Rwanda vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Urban population growth (annual %)
Urban population growth (annual %) over time
- Rwanda
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
How they compare
Rwanda currently reports 5.6% against 3.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), a difference of 2.0%.
That makes Rwanda's figure about 1.6 times Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Rwanda ahead.
Rwanda ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 6th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Rwanda averaged higher in 4 and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Rwanda | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.8% | 5.1% | 0.3% | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) |
| 1970s | 7.1% | 5.2% | 1.9% | Rwanda |
| 1980s | 4.2% | 4.9% | 0.7% | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) |
| 1990s | 11.6% | 4.1% | 7.5% | Rwanda |
| 2000s | 3.5% | 4.1% | 0.6% | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) |
| 2010s | 5.4% | 3.9% | 1.6% | Rwanda |
| 2020s | 7.1% | 3.6% | 3.5% | Rwanda |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban population growth, Rwanda or Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Rwanda, at 5.6% against 3.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban population growth between Rwanda and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 2.0%, with Rwanda ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Rwanda and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 65 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do Rwanda and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank globally for urban population growth?
- Rwanda ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 6th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.