What is population - est. & proj. — rural population in South Africa?

Population - est. & proj. — rural population in South Africa was 14,698 1000 No in 2050, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

What is the highest population - est. & proj. — rural population recorded in South Africa?

The highest recorded value was 19,800 1000 No in 2003.

What is the lowest population - est. & proj. — rural population recorded in South Africa?

The lowest recorded value was 7,873 1000 No in 1950.

How does South Africa rank for population - est. & proj. — rural population?

South Africa ranks 40th out of 221 countries with data for 2050.

Is population - est. & proj. — rural population rising or falling in South Africa?

Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this South Africa data come from?

The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population in South Africa

Name: Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population in South Africa
Creator: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)

South Africa: Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population was 14,698 1000 No in 2050. ▲ Rising

Latest (2050)

14,698 1000 No

Change on year

down 1.2%

World rank

40th

of 221 countries

All-time high

19,800 1000 No

in 2003

All-time low

7,873 1000 No

in 1950

Years of data

101

1950–2050

Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population in South Africa, 1950–2050

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 No.

Analysis

The most recent figure for population - est. & proj. — rural population in South Africa is 14,698 1000 No, measured in 2050.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 10.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population - est. & proj. — rural population in South Africa peaked at 19,800 1000 No in 2003 and was at its lowest, 7,873 1000 No, in 1950.

That places South Africa 40th out of 221 countries with data for 2050, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 101 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	8,491 1000 No	7,873 1000 No	9,155 1000 No	10
1960s	10,421 1000 No	9,319 1000 No	11,620 1000 No	10
1970s	13,436 1000 No	11,920 1000 No	14,988 1000 No	10
1980s	16,756 1000 No	15,349 1000 No	17,818 1000 No	10
1990s	18,955 1000 No	18,015 1000 No	19,641 1000 No	10
2000s	19,709 1000 No	19,529 1000 No	19,800 1000 No	10
2010s	19,414 1000 No	19,245 1000 No	19,490 1000 No	10
2020s	18,705 1000 No	18,152 1000 No	19,170 1000 No	10
2030s	17,321 1000 No	16,615 1000 No	18,008 1000 No	10
2040s	15,678 1000 No	14,881 1000 No	16,451 1000 No	10
2050s	14,698 1000 No	14,698 1000 No	14,698 1000 No	1

Countries ranked near South Africa

37 Mayotte 231.01 1000 No compare
37 Zambia 15,424 1000 No compare
38 Rwanda 15,403 1000 No compare
39 Angola 14,914 1000 No compare
41 Sri Lanka 14,218 1000 No compare
42 Ghana 13,752 1000 No compare
42 Montserrat 4.66 1000 No compare
43 Cameroon 13,402 1000 No compare
43 Cook Islands 3.08 1000 No compare

See the full ranking of 277 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.242 % change on previous year (2100)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2122 % change on previous year (2100)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8748 % change on previous year (2050)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 58,057 1000 No (2050)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 49,126 1000 No (2100)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 45,189 1000 No (2100)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 94,314 1000 No (2100)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, per unit 0 1000 No per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is population - est. & proj. — rural population in South Africa?: Population - est. & proj. — rural population in South Africa was 14,698 1000 No in 2050, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest population - est. & proj. — rural population recorded in South Africa?: The highest recorded value was 19,800 1000 No in 2003.
What is the lowest population - est. & proj. — rural population recorded in South Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 7,873 1000 No in 1950.
How does South Africa rank for population - est. & proj. — rural population?: South Africa ranks 40th out of 221 countries with data for 2050.
Is population - est. & proj. — rural population rising or falling in South Africa?: Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?: The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/population-est-and-proj-rural-population/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population
Unit: 1000 No
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage: 277 places, 25,744 data points, 1950–2050
Last refreshed: 12 August 2026

The FAOSTAT Population module contains time series data on population, by sex and urban/rural. The series consist of both estimates and projections for different periods as available from the original sources, namely: 1. Population data refers to the World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision from the UN Population Division. 2. Urban/rural population data refers to the World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision from the UN Population Division.