Countries With the Fastest Growth in Rural population (5-Year Change)
Change in Rural population over the five years to each country's latest year, as a percentage of the earlier value. Only countries that rose are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Syrian Arab Republic rose the most: by 27.8%, from 5.6 million people to 7.15 million people in the five years to 2025. Oman is second (+24.8%), followed by Seychelles (+22%). 118 countries rose over that period; the median change among them was +4.98%.
- #1
- Syrian Arab Republic · +27.8%
- Median
- +4.98%
- Coverage
- 118 countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syrian Arab Republic | 5,596,500 | 7,152,300 | +27.8% |
| 2 | Oman | 903,700 | 1,127,600 | +24.8% |
| 3 | Seychelles | 54,850 | 66,909 | +22% |
| 4 | Chad | 12,964,000 | 15,214,000 | +17.4% |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates | 1,391,800 | 1,616,200 | +16.1% |
| 6 | Niger | 19,684,000 | 22,788,000 | +15.8% |
| 7 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 54,472,000 | 61,930,000 | +13.7% |
| 8 | Yemen, Rep. | 23,234,000 | 26,303,000 | +13.2% |
| 9 | Vanuatu | 231,860 | 260,350 | +12.3% |
| 10 | Malawi | 16,351,000 | 18,307,000 | +12% |
| 11 | South Sudan | 8,538,300 | 9,545,700 | +11.8% |
| 12 | Iraq | 12,690,000 | 14,135,000 | +11.4% |
| 13 | Saudi Arabia | 5,109,500 | 5,689,400 | +11.3% |
| 14 | Afghanistan | 29,199,000 | 32,471,000 | +11.2% |
| 15 | Congo, Rep. | 2,095,400 | 2,326,400 | +11% |
| 16 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 7,944,900 | 8,817,100 | +11% |
| 17 | Mali | 15,412,000 | 17,082,000 | +10.8% |
| 18 | Zambia | 10,699,000 | 11,852,000 | +10.8% |
| 19 | Tajikistan | 7,195,700 | 7,964,400 | +10.7% |
| 20 | Eritrea | 2,135,500 | 2,361,100 | +10.6% |
| 21 | Cameroon | 11,990,000 | 13,246,000 | +10.5% |
| 22 | Tanzania | 40,331,000 | 44,526,000 | +10.4% |
| 23 | Ethiopia | 93,201,000 | 102,810,000 | +10.3% |
| 24 | Belize | 224,130 | 247,150 | +10.3% |
| 25 | Uganda | 31,769,000 | 34,973,000 | +10.1% |
| 26 | Mozambique | 20,347,000 | 22,374,000 | +9.96% |
| 27 | Israel | 776,020 | 852,510 | +9.86% |
| 28 | Sudan | 30,619,000 | 33,614,000 | +9.78% |
| 29 | Uzbekistan | 16,536,000 | 18,150,000 | +9.76% |
| 30 | Turkmenistan | 3,679,700 | 4,030,000 | +9.52% |
| 31 | Madagascar | 20,064,000 | 21,968,000 | +9.49% |
| 32 | Guinea | 8,493,300 | 9,283,800 | +9.31% |
| 33 | Kyrgyz Republic | 4,384,600 | 4,791,600 | +9.28% |
| 34 | Kenya | 35,922,000 | 39,000,000 | +8.57% |
| 35 | Equatorial Guinea | 508,330 | 550,980 | +8.39% |
| 36 | Namibia | 1,404,000 | 1,519,600 | +8.23% |
| 37 | Burkina Faso | 15,817,000 | 17,112,000 | +8.19% |
| 38 | Papua New Guinea | 8,424,800 | 9,064,500 | +7.59% |
| 39 | Dominican Republic | 2,943,100 | 3,166,100 | +7.58% |
| 40 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 62,836,000 | 67,582,000 | +7.55% |
| 41 | Solomon Islands | 535,800 | 576,070 | +7.52% |
| 42 | Timor-Leste | 942,000 | 1,010,200 | +7.24% |
| 43 | Guinea-Bissau | 1,121,300 | 1,200,100 | +7.03% |
| 44 | Comoros | 544,960 | 583,200 | +7.02% |
| 45 | Côte d'Ivoire | 13,927,000 | 14,868,000 | +6.76% |
| 46 | São Tomé and Principe | 69,484 | 74,065 | +6.59% |
| 47 | Sierra Leone | 4,493,300 | 4,769,100 | +6.14% |
| 48 | Burundi | 10,102,000 | 10,694,000 | +5.86% |
| 49 | South Africa | 22,143,000 | 23,429,000 | +5.81% |
| 50 | Iceland | 21,487 | 22,689 | +5.59% |
| 51 | Togo | 4,526,600 | 4,777,400 | +5.54% |
| 52 | Liechtenstein | 33,196 | 35,022 | +5.5% |
| 53 | Ireland | 1,841,000 | 1,942,100 | +5.49% |
| 54 | Central African Republic | 2,900,100 | 3,056,900 | +5.41% |
| 55 | Panama | 1,468,900 | 1,547,300 | +5.34% |
| 56 | Cyprus | 433,410 | 456,530 | +5.33% |
| 57 | Suriname | 208,140 | 218,900 | +5.17% |
| 58 | Libya | 857,580 | 901,650 | +5.14% |
| 59 | Pakistan | 146,860,000 | 154,340,000 | +5.09% |
| 60 | Liberia | 2,400,300 | 2,517,000 | +4.86% |
| 61 | Nicaragua | 2,711,200 | 2,842,000 | +4.82% |
| 62 | Benin | 6,607,500 | 6,909,200 | +4.57% |
| 63 | Cambodia | 10,063,000 | 10,511,000 | +4.45% |
| 64 | Samoa | 173,690 | 180,910 | +4.16% |
| 65 | Gambia, The | 950,770 | 988,060 | +3.92% |
| 66 | Canada | 6,863,800 | 7,132,600 | +3.92% |
| 67 | Portugal | 4,005,100 | 4,160,400 | +3.88% |
| 68 | Australia | 3,264,800 | 3,391,300 | +3.87% |
| 69 | New Zealand | 821,020 | 852,070 | +3.78% |
| 70 | Andorra | 8,828 | 9,161 | +3.77% |
| 71 | American Samoa | 8,646 | 8,970 | +3.75% |
| 72 | Bahamas, The | 72,584 | 75,243 | +3.66% |
| 73 | Guatemala | 7,889,200 | 8,167,100 | +3.52% |
| 74 | Guyana | 594,030 | 614,520 | +3.45% |
| 75 | Mauritania | 1,978,800 | 2,046,900 | +3.44% |
| 76 | Botswana | 793,790 | 821,010 | +3.43% |
| 77 | Djibouti | 309,460 | 319,990 | +3.4% |
| 78 | Ecuador | 6,478,500 | 6,695,600 | +3.35% |
| 79 | Brunei Darussalam | 112,860 | 116,530 | +3.25% |
| 80 | Ghana | 13,961,000 | 14,403,000 | +3.17% |
| 81 | Zimbabwe | 9,780,400 | 10,087,000 | +3.13% |
| 82 | Antigua and Barbuda | 69,215 | 71,285 | +2.99% |
| 83 | Myanmar | 37,027,000 | 38,075,000 | +2.83% |
| 84 | Faroe Islands | 32,236 | 33,136 | +2.79% |
| 85 | Honduras | 4,364,700 | 4,484,700 | +2.75% |
| 86 | Eswatini | 898,540 | 920,510 | +2.45% |
| 87 | Bangladesh | 114,550,000 | 117,290,000 | +2.39% |
| 88 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 86,098 | 88,126 | +2.36% |
| 89 | Angola | 10,886,000 | 11,141,000 | +2.34% |
| 90 | Morocco | 13,868,000 | 14,170,000 | +2.18% |
| 91 | West Bank and Gaza | 668,900 | 683,090 | +2.12% |
