Sub-Saharan Africa vs Vanuatu: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Sub-Saharan Africa
55.3%
in 2025
Vanuatu
77.7%
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
12th
Vanuatu rank
9th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Vanuatu
How they compare
Vanuatu currently reports 77.7% against 55.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 22.4%.
That makes Vanuatu's figure about 1.4 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Vanuatu has been ahead every year.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th and Vanuatu ranks 9th of 47 groups.
Vanuatu has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sub-Saharan Africa | Vanuatu | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 83.9% | 90.7% | 6.8% | Vanuatu |
| 1970s | 79.3% | 87.3% | 8.0% | Vanuatu |
| 1980s | 74.5% | 83.3% | 8.9% | Vanuatu |
| 1990s | 69.6% | 79.9% | 10.3% | Vanuatu |
| 2000s | 65.1% | 77.1% | 12.0% | Vanuatu |
| 2010s | 60.4% | 75.4% | 15.0% | Vanuatu |
| 2020s | 56.6% | 77.7% | 21.1% | Vanuatu |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Sub-Saharan Africa or Vanuatu?
- Vanuatu, at 77.7% against 55.3% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Sub-Saharan Africa and Vanuatu?
- 22.4%, with Vanuatu ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sub-Saharan Africa and Vanuatu?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Sub-Saharan Africa and Vanuatu rank globally for rural population?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th and Vanuatu ranks 9th of 47 groups.
- 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.