Rural population growth in Somalia

Somalia: Rural population growth was 2.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
2.2%
Change on year
down 4.5%
World rank
15th
of 207 countries
All-time high
12.0%
in 1979
All-time low
-5.2%
in 1992
Years of data
65
1961–2025

Rural population growth in Somalia, 1961–2025

-50510196119932025

Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.

Analysis

In 2025, rural population growth in Somalia stood at 2.2%.

The figure is down 4.5% on the previous year and up 176.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rural population growth in Somalia peaked at 12.0% in 1979 and was at its lowest, -5.2%, in 1992.

Somalia ranks 15th of 207 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 1.9% 1.9% 2.0% 9
1970s 3.5% 1.9% 12.0% 10
1980s 2.3% -2.1% 8.3% 10
1990s 1.3% -5.2% 4.5% 10
2000s 2.6% 1.5% 3.4% 10
2010s 0.4% -1.6% 2.3% 10
2020s 2.1% 1.8% 2.5% 6

Countries ranked near Somalia

  1. 12 Afghanistan 2.4% compare
  2. 13 Sudan 2.3% compare
  3. 14 Vanuatu 2.2% compare
  4. 16 Malawi 2.2% compare
  5. 17 Mali 2.0% compare
  6. 18 Eritrea 2.0% compare

See the full ranking of 256 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Somalia

All data for Somalia →

Frequently asked questions

What is rural population growth in Somalia?
Rural population growth in Somalia was 2.2% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Somalia?
The highest recorded value was 12.0% in 1979.
What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Somalia?
The lowest recorded value was -5.2% in 1992.
How does Somalia rank for rural population growth?
Somalia ranks 15th out of 207 countries with data for 2025.
Is rural population growth rising or falling in Somalia?
Over the last ten years it is up 176.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Somalia data come from?
The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Rural population growth (annual %)
Unit
annual %
Source
World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
256 places, 16,517 data points, 1961–2025
Last refreshed

Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.