Rwanda vs South Africa: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 30.9% in Rwanda and 63.8% in South Africa, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 32.9 percentage points, or 2.06 times that in Rwanda.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

RwandaSouth AfricaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2025, Rwanda ranked 204 and South Africa ranked 118 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Rwanda at 54.8% and South Africa at 70.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Rwanda	South Africa
2025	30.9	63.8
2024	29.9	63.7
2023	28.9	63.6
2022	27.8	63.5
2021	26.1	63.5
2020	24.5	63.4
2019	23	63.4
2018	21.5	63.4
2017	20.3	63.3
2016	19.1	63.3
2015	18.2	63.2
2014	17.5	63.1
2013	17.1	63.1
2012	16.9	63
2011	16.9	62.9
2010	16.9	62.6
2009	16.9	62.3
2008	16.9	61.8
2007	16.9	61.2
2006	16.9	60.5
2005	16.9	59.8
2004	16.9	59.1
2003	16.9	58.4
2002	16.9	57.7
2001	16.6	57
2000	15.8	56.3
1999	14.7	55.4
1998	13.3	54.7
1997	11.8	54
1996	10.3	53.6
1995	8.8	53.3
1994	7.5	53.1
1993	6.4	52.9
1992	5.7	52.7
1991	5.4	52.4
1990	5.3	52
1989	5.2	51.4
1988	5.1	50.7
1987	5.1	50.1
1986	5	49.6
1985	5	49.2
1984	5	49
1983	4.9	48.8
1982	4.9	48.6
1981	4.9	48.5
1980	4.8	48.4
1979	4.8	48.3
1978	4.7	48.2
1977	4.6	48.2
1976	4.4	48.1
1975	4.2	48.1
1974	4	48
1973	3.8	48
1972	3.6	47.9
1971	3.4	47.9
1970	3.2	47.8
1969	3.1	47.7
1968	3.1	47.6
1967	3	47.5
1966	2.9	47.5
1965	2.9	47.4
1964	2.8	47.3
1963	2.8	47.1
1962	2.7	47
1961	2.7	46.9
1960	2.6	46.7
1959	2.5	46.5
1958	2.5	46.2
1957	2.4	45.8
1956	2.3	45.4
1955	2.2	44.9
1954	2.1	44.4
1953	2	43.9
1952	2	43.3
1951	1.9	42.7
1950	1.8	42.1

UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050

Year	Rwanda	South Africa
2026	31.9	64
2027	33	64.1
2028	34	64.3
2029	35	64.5
2030	36	64.6
2031	37	64.8
2032	38	65.1
2033	39	65.3
2034	40	65.5
2035	40.9	65.8
2036	41.9	66.1
2037	42.9	66.3
2038	43.8	66.6
2039	44.8	66.9
2040	45.7	67.2
2041	46.7	67.6
2042	47.6	67.9
2043	48.5	68.2
2044	49.5	68.6
2045	50.4	69
2046	51.3	69.3
2047	52.2	69.7
2048	53	70.1
2049	53.9	70.5
2050	54.8	70.9

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

Rwanda vs South Africa: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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