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Countries in Africa Ranked by Rural population (2025)

Rural population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

Ethiopia ranks #1 with 102.81 million people. Nigeria is second with 86.04 million people, 19.5% behind. The top five are Ethiopia, Nigeria, Egypt, Arab Rep., Congo, Dem. Rep. and Tanzania. Together the top 10 account for 62.3% of the total across the 54 countries in Africa listed. The median across all 54 is 9.41 million people; Seychelles is last at 66,909 people. Ethiopia's figure has risen 74% since 2001 (58.98 million people to 102.81 million people in 2025).

#1
Ethiopia · 102.81 million people
Median
9.41 million people
Coverage
54 countries in Africa
Data year
2025
Last updated
2026-11-14
Top 10: Rural populationBar chart of the top 10: 1. Ethiopia 102.81 million; 2. Nigeria 86.04 million; 3. Egypt, Arab Rep. 67.58 million; 4. Congo, Dem. Rep. 61.93 million; 5. Tanzania 44.53 million; 6. Kenya 39 million; 7. Uganda 34.97 million; 8. Sudan 33.61 million; 9. South Africa 23.43 million; 10. Niger 22.79 million.Ethiopia102.81 millionNigeria86.04 millionEgypt, Arab Rep.67.58 millionCongo, Dem. Rep.61.93 millionTanzania44.53 millionKenya39 millionUganda34.97 millionSudan33.61 millionSouth Africa23.43 millionNiger22.79 million
Top 10: Rural population (people). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Ethiopia 102.81 million; 2. Nigeria 86.04 million; 3. Egypt, Arab Rep. 67.58 million; 4. Congo, Dem. Rep. 61.93 million; 5. Tanzania 44.53 million; 6. Kenya 39 million; 7. Uganda 34.97 million; 8. Sudan 33.61 million; 9. South Africa 23.43 million; 10. Niger 22.79 million.
Rural population over time, top 5Ethiopia: 58.98 million in 2001 to 102.81 million in 2025; Nigeria: 72.56 million in 2001 to 86.04 million in 2025; Egypt, Arab Rep.: 42.71 million in 2001 to 67.58 million in 2025; Congo, Dem. Rep.: 33.67 million in 2001 to 61.93 million in 2025; Tanzania: 27.25 million in 2001 to 44.53 million in 2025.025.7 million51.41 million77.11 million102.81 million200120132025EthiopiaNigeriaEgypt, Arab Rep.Congo, Dem. Rep.Tanzania
Rural population over time, top 5 (people). Ethiopia: 58.98 million in 2001 to 102.81 million in 2025; Nigeria: 72.56 million in 2001 to 86.04 million in 2025; Egypt, Arab Rep.: 42.71 million in 2001 to 67.58 million in 2025; Congo, Dem. Rep.: 33.67 million in 2001 to 61.93 million in 2025; Tanzania: 27.25 million in 2001 to 44.53 million in 2025.
Share of the total: Rural populationEthiopia 12.4%; Nigeria 10.4%; Egypt, Arab Rep. 8.1%; Congo, Dem. Rep. 7.5%; Tanzania 5.4%; All others 56.3%12%10%8%56%

Ethiopia 12.4%Nigeria 10.4%Egypt, Arab Rep. 8.1%Congo, Dem. Rep. 7.5%Tanzania 5.4%All others 56.3%

Share of the total: Rural population, as a share of 54 countries in Africa. Ethiopia 12.4%; Nigeria 10.4%; Egypt, Arab Rep. 8.1%; Congo, Dem. Rep. 7.5%; Tanzania 5.4%; All others 56.3%.

Full ranking

Countries in Africa Ranked by Rural population, 2025
RankCountryRural population (people)
1Ethiopia102,810,000
2Nigeria86,043,000
3Egypt, Arab Rep.67,582,000
4Congo, Dem. Rep.61,930,000
5Tanzania44,526,000
6Kenya39,000,000
7Uganda34,973,000
8Sudan33,614,000
9South Africa23,429,000
10Niger22,788,000
11Mozambique22,374,000
12Madagascar21,968,000
13Malawi18,307,000
14Burkina Faso17,112,000
15Mali17,082,000
16Chad15,214,000
17Côte d'Ivoire14,868,000
18Ghana14,403,000
19Morocco14,170,000
20Cameroon13,246,000
21Zambia11,852,000
22Algeria11,470,000
23Angola11,141,000
24Burundi10,694,000
25Zimbabwe10,087,000
26Rwanda10,065,000
27South Sudan9,545,700
28Guinea9,283,800
29Somalia, Fed. Rep.8,817,100
30Senegal8,374,100
31Benin6,909,200
32Togo4,777,400
33Sierra Leone4,769,100
34Tunisia3,617,800
35Central African Republic3,056,900
36Liberia2,517,000
37Eritrea2,361,100
38Congo, Rep.2,326,400
39Mauritania2,046,900
40Namibia1,519,600
41Lesotho1,307,600
42Guinea-Bissau1,200,100
43Gambia, The988,060
44Eswatini920,510
45Libya901,650
46Botswana821,010
47Mauritius758,220
48Comoros583,200
49Equatorial Guinea550,980
50Djibouti319,990
51Gabon205,180
52Cabo Verde117,960
53São Tomé and Principe74,065
54Seychelles66,909

About the top 10

#9 South Africa

South Africa ranks #9 on this list with 23.43 million people.

Capital
Pretoria, Cape Town
Continent
Africa
Income group
Upper middle income
Population
64.75 million people (2025)
GDP
US$427.18 billion (2025)
GDP per person
US$6,598 (2025)
Life expectancy
66.3 years (2024)
Urban population
63.8% of population (2025)

Largest cities: City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg, Cape Town.

Also ranks #2 in unemployment rate · #2 in youth unemployment rate · #2 in income share of richest 10%.

Full country profile

Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.

Related rankings

Source and method

Rural population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.

Source: The World Bank, indicator SP.RUR.TOTL. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.

The World Bank: Rural population: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN) (via World Development Indicators)

Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospe.

Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.