambique, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 64.0% | — |
| 1955 | 64.0% | -0.0% |
| 1960 | 63.8% | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 62.8% | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 61.6% | -2.0% |
| 1975 | 59.4% | -3.5% |
| 1980 | 56.6% | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 55.0% | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 53.6% | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 51.0% | -4.8% |
| 2000 | 50.4% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 50.1% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 49.8% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 49.1% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 50.0% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 64.0% | 64.0% | 64.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 63.3% | 62.8% | 63.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 60.5% | 59.4% | 61.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 55.8% | 55.0% | 56.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 52.3% | 51.0% | 53.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 50.3% | 50.1% | 50.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 49.5% | 49.1% | 49.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 50.0% | 50.0% | 50.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mozambique
- 27 Timor-Leste 50.6% compare
- 28 Burkina Faso 50.6% compare
- 29 Niger 50.6% compare
- 31 Slovenia 49.7% compare
- 32 Bosnia and Herzegovina 48.8% compare
- 33 Chad 48.5% compare
More population data for Mozambique
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3732 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.08 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.3732 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.4521 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 63,044 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.61 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.401 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Population density 132.69 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 7.33 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Mozambique?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Mozambique was 50.0% 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 Mozambique?
- The highest recorded value was 64.0% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Mozambique?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.1% in 2015.
- How does Mozambique rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Mozambique ranks 30th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Mozambique?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mozambique 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.