Saudi Arabia vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Rural population growth (annual %)
Rural population growth (annual %) over time
- Saudi Arabia
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 3.6% against 1.5% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), a difference of 2.1%.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 2.4 times Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 4th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 7th of 210 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 3 and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.9% | 2.1% | 1.2% | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) |
| 1970s | 1.0% | 2.2% | 1.2% | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) |
| 1980s | 1.8% | 2.2% | 0.4% | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.1% | 0.6% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 2.0% | 1.4% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 1.9% | 0.8% | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.8% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population growth, Saudi Arabia or Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Saudi Arabia, at 3.6% against 1.5% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population growth between Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 2.1%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank globally for rural population growth?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 4th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 7th of 210 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.