Urban and rural population in Yemen

Yemen: Urban and rural population was 15.47 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
15.47 million
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
56th
of 236 countries
All-time high
15.47 million
in 2025
All-time low
87,719
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025

Urban and rural population in Yemen, 1950–2025

05.0M10.0M15.0M195019872025

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for urban and rural population in Yemen is 15.47 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.6% on the previous year and up 53.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, urban and rural population in Yemen peaked at 15.47 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 87,719, in 1950.

That places Yemen 56th out of 236 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Urban and rural population in Yemen, year by year

Annual values for Urban and rural population in Yemen, 1950 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1950 87,719 —
1951 93,728 +6.9%
1952 100,648 +7.4%
1953 108,452 +7.8%
1954 117,134 +8.0%
1955 126,696 +8.2%
1956 137,147 +8.2%
1957 148,494 +8.3%
1958 160,758 +8.3%
1959 173,956 +8.2%
1960 188,098 +8.1%
1961 203,297 +8.1%
1962 219,678 +8.1%
1963 237,337 +8.0%
1964 256,710 +8.2%
1965 278,156 +8.4%
1966 301,840 +8.5%
1967 328,078 +8.7%
1968 357,185 +8.9%
1969 389,617 +9.1%
1970 425,330 +9.2%
1971 466,233 +9.6%
1972 514,593 +10.4%
1973 570,431 +10.9%
1974 633,860 +11.1%
1975 705,035 +11.2%
1976 784,057 +11.2%
1977 870,919 +11.1%
1978 965,654 +10.9%
1979 1.07 million +10.7%
1980 1.18 million +10.5%
1981 1.30 million +10.2%
1982 1.43 million +9.9%
1983 1.57 million +9.6%
1984 1.71 million +9.3%
1985 1.86 million +8.9%
1986 2.02 million +8.6%
1987 2.20 million +8.6%
1988 2.39 million +8.6%
1989 2.59 million +8.5%
1990 2.80 million +8.3%
1991 3.03 million +8.0%
1992 3.26 million +7.7%
1993 3.50 million +7.3%
1994 3.74 million +6.9%
1995 3.98 million +6.5%
1996 4.22 million +6.0%
1997 4.47 million +5.7%
1998 4.71 million +5.5%
1999 4.96 million +5.4%
2000 5.22 million +5.2%
2001 5.48 million +5.0%
2002 5.75 million +4.8%
2003 6.01 million +4.7%
2004 6.29 million +4.5%
2005 6.58 million +4.6%
2006 6.88 million +4.7%
2007 7.20 million +4.6%
2008 7.52 million +4.5%
2009 7.86 million +4.4%
2010 8.19 million +4.3%
2011 8.53 million +4.1%
2012 8.87 million +4.0%
2013 9.22 million +3.9%
2014 9.63 million +4.5%
2015 10.09 million +4.8%
2016 10.58 million +4.8%
2017 11.10 million +5.0%
2018 11.66 million +5.0%
2019 12.26 million +5.1%
2020 12.90 million +5.3%
2021 13.40 million +3.8%
2022 13.88 million +3.6%
2023 14.41 million +3.8%
2024 14.94 million +3.7%
2025 15.47 million +3.6%

Yemen compared with similar countries

  • Yemen's 15.47 million is above the median for low income countries, which is 6.96 million, 2.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Yemen's 15.47 million is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 9.75 million, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 125,473 87,719 173,956 10
1960s 276,000 188,098 389,617 10
1970s 700,487 425,330 1.07 million 10
1980s 1.82 million 1.18 million 2.59 million 10
1990s 3.87 million 2.80 million 4.96 million 10
2000s 6.48 million 5.22 million 7.86 million 10
2010s 10.01 million 8.19 million 12.26 million 10
2020s 14.17 million 12.90 million 15.47 million 6

Countries ranked near Yemen

  1. 53 Myanmar 16.78 million compare
  2. 54 Cameroon 16.63 million compare
  3. 55 Uganda 16.41 million compare
  4. 57 Mozambique 13.26 million compare
  5. 58 Kazakhstan 13.00 million compare
  6. 59 Ecuador 11.59 million compare

See the full ranking of 237 places →

More population data for Yemen

All data for Yemen →

Frequently asked questions

What is urban and rural population in Yemen?
Urban and rural population in Yemen was 15.47 million in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest urban and rural population recorded in Yemen?
The highest recorded value was 15.47 million in 2025.
What is the lowest urban and rural population recorded in Yemen?
The lowest recorded value was 87,719 in 1950.
How does Yemen rank for urban and rural population?
Yemen ranks 56th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
Is urban and rural population rising or falling in Yemen?
Over the last ten years it is up 53.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Yemen data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Urban and rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Urban and rural population in Yemen. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/urban-and-rural-population/yemen-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Urban and rural population
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
237 places, 18,012 data points, 1950–2025
Last refreshed