Share of population living in rural areas in Sudan
Sudan: Share of population living in rural areas was 25.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Sudan, 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 Sudan stood at 25.2%.
The figure is up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Sudan peaked at 55.3% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 24.1%, in 2015.
That places Sudan 122nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Sudan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 55.3% | — |
| 1955 | 52.4% | -5.4% |
| 1960 | 49.3% | -5.9% |
| 1965 | 45.9% | -6.9% |
| 1970 | 42.3% | -7.8% |
| 1975 | 38.5% | -9.0% |
| 1980 | 35.9% | -6.8% |
| 1985 | 32.9% | -8.5% |
| 1990 | 30.8% | -6.3% |
| 1995 | 28.5% | -7.5% |
| 2000 | 26.6% | -6.5% |
| 2005 | 25.3% | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 24.3% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 24.1% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 25.2% | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 53.9% | 52.4% | 55.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 47.6% | 45.9% | 49.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 40.4% | 38.5% | 42.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 34.4% | 32.9% | 35.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 29.6% | 28.5% | 30.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 26.0% | 25.3% | 26.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 24.2% | 24.1% | 24.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 25.2% | 25.2% | 25.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sudan
More population data for Sudan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.4226 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 1.64 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.4226 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.5289 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 84,494 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.31 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3723 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.4% (2100)
- Population density 73.28 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 9.54 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Sudan?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Sudan was 25.2% 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 Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 55.3% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.1% in 2015.
- How does Sudan rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Sudan ranks 122nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sudan 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.