Africa Eastern and Southern vs South Africa: Rural population
Rural population over time
- Africa Eastern and Southern
- South Africa
How they compare
Africa Eastern and Southern currently reports 483.55 million against 23.43 million in South Africa, a difference of 460.12 million.
That makes Africa Eastern and Southern's figure about 20.6 times South Africa's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Africa Eastern and Southern has been ahead every year.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 24th of 47 groups.
Africa Eastern and Southern has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Africa Eastern and Southern | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 124.23 million | 9.96 million | 114.27 million | Africa Eastern and Southern |
| 1970s | 159.30 million | 13.18 million | 146.12 million | Africa Eastern and Southern |
| 1980s | 205.48 million | 17.42 million | 188.07 million | Africa Eastern and Southern |
| 1990s | 257.95 million | 20.51 million | 237.44 million | Africa Eastern and Southern |
| 2000s | 319.13 million | 19.99 million | 299.14 million | Africa Eastern and Southern |
| 2010s | 394.00 million | 20.62 million | 373.38 million | Africa Eastern and Southern |
| 2020s | 462.50 million | 22.85 million | 439.65 million | Africa Eastern and Southern |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Africa Eastern and Southern or South Africa?
- Africa Eastern and Southern, at 483.55 million against 23.43 million in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Africa Eastern and Southern and South Africa?
- 460.12 million, with Africa Eastern and Southern ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Africa Eastern and Southern and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Africa Eastern and Southern and South Africa rank globally for rural population?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 24th of 47 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Rural 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. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.