Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) vs South Africa: Rural population
Rural population over time
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- South Africa
How they compare
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) currently reports 355.37 million against 23.43 million in South Africa, a difference of 331.94 million.
That makes Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)'s figure about 15.2 times South Africa's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) has been ahead every year.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 24th of 47 groups.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 117.60 million | 9.96 million | 107.65 million | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) |
| 1970s | 143.17 million | 13.18 million | 129.99 million | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) |
| 1980s | 178.23 million | 17.42 million | 160.81 million | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) |
| 1990s | 224.11 million | 20.51 million | 203.60 million | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) |
| 2000s | 269.38 million | 19.99 million | 249.39 million | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) |
| 2010s | 312.66 million | 20.62 million | 292.05 million | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) |
| 2020s | 344.92 million | 22.85 million | 322.07 million | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) or South Africa?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), at 355.37 million against 23.43 million in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) and South Africa?
- 331.94 million, with Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) and South Africa?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) and South Africa rank globally for rural population?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 26th 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.