Rural population as a share of total population fell 0.325% to 82.3% in Malawi in 2021, according to the National Statistical Office.
Historically, rural population as a share of total population in Malawi reached an all time high of 95.6% in 1960 and an all time low of 82.3% in 2021. When compared to Malawi's main peers, rural population as a share of total population in Mozambique amounted to 62.4%, 32.2% in South Africa, 64.0% in Tanzania and 54.8% in Zambia in 2021.
Malawi has been ranked 6th within the group of 171 countries we follow in terms of rural population as a share of total population, 2 places below the position seen 10 years ago.
| Rural Population (As % of Total) | Unit | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Angola | % | 36.6% | 35.9% | 35.2% | 34.5% | 33.8% | ||||||||||||||||
| Botswana | % | 32.8% | 32.1% | 31.3% | 30.6% | 29.8% | ||||||||||||||||
| Dem. Republic of the Congo | % | 57.3% | 56.7% | 56.1% | 55.5% | 55.0% | ||||||||||||||||
| Kenya | % | 74.3% | 73.9% | 73.4% | 73.0% | 72.5% | ||||||||||||||||
| Lesotho | % | 73.1% | 72.7% | 72.3% | 71.8% | 71.4% | ||||||||||||||||
| Malawi | % | 83.7% | 83.5% | 83.3% | 83.1% | 82.8% | ||||||||||||||||
| Mozambique | % | 65.6% | 65.1% | 64.5% | 64.0% | 63.5% | ||||||||||||||||
| Namibia | % | 53.1% | 52.0% | 51.0% | 50.0% | 49.0% | ||||||||||||||||
| South Africa | % | 35.2% | 34.7% | 34.2% | 33.6% | 33.1% | ||||||||||||||||
| Swaziland | % | 76.7% | 76.5% | 76.4% | 76.2% | 76.0% | ||||||||||||||||
| Tanzania | % | 68.4% | 67.7% | 66.9% | 66.2% | 65.5% | ||||||||||||||||
| Uganda | % | 77.9% | 77.4% | 76.8% | 76.2% | 75.6% | ||||||||||||||||
| Zambia | % | 58.1% | 57.6% | 57.0% | 56.5% | 55.9% | ||||||||||||||||
| Zimbabwe | % | 67.6% | 67.7% | 67.8% | 67.8% | 67.8% |
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