| 92 | United States | 66,324,000 | 67,700,000 | +2.07% |
| 93 | Rwanda | 9,864,300 | 10,065,000 | +2.03% |
| 94 | Armenia | 1,031,400 | 1,051,700 | +1.97% |
| 95 | Senegal | 8,217,300 | 8,374,100 | +1.91% |
| 96 | India | 923,920,000 | 941,420,000 | +1.89% |
| 97 | Guam | 9,599 | 9,769 | +1.77% |
| 98 | Maldives | 299,270 | 304,530 | +1.76% |
| 99 | Channel Islands | 111,670 | 113,470 | +1.61% |
| 100 | United Kingdom | 11,413,000 | 11,588,000 | +1.53% |
Showing the top 100 of 118. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 Syrian Arab Republic
Syrian Arab Republic ranks #1 on this list with +27.8%.
- Capital
- Damascus
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 25.62 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$23.74 billion (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$1,057 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 72.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 72.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Damascus, Aleppo.
Also ranks #2 in refugee population by origin · #2 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #3 in net migration.
#2 Oman
Oman ranks #2 on this list with +24.8%.
- Capital
- Muscat
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.49 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$109.6 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,947 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 80.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Muscat.
Also ranks #1 in cereal yield · #1 in crop production index · #3 in population growth rate.
#3 Seychelles
Seychelles ranks #3 on this list with +22%.
- Capital
- Victoria
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 122,730 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.39 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,449 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in protected terrestrial area share · #3 in physicians per 1,000 · #8 in male population share.
#4 Chad
Chad ranks #4 on this list with +17.4%.
- Capital
- N'Djamena
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 21 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.47 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,022 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 55.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 27.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: N'Djamena.
Also ranks #1 in fertility rate · #2 in birth rate · #2 in maternal mortality ratio.
#5 United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates ranks #5 on this list with +16.1%.
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 11.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$552.32 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$50,274 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 86% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah.
Also ranks #1 in population growth rate · #1 in internet users share · #2 in male population share.
#6 Niger
Niger ranks #6 on this list with +15.8%.
- Capital
- Niamey
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 27.92 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.65 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$775.4 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 18.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Niamey.
Also ranks #1 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #2 in under-5 mortality rate · #3 in population ages 0-14 share.
#7 Congo, Dem. Rep.
Congo, Dem. Rep. ranks #7 on this list with +13.7%.
- Capital
- Kinshasa
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 112.83 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$91.03 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$806.8 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, Kananga.
Also ranks #1 in renewable energy share · #1 in poverty headcount ratio · #1 in mineral rents share of gdp.
#8 Yemen, Rep.
Yemen, Rep. ranks #8 on this list with +13.2%.
- Capital
- Sanaa, Aden
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 41.77 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 37% of population (2025)
- International tourist arrivals
- 398,000 arrivals (2015)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 0.261 t CO2e per person (2024)
Also ranks #2 in prevalence of stunting (under-5) · #2 in prevalence of wasting (under-5) · #12 in unemployment rate.
#9 Vanuatu
Vanuatu ranks #9 on this list with +12.3%.
- Capital
- Port Vila
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 335,170 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,039 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 22.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in school enrolment (secondary) · #6 in completion rate (primary) · #9 in rural population share.
#10 Malawi
Malawi ranks #10 on this list with +12%.
- Capital
- Lilongwe
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 22.22 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$14.92 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$671.5 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in school enrolment (primary) · #3 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #3 in poverty headcount ratio.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Rural population over the five years to each country's latest year, as a percentage of the earlier value. Only countries that rose are listed.
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 (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.