Ireland vs South Africa: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Ireland
35.4%
in 2025
South Africa
36.2%
in 2025
Ireland rank
111th
South Africa rank
108th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Ireland
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 36.2% against 35.4% in Ireland, a difference of 0.8%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Ireland ahead.
Ireland ranks 111th and South Africa ranks 108th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 6.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 51.9% | 52.7% | 0.8% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 46.3% | 52.0% | 5.6% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 43.8% | 50.6% | 6.8% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 42.2% | 46.6% | 4.4% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 39.6% | 40.6% | 1.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 37.4% | 36.9% | 0.5% | Ireland |
| 2020s | 36.0% | 36.4% | 0.4% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Ireland or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 36.2% against 35.4% in Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Ireland and South Africa?
- 0.8%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Ireland and South Africa rank globally for rural population?
- Ireland ranks 111th and South Africa ranks 108th 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.