Malawi vs South Sudan

Malawi vs South Sudan: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 17.6% in Malawi and 21.7% in South Sudan, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Sudan, by 4.1 percentage points, or 1.23 times that in Malawi.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

Malawi vs South Sudan: Urban populationUrban population in 2025: 17.6% in Malawi and 21.7% in South Sudan, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Sudan, by 4.1 percentage points, or 1.23 times that in Malawi.
MalawiSouth SudanUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

  • South Sudan has been higher since 1988, when it overtook Malawi.
  • In 2025, Malawi ranked 224 and South Sudan ranked 220 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Malawi at 35% and South Sudan at 30.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

YearMalawiSouth Sudan
202517.621.7
202417.321.4
20231721.1
202216.720.8
202116.520.5
202016.320.2
201916.119.9
20181619.6
20171619.4
201615.919.1
201515.818.8
201415.818.6
201315.718.3
201215.618
201115.617.8
201015.517.5
200915.417.3
200815.317
200715.317
200615.217
200515.116.9
20041516.8
20031516.6
200214.916.5
200114.816.3
200014.716
199914.615.8
199814.415.6
199714.215.3
19961415
199513.614.7
199413.314.5
199312.914.2
199212.513.8
19911213.3
199011.612.6
198911.311.9
198810.911.2
198710.610.4
198610.49.7
198510.19.2
19849.98.7
19839.78.5
19829.58.5
19819.38.5
19809.18.5
19798.98.5
19788.78.5
19778.48.5
19768.18.5
19757.88.5
19747.48.5
197378.5
19726.58.5
19716.18.5
19705.78.5
19695.48.5
19685.18.5
19674.88.5
19664.78.6
19654.68.6
19644.58.6
19634.38.6
19624.28.6
19614.18.6
196048.7
195948.7
19583.98.7
19573.88.7
19563.78.8
19553.78.8
19543.68.6
19533.68.3
19523.67.7
19513.57.1
19503.56.5
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
YearMalawiSouth Sudan
20261822
202718.322.3
202818.822.6
202919.223
203019.723.3
203120.223.6
203220.824
203321.324.3
203421.924.7
203522.625
203623.225.4
203723.925.7
203824.626.1
203925.326.5
204026.126.9
204126.927.2
204227.727.6
204328.528
204429.428.4
204530.328.8
204631.229.2
204732.129.6
20483330
20493430.5
20503530.9

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
  • Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
  • The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
  • Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Malawi vs South Sudan

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