Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Samoa
Samoa: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 17.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
17.5%
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
233rd
of 238 countries
All-time high
22.0%
in 2001
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Samoa, 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
Samoa recorded 17.5% for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in 2025.
The figure is down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Samoa peaked at 22.0% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
Samoa ranks 233rd of 238 countries on this measure, 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 Samoa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | — |
| 1200 | 0.0% | — |
| 1300 | 0.0% | — |
| 1400 | 0.0% | — |
| 1500 | 0.0% | — |
| 1600 | 0.0% | — |
| 1700 | 0.0% | — |
| 1710 | 0.3% | — |
| 1720 | 0.4% | +16.7% |
| 1730 | 0.4% | +16.7% |
| 1740 | 0.5% | +16.7% |
| 1750 | 0.6% | +16.7% |
| 1760 | 0.7% | +16.7% |
| 1770 | 0.8% | +16.7% |
| 1780 | 0.9% | +16.7% |
| 1790 | 1.1% | +16.7% |
| 1800 | 1.3% | +16.7% |
| 1810 | 1.5% | +16.7% |
| 1820 | 1.7% | +16.7% |
| 1830 | 2.0% | +16.7% |
| 1840 | 2.4% | +16.7% |
| 1850 | 2.8% | +16.7% |
| 1860 | 3.2% | +16.7% |
| 1870 | 3.8% | +16.7% |
| 1880 | 4.4% | +16.7% |
| 1890 | 5.1% | +16.7% |
| 1900 | 6.0% | +16.7% |
| 1910 | 7.0% | +16.7% |
| 1920 | 8.1% | +16.7% |
| 1930 | 9.5% | +16.7% |
| 1940 | 11.0% | +16.7% |
| 1950 | 12.7% | +15.2% |
| 1951 | 13.7% | +7.5% |
| 1952 | 15.0% | +9.5% |
| 1953 | 16.3% | +8.5% |
| 1954 | 17.4% | +6.7% |
| 1955 | 18.2% | +4.7% |
| 1956 | 18.6% | +2.4% |
| 1957 | 18.7% | +0.7% |
| 1958 | 18.8% | +0.4% |
| 1959 | 18.8% | +0.3% |
| 1960 | 18.9% | +0.2% |
| 1961 | 18.9% | +0.3% |
| 1962 | 19.0% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 19.1% | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 19.2% | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 19.2% | +0.4% |
| 1966 | 19.3% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 19.5% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 19.7% | +1.3% |
| 1969 | 20.0% | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 20.3% | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 20.6% | +1.1% |
| 1972 | 20.7% | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 20.9% | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 21.0% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 21.0% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 21.1% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 21.1% | +0.2% |
| 1978 | 21.2% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 21.2% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 21.2% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 21.2% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 21.2% | -0.2% |
| 1983 | 21.0% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 20.8% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 20.6% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 20.5% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 20.5% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 20.6% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 20.8% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 21.0% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 21.1% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 21.2% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 21.3% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 21.4% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 21.6% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 21.7% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 21.8% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 21.8% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 21.9% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 22.0% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 21.9% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 21.8% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 21.5% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 21.2% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 21.0% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 20.7% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 20.4% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 20.1% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 19.8% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 19.6% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 19.5% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 19.4% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 19.3% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 19.2% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 19.1% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 19.0% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 18.7% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 18.4% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 18.1% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 17.6% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 17.5% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 17.5% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 17.5% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 17.5% | +0.0% |
Samoa compared with similar countries
- Samoa's 17.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 65.5%, 27% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Samoa's 17.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.4%, 27% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
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 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1740s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1750s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1790s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1800s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1810s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1820s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
| 1830s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1840s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1 |
| 1850s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 1860s | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1 |
| 1870s | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1 |
| 1890s | 5.1% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 1 |
| 1900s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1910s | 7.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 1 |
| 1920s | 8.1% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 1 |
| 1930s | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 1 |
| 1940s | 11.0% | 11.0% | 11.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 16.8% | 12.7% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.3% | 18.9% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 20.9% | 20.3% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.8% | 20.5% | 21.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.5% | 21.0% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.3% | 20.1% | 22.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.2% | 18.4% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.6% | 17.5% | 18.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Samoa
- 230 Sri Lanka 20.5% compare
- 231 Niger 18.4% compare
- 232 Malawi 17.6% compare
- 234 Papua New Guinea 15.8% compare
- 235 Liechtenstein 14.6% compare
- 236 Montserrat 9.0% compare
More reference data data for Samoa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.023 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0165 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0396 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0396 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.077 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0626 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0918 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2319 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Burning - Crop residues 0 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.1693 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Samoa?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Samoa was 17.5% 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 Samoa?
- The highest recorded value was 22.0% in 2001.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Samoa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Samoa rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Samoa ranks 233rd out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Samoa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Samoa 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.