Rural population, annual growth rate in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Rural population, annual growth rate was 1.78 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
1.78 % change on previous year
Change on year
up 2.7%
Rank
3rd
of 45 groups
All-time high
2.84 % change on previous year
in 1982
All-time low
1.73 % change on previous year
in 2024
Years of data
65
1961–2025
Rural population, annual growth rate in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population, annual growth rate in Africa Eastern and Southern is 1.78 % change on previous year, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and down 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, annual growth rate in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 2.84 % change on previous year in 1982 and was at its lowest, 1.73 % change on previous year, in 2024.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 3rd of 45 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Rural population, annual growth rate in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.39 % change on previous year | — |
| 1962 | 2.43 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 1963 | 2.45 % change on previous year | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 2.5 % change on previous year | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 2.53 % change on previous year | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 2.51 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 2.54 % change on previous year | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 2.58 % change on previous year | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 2.56 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 2.54 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 2.51 % change on previous year | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 2.43 % change on previous year | -3.2% |
| 1973 | 2.49 % change on previous year | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 2.55 % change on previous year | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 2.51 % change on previous year | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 2.52 % change on previous year | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 2.43 % change on previous year | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 2.61 % change on previous year | +7.2% |
| 1979 | 2.75 % change on previous year | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 2.6 % change on previous year | -5.7% |
| 1981 | 2.72 % change on previous year | +4.7% |
| 1982 | 2.84 % change on previous year | +4.6% |
| 1983 | 2.69 % change on previous year | -5.3% |
| 1984 | 2.53 % change on previous year | -6.2% |
| 1985 | 2.45 % change on previous year | -3.1% |
| 1986 | 2.37 % change on previous year | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 2.34 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 2.23 % change on previous year | -4.5% |
| 1989 | 2.16 % change on previous year | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 2.25 % change on previous year | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 2.24 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 2.25 % change on previous year | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 2.37 % change on previous year | +5.4% |
| 1994 | 2.18 % change on previous year | -8.0% |
| 1995 | 2.18 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 2.35 % change on previous year | +8.0% |
| 1997 | 2.25 % change on previous year | -4.0% |
| 1998 | 2.2 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 2.21 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 2.16 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 2001 | 2.1 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 2.08 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 2.05 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 2.02 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 2.03 % change on previous year | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 2.04 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 2.17 % change on previous year | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 2.03 % change on previous year | -6.3% |
| 2009 | 2.19 % change on previous year | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 2.24 % change on previous year | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 2.19 % change on previous year | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 2.2 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 2.2 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 2.11 % change on previous year | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 2.09 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 2.06 % change on previous year | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 2.04 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 2.09 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 2.15 % change on previous year | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 2.11 % change on previous year | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 2.01 % change on previous year | -4.9% |
| 2022 | 1.89 % change on previous year | -5.7% |
| 2023 | 1.88 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 1.73 % change on previous year | -7.8% |
| 2025 | 1.78 % change on previous year | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.5 % change on previous year | 2.39 % change on previous year | 2.58 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.53 % change on previous year | 2.43 % change on previous year | 2.75 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.49 % change on previous year | 2.16 % change on previous year | 2.84 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.25 % change on previous year | 2.18 % change on previous year | 2.37 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.09 % change on previous year | 2.02 % change on previous year | 2.19 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.14 % change on previous year | 2.04 % change on previous year | 2.24 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9 % change on previous year | 1.73 % change on previous year | 2.11 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 1 Oman 3.86 % change on previous year compare
- 2 Syria 3.81 % change on previous year compare
- 3 United Arab Emirates 3.73 % change on previous year compare
- 4 Saudi Arabia 3.68 % change on previous year compare
- 5 Georgia 2.97 % change on previous year compare
- 6 Niger 2.87 % change on previous year compare
More agriculture & rural data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 209.47 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population 483.55 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Rural population 61.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.9% (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.613 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1542 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 265.55 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, annual growth rate in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Rural population, annual growth rate in Africa Eastern and Southern was 1.78 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, annual growth rate recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 2.84 % change on previous year in 1982.
- What is the lowest rural population, annual growth rate recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.73 % change on previous year in 2024.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for rural population, annual growth rate?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 3rd out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is rural population, annual growth rate rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Rural population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Rural population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.