Namibia vs South Africa: Rural population density
Rural population density over time
- Namibia
- South Africa
How they compare
Namibia currently reports 178.97 rural population per sq. km of arable land against 159.81 rural population per sq. km of arable land in South Africa, a difference of 19.16 rural population per sq. km of arable land.
That makes Namibia's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1961 it was South Africa ahead.
Namibia ranks 40th and South Africa ranks 43rd of 53 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Namibia averaged higher in 5 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Namibia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 84.79 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 85.79 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 0.993 rural population per sq. km of arable land | South Africa |
| 1970s | 104.13 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 101.61 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 2.53 rural population per sq. km of arable land | Namibia |
| 1980s | 129.31 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 124.87 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 4.45 rural population per sq. km of arable land | Namibia |
| 1990s | 153.07 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 132.35 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 20.72 rural population per sq. km of arable land | Namibia |
| 2000s | 166.02 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 145.61 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 20.41 rural population per sq. km of arable land | Namibia |
| 2010s | 178.22 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 156.6 rural population per sq. km of arable land | 21.63 rural population per sq. km of arable land | Namibia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population density, Namibia or South Africa?
- Namibia, at 178.97 rural population per sq. km of arable land against 159.81 rural population per sq. km of arable land in South Africa as of 2011.
- What is the difference in rural population density between Namibia and South Africa?
- 19.16 rural population per sq. km of arable land, with Namibia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Namibia and South Africa?
- 51 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2011.
- How do Namibia and South Africa rank globally for rural population density?
- Namibia ranks 40th and South Africa ranks 43rd of 53 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates, published as Rural population density (rural population per sq. km of arable land). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Rural population density is the rural population divided by the arable land area. Rural population is calculated as the difference between the total population and the urban population. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation is excluded.