Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Western Sahara
Western Sahara: Share of population living in urban and rural areas was 90.1% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Western Sahara, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in urban and rural areas in Western Sahara is 90.1%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban and rural areas in Western Sahara peaked at 91.2% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1950.
Western Sahara ranks 31st of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Western Sahara, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.0% | — |
| 1955 | 35.7% | — |
| 1960 | 39.7% | +11.1% |
| 1965 | 44.0% | +10.8% |
| 1970 | 48.1% | +9.5% |
| 1975 | 51.6% | +7.3% |
| 1980 | 65.0% | +25.9% |
| 1985 | 75.0% | +15.4% |
| 1990 | 85.3% | +13.7% |
| 1995 | 86.0% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 86.7% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 87.9% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 88.5% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 91.2% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 90.1% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 17.9% | 0.0% | 35.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 41.8% | 39.7% | 44.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 49.9% | 48.1% | 51.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 70.0% | 65.0% | 75.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 85.6% | 85.3% | 86.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 87.3% | 86.7% | 87.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 89.9% | 88.5% | 91.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 90.1% | 90.1% | 90.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Western Sahara
- 28 Mauritius 90.9% compare
- 29 Jersey 90.8% compare
- 30 United Arab Emirates 90.3% compare
- 32 Republic of Korea 90.1% compare
- 33 Djibouti 89.9% compare
- 34 Saint Martin (French Part) 89.7% compare
More reference data data for Western Sahara
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 7 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Democracy 1 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban and rural areas in Western Sahara?
- Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Western Sahara was 90.1% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Western Sahara?
- The highest recorded value was 91.2% in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Western Sahara?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1950.
- How does Western Sahara rank for share of population living in urban and rural areas?
- Western Sahara ranks 31st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in Western Sahara?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western Sahara data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.