Ethiopia vs South Sudan: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Ethiopia
75.9%
in 2025
South Sudan
78.3%
in 2025
Ethiopia rank
11th
South Sudan rank
8th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Ethiopia
- South Sudan
How they compare
South Sudan currently reports 78.3% against 75.9% in Ethiopia, a difference of 2.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 11th and South Sudan ranks 8th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 3 and South Sudan in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | South Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 92.3% | 91.4% | 0.8% | Ethiopia |
| 1970s | 90.7% | 91.5% | 0.8% | South Sudan |
| 1980s | 88.6% | 90.5% | 1.9% | South Sudan |
| 1990s | 86.2% | 85.5% | 0.7% | Ethiopia |
| 2000s | 84.1% | 83.3% | 0.8% | Ethiopia |
| 2010s | 80.7% | 81.3% | 0.6% | South Sudan |
| 2020s | 77.1% | 79.1% | 1.9% | South Sudan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Ethiopia or South Sudan?
- South Sudan, at 78.3% against 75.9% in Ethiopia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Ethiopia and South Sudan?
- 2.4%, with South Sudan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Sudan?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Ethiopia and South Sudan rank globally for rural population?
- Ethiopia ranks 11th and South Sudan ranks 8th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
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.