Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Eswatini
Eswatini: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 26.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
26.7%
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
219th
of 238 countries
All-time high
26.7%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Eswatini, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Eswatini stood at 26.7%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Eswatini peaked at 26.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Eswatini 219th out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.2% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.2% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 0.2% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 0.2% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 0.3% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 0.4% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 0.5% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 0.7% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 0.8% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 0.9% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 1.0% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 1.1% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 1.2% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 1.5% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 1.3% | -19.6% |
| 1951 | 1.4% | +11.5% |
| 1952 | 1.6% | +12.6% |
| 1953 | 1.8% | +13.0% |
| 1954 | 2.1% | +12.9% |
| 1955 | 2.3% | +12.4% |
| 1956 | 2.6% | +11.8% |
| 1957 | 2.9% | +12.0% |
| 1958 | 3.2% | +12.1% |
| 1959 | 3.6% | +11.9% |
| 1960 | 4.1% | +11.6% |
| 1961 | 4.5% | +11.2% |
| 1962 | 5.0% | +10.7% |
| 1963 | 5.5% | +10.2% |
| 1964 | 6.0% | +9.7% |
| 1965 | 6.6% | +9.2% |
| 1966 | 7.2% | +8.7% |
| 1967 | 7.8% | +8.8% |
| 1968 | 8.5% | +9.0% |
| 1969 | 9.2% | +9.0% |
| 1970 | 10.1% | +8.7% |
| 1971 | 10.9% | +8.3% |
| 1972 | 11.8% | +7.9% |
| 1973 | 12.6% | +7.4% |
| 1974 | 13.5% | +6.8% |
| 1975 | 14.3% | +6.2% |
| 1976 | 15.1% | +5.6% |
| 1977 | 15.9% | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 16.8% | +5.7% |
| 1979 | 17.8% | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 18.8% | +5.5% |
| 1981 | 19.7% | +5.1% |
| 1982 | 20.6% | +4.5% |
| 1983 | 21.4% | +3.8% |
| 1984 | 22.1% | +3.0% |
| 1985 | 22.5% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 22.7% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 22.8% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 22.9% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 22.9% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 22.9% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 23.0% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 23.0% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 23.0% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 23.0% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 23.1% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 23.1% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 23.1% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 23.0% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 23.0% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 22.8% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 22.7% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 22.6% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 22.4% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 22.3% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 22.2% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 22.2% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 22.1% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 22.2% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 22.2% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 22.3% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 22.5% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 22.6% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 22.8% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 23.0% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 23.3% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 23.5% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 23.8% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 24.1% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 24.3% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 24.7% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 25.0% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 25.4% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 25.8% | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 26.2% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 26.7% | +1.8% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 26.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 53% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 26.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 60% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Eswatini changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1800s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1810s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1820s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1830s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1840s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1850s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1860s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1870s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1890s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1900s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1910s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1920s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1930s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1940s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1950s | 2.3% | 1.3% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.4% | 4.1% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 13.9% | 10.1% | 17.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 21.6% | 18.8% | 22.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.0% | 22.9% | 23.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.4% | 22.1% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.2% | 22.3% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.6% | 24.7% | 26.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
- 216 Burkina Faso 28.9% compare
- 217 East Timor 28.8% compare
- 218 Chad 27.6% compare
- 220 Guyana 26.5% compare
- 221 Tajikistan 26.2% compare
- 222 Afghanistan 25.9% compare
More reference data data for Eswatini
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0203 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.3059 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.3309 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0048 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.3309 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0679 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0557 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.66 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.82 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.026 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Eswatini?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Eswatini was 26.7% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 26.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Eswatini rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Eswatini ranks 219th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eswatini data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.