Rural population, per square kilometre in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Rural population, per square kilometre was 26.8 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
26.8 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.1%
Rank
27th
of 45 groups
All-time high
26.8 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
9.43 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in Africa Western and Central, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, rural population, per square kilometre in Africa Western and Central stood at 26.8 units per square kilometre. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in Africa Western and Central peaked at 26.8 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 9.43 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Africa Western and Central 27th out of 45 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 9.43 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 9.57 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 9.71 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 9.86 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 10 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 10.15 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 10.29 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 10.44 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 10.61 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 10.78 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 10.95 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 11.12 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 11.3 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 11.49 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 11.7 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 11.9 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 12.11 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 12.34 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 12.59 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1980 | 12.83 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1981 | 13.09 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 13.36 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 13.6 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 13.84 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 14.1 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 14.38 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 14.64 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 14.92 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 15.2 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 15.48 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 15.73 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 16.03 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 16.33 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 16.64 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 16.96 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 17.28 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 17.59 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 17.91 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 18.23 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 18.56 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 18.9 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 19.25 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 19.6 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 19.96 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 20.33 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 20.69 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 21.07 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 21.46 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 21.85 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 22.24 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 22.64 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 23.03 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 23.41 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 23.8 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 24.18 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 24.56 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 24.93 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 25.28 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 25.61 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 25.93 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 26.22 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 26.5 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 26.8 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.01 units per square kilometre | 9.43 units per square kilometre | 10.61 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 11.63 units per square kilometre | 10.78 units per square kilometre | 12.59 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 14 units per square kilometre | 12.83 units per square kilometre | 15.2 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.82 units per square kilometre | 15.48 units per square kilometre | 18.23 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.17 units per square kilometre | 18.56 units per square kilometre | 21.85 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.97 units per square kilometre | 22.24 units per square kilometre | 25.61 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.36 units per square kilometre | 25.93 units per square kilometre | 26.8 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 24 Saint Kitts and Nevis 122.83 units per square kilometre compare
- 25 Trinidad and Tobago 122.75 units per square kilometre compare
- 26 Tuvalu 117.77 units per square kilometre compare
- 27 British Virgin Islands 115.29 units per square kilometre compare
- 28 Tonga 114.55 units per square kilometre compare
- 29 Palestine, State of 112.68 units per square kilometre compare
- 30 Jamaica 108.95 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Africa Western and Central
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 11.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 186.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population 247.88 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.0% (2025)
- Rural population 46.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 4.2% (2023)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4652 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2193 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 350.89 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in Africa Western and Central?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in Africa Western and Central was 26.8 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 26.8 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.43 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 27th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.