Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Western Sahara
Western Sahara: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 86.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Western Sahara, 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
The most recent figure for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Western Sahara is 86.9%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Western Sahara peaked at 86.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Western Sahara 52nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
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 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 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 | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1760s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
| 1770s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1780s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1790s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1800s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1810s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| 1820s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
| 1830s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1840s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 1850s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 1860s | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1 |
| 1870s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
| 1880s | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 1 |
| 1890s | 8.1% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 1 |
| 1900s | 10.2% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 1 |
| 1910s | 12.7% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 1 |
| 1920s | 15.9% | 15.9% | 15.9% | 1 |
| 1930s | 19.8% | 19.8% | 19.8% | 1 |
| 1940s | 24.8% | 24.8% | 24.8% | 1 |
| 1950s | 31.1% | 31.0% | 31.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 34.0% | 31.2% | 38.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 54.9% | 39.9% | 73.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 82.0% | 77.0% | 84.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 85.4% | 84.7% | 85.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 86.1% | 85.9% | 86.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.5% | 86.3% | 86.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 86.8% | 86.7% | 86.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Western Sahara
- 49 Australia 87.7% compare
- 50 Belgium 87.7% compare
- 51 Palestine 87.4% compare
- 53 French Guiana 86.6% compare
- 54 United Arab Emirates 86.0% compare
- 55 Switzerland 85.7% compare
More reference data data for Western Sahara
- Free country 0 (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Democracy 1 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 7 (2025)
- FAO projections of arable land 4,000 hectares (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Western Sahara?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Western Sahara was 86.9% 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 Western Sahara?
- The highest recorded value was 86.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Western Sahara?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Western Sahara rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Western Sahara ranks 52nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Western Sahara?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Western Sahara 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.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modelled historical data.