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Zambia: Rural population

In , Zambia's Rural population was 11.62 million.

That's up 2.0% from 2023, the highest value on record.

The global average for this indicator in 2024 was 15,899,365.08 . Zambia ranks #44 globally out of 217 reporting countries. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, it ranks #19 of 48.

Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.RUR.TOTL) • Data as of 2024

Trend (2005–2024)

Zambia Rural population trend 2020: COVID-19 pandemic
  • 2020 · COVID-19 pandemic

Highlights

Peak
11.62M
Trough
7.35M
1-year change
+2.0%
5-year change
+11.1%
+2.1% / yr
10-year change
+25.1%
+2.3% / yr

Historical Data — Last 10 Years

Year Rural population
11.623M
11.392M
11.165M
10.932M
10.699M
10.462M
10.225M
9.989M
9.752M
9.519M

About Rural population

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. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

Indicator code: SP.RUR.TOTLCategory: Health & Population

Frequently asked questions

What was Zambia's Rural population in 2024?
In 2024, Zambia's Rural population was 11.62 million, according to World Bank Open Data.
Is Zambia's Rural population rising or falling?
Zambia's Rural population rose 2.0% from 2023 to 2024.
How does Zambia rank globally on Rural population?
In 2024, Zambia ranked #44 out of 217 countries reporting Rural population.
How does Zambia's Rural population compare to the world average?
The global average for Rural population in 2024 was 15.90 million, so Zambia is below the world average. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, it ranks #19 of 48.
What is Rural population and how is it measured?
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. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.
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Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.RUR.TOTL), CC BY 4.0.