Rural population, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Rural population, per capita was 0.3618 units per person in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population, per capita in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
In 2025, rural population, per capita in South Africa stood at 0.3618 units per person. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.5331 units per person in 1960 and was at its lowest, 0.3618 units per person, in 2025.
South Africa ranks 106th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.5331 units per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.5314 units per person | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 0.5299 units per person | -0.3% |
| 1963 | 0.5286 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 0.5274 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 0.5264 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 0.5255 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 0.5246 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 0.5238 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 0.523 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 0.5222 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 0.5215 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 0.5209 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 0.5203 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 0.5198 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 0.5193 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 0.5188 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 0.5182 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 0.5176 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 0.5169 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 0.516 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 0.515 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 0.5137 units per person | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 0.5121 units per person | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 0.5102 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 0.508 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 0.5044 units per person | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 0.499 units per person | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 0.4927 units per person | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 0.4861 units per person | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 0.4803 units per person | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 0.476 units per person | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 0.4732 units per person | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 0.4711 units per person | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 0.4692 units per person | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 0.467 units per person | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 0.4643 units per person | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 0.46 units per person | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 0.4534 units per person | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 0.4456 units per person | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 0.4374 units per person | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 0.43 units per person | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 0.4233 units per person | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 0.4163 units per person | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 0.409 units per person | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 0.4018 units per person | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 0.3947 units per person | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 0.3882 units per person | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 0.3823 units per person | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 0.3774 units per person | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 0.3737 units per person | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 0.3715 units per person | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 0.3704 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 0.3695 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 0.3686 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 0.3679 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 0.3672 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 0.3667 units per person | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.3662 units per person | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 0.3659 units per person | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 0.3656 units per person | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 0.3655 units per person | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.3652 units per person | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 0.3642 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 0.3631 units per person | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 0.3618 units per person | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.5274 units per person | 0.523 units per person | 0.5331 units per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.5196 units per person | 0.5169 units per person | 0.5222 units per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5057 units per person | 0.4861 units per person | 0.516 units per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.466 units per person | 0.4456 units per person | 0.4803 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.406 units per person | 0.3774 units per person | 0.4374 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3688 units per person | 0.3659 units per person | 0.3737 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3642 units per person | 0.3618 units per person | 0.3656 units per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More agriculture & rural data for South Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 7.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0283 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 186.56 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.812 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 2.83 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 2.83 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
- Rural population 36.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per capita in South Africa?
- Rural population, per capita in South Africa was 0.3618 units per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5331 units per person in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3618 units per person in 2025.
- How does South Africa rank for rural population, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 106th out of 216 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Population, total World Population 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
Rural population divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.