Rural population, per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Rural population, per square kilometre was 29.68 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
29.68 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.6%
Rank
20th
of 45 groups
All-time high
29.68 units per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
9.88 units per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population, per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa is 29.68 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and up 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 29.68 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 9.88 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 20th 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 9.88 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 10.08 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1963 | 10.29 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 10.5 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 10.72 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1966 | 10.94 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 11.17 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 11.4 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1969 | 11.65 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1970 | 11.9 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 12.15 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 12.41 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1973 | 12.67 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 12.95 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 13.24 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 13.53 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 13.83 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 14.15 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1979 | 14.49 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1980 | 14.84 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1981 | 15.2 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 15.58 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1983 | 15.95 units per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 16.31 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 16.67 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1986 | 17.04 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 17.4 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 17.77 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 18.14 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 18.51 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1991 | 18.89 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 19.29 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 18.69 units per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 19.07 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 19.47 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 19.89 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 20.31 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 20.73 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 21.15 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 21.58 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 22.01 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 22.45 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 22.89 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 23.18 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 23.63 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 24.1 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 24.59 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 25.07 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 25.59 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 26.12 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 26.65 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 24.35 units per square kilometre | -8.6% |
| 2013 | 24.84 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 25.32 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 25.8 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 26.29 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 26.77 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 27.26 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 27.77 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 28.26 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 28.75 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 29.21 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 29.68 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.73 units per square kilometre | 9.88 units per square kilometre | 11.65 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 13.13 units per square kilometre | 11.9 units per square kilometre | 14.49 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.49 units per square kilometre | 14.84 units per square kilometre | 18.14 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.6 units per square kilometre | 18.51 units per square kilometre | 21.15 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.51 units per square kilometre | 21.58 units per square kilometre | 25.59 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.12 units per square kilometre | 24.35 units per square kilometre | 27.77 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.97 units per square kilometre | 28.26 units per square kilometre | 29.68 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 17 Malawi 185.85 units per square kilometre compare
- 18 Philippines 172.92 units per square kilometre compare
- 19 Uganda 168.39 units per square kilometre compare
- 20 Antigua and Barbuda 160.23 units per square kilometre compare
- 21 Seychelles 142.95 units per square kilometre compare
- 22 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 135.83 units per square kilometre compare
- 23 Micronesia (country) 124.8 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in Sub-Saharan Africa was 29.68 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 29.68 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.88 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 20th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.