Rural population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Rural population was 355.37 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Rural population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 355.37 million. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 355.37 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 108.25 million, in 1960.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 26th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 108.25 million | — |
| 1961 | 110.12 million | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 112.00 million | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 113.97 million | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 116.05 million | +1.8% |
| 1965 | 118.29 million | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 120.69 million | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 123.05 million | +2.0% |
| 1968 | 125.53 million | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 128.06 million | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 130.62 million | +2.0% |
| 1971 | 133.13 million | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 135.66 million | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 138.33 million | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 141.10 million | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 144.07 million | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 147.31 million | +2.2% |
| 1977 | 150.49 million | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 153.82 million | +2.2% |
| 1979 | 157.22 million | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 160.69 million | +2.2% |
| 1981 | 164.08 million | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 167.57 million | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 171.49 million | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 175.62 million | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 179.82 million | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 184.10 million | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 188.41 million | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 192.92 million | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 197.59 million | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 203.01 million | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 207.83 million | +2.4% |
| 1992 | 212.56 million | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 217.55 million | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 222.26 million | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 226.77 million | +2.0% |
| 1996 | 231.32 million | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 235.53 million | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 239.92 million | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 244.34 million | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 248.55 million | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 252.72 million | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 257.19 million | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 261.88 million | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 266.59 million | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 271.39 million | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 276.48 million | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 281.38 million | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 286.27 million | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 291.35 million | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 296.26 million | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 300.69 million | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 303.98 million | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 306.46 million | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 309.94 million | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 313.74 million | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 317.58 million | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 321.68 million | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 326.02 million | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 330.30 million | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 334.56 million | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 338.73 million | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 342.71 million | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 346.87 million | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 351.25 million | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 355.37 million | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 117.60 million | 108.25 million | 128.06 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 143.17 million | 130.62 million | 157.22 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 178.23 million | 160.69 million | 197.59 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 224.11 million | 203.01 million | 244.34 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 269.38 million | 248.55 million | 291.35 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 312.66 million | 296.26 million | 330.30 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 344.92 million | 334.56 million | 355.37 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- 23 Brazil 25.16 million compare
- 24 South Africa 23.43 million compare
- 25 Niger 22.79 million compare
- 26 Mozambique 22.37 million compare
- 27 Madagascar 21.97 million compare
- 28 Iran, Islamic Republic of 20.91 million compare
- 29 Malawi 18.31 million compare
More agriculture & rural data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4714 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 298.32 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 14.0% (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.2% (2025)
- Rural population 47.1% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.3% (2019)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.6% (2017)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1399 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Rural population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 355.37 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 355.37 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 108.25 million in 1960.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for rural population?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 26th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.