Population growth in Eswatini
Eswatini: Population growth was 1.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in Eswatini, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth in Eswatini is 1.1%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 7.3% on the previous year and up 86.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Eswatini peaked at 4.6% in 1989 and was at its lowest, -0.1%, in 1995.
That places Eswatini 97th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.3% | — |
| 1962 | 2.3% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | 2.3% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 2.4% | +3.5% |
| 1965 | 2.5% | +6.2% |
| 1966 | 2.7% | +5.0% |
| 1967 | 2.5% | -4.1% |
| 1968 | 2.4% | -3.9% |
| 1969 | 2.5% | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 2.6% | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 2.7% | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 2.7% | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 2.8% | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 2.9% | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 2.9% | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | +3.5% |
| 1977 | 3.2% | +5.4% |
| 1978 | 3.3% | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 3.3% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 3.3% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 3.3% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 3.3% | -1.1% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | -0.9% |
| 1985 | 3.7% | +12.5% |
| 1986 | 4.0% | +8.1% |
| 1987 | 3.9% | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 4.6% | +18.6% |
| 1989 | 4.6% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 4.1% | -12.8% |
| 1991 | 4.0% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 3.8% | -5.3% |
| 1993 | 2.9% | -23.4% |
| 1994 | -0.0% | -100.4% |
| 1995 | -0.1% | +635.2% |
| 1996 | 2.0% | -2567.8% |
| 1997 | 1.7% | -15.0% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | -23.6% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | -15.5% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | -10.1% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -13.9% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | -14.0% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -11.6% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | -9.7% |
| 2006 | 0.5% | -8.1% |
| 2007 | 0.6% | +15.2% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | +17.1% |
| 2009 | 0.6% | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | -8.6% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -5.4% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 0.6% | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 0.8% | +28.9% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | +22.5% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | +16.3% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | +6.6% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -12.1% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | -6.9% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | +5.2% |
| 2025 | 1.1% | +7.3% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 1.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 61% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 1.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.3%, 47% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in Eswatini changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +2567.8% | -0.1% | 2.0% |
| 1995 | -635.2% | -0.0% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | -100.4% | 2.9% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.7% | 3.3% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.1% | -0.1% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More climate change data for Eswatini
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 10.39 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,459 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 469.92 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 988.9 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 35.32 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 77.58 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 66.81 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 10.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.2521 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Eswatini?
- Population growth in Eswatini was 1.1% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 4.6% in 1989.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1% in 1995.
- How does Eswatini rank for population growth?
- Eswatini ranks 97th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is up 86.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Eswatini data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.