
Population growth in Eswatini
From 1960 to 2020 the population of Eswatini increased from 336,578.00 to 1.16 m people. This is a growth by 244.7 percent in 60 years. The highest increase in Eswatini was recorded in 1984 with 3.55%. The smallest increase in 2004 with 0.34%.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 156.0 percent.
The average age in Eswatini rose by 3.88 years from 2012 to 2020 from 19.82 to 23.70 years (median value).
Around 24% of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 1.8% annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Eswatini
Population development in Eswatini since 1960
(Data given in 1000 inhabitants)Year | Population Eswatini | Change | Birthrate | Deathrate | Population World | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1961 | 343,000 | 2.01 % | 47.6 ‰ | 20.5 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
1962 | 350,000 | 1.98 % | 47.7 ‰ | 20.2 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
1963 | 357,000 | 2.03 % | 47.9 ‰ | 19.9 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
1964 | 365,000 | 2.19 % | 48.1 ‰ | 19.6 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
1965 | 374,000 | 2.41 % | 48.3 ‰ | 19.3 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
1966 | 384,000 | 2.65 % | 48.6 ‰ | 19.0 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
1967 | 395,000 | 2.85 % | 48.9 ‰ | 18.7 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
1968 | 407,000 | 2.98 % | 49.3 ‰ | 18.3 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
1969 | 419,000 | 3.01 % | 49.6 ‰ | 17.9 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
1970 | 431,000 | 2.99 % | 50.0 ‰ | 17.5 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
1971 | 444,000 | 2.95 % | 50.2 ‰ | 17.0 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
1972 | 457,000 | 2.94 % | 50.4 ‰ | 16.5 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
1973 | 471,000 | 2.96 % | 50.5 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
1974 | 485,000 | 3.01 % | 50.5 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
1975 | 500,000 | 3.10 % | 50.3 ‰ | 14.9 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
1976 | 516,000 | 3.17 % | 50.2 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
1977 | 532,000 | 3.23 % | 50.0 ‰ | 13.8 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
1978 | 550,000 | 3.29 % | 49.8 ‰ | 13.2 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
1979 | 568,000 | 3.37 % | 49.6 ‰ | 12.6 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
1980 | 588,000 | 3.44 % | 49.3 ‰ | 12.0 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
1981 | 608,000 | 3.49 % | 48.8 ‰ | 11.4 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
1982 | 630,000 | 3.52 % | 48.1 ‰ | 10.8 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
1983 | 652,000 | 3.54 % | 47.2 ‰ | 10.2 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
1984 | 675,000 | 3.55 % | 46.1 ‰ | 9.7 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
1985 | 699,000 | 3.53 % | 44.8 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
1986 | 724,000 | 3.51 % | 43.5 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
1987 | 749,000 | 3.46 % | 42.1 ‰ | 8.3 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
1988 | 774,000 | 3.36 % | 40.9 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
1989 | 798,000 | 3.20 % | 39.9 ‰ | 7.7 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
1990 | 822,000 | 3.00 % | 38.9 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
1991 | 845,000 | 2.78 % | 38.1 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
1992 | 867,000 | 2.57 % | 37.4 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
1993 | 888,000 | 2.39 % | 36.6 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
1994 | 908,000 | 2.24 % | 35.8 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
1995 | 927,000 | 2.12 % | 35.1 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
1996 | 946,000 | 2.01 % | 34.4 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
1997 | 963,000 | 1.89 % | 33.7 ‰ | 11.3 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
1998 | 980,000 | 1.71 % | 33.1 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
1999 | 994,000 | 1.45 % | 32.7 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
2000 | 1,005,000 | 1.14 % | 32.3 ‰ | 14.9 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
2001 | 1,014,000 | 0.81 % | 32.1 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
2002 | 1,019,000 | 0.54 % | 32.0 ‰ | 17.0 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
2003 | 1,023,000 | 0.37 % | 32.0 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
2004 | 1,026,000 | 0.34 % | 32.0 ‰ | 18.3 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
2005 | 1,031,000 | 0.42 % | 32.0 ‰ | 18.6 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
2006 | 1,036,000 | 0.54 % | 32.0 ‰ | 18.6 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
2007 | 1,043,000 | 0.63 % | 31.8 ‰ | 18.3 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
2008 | 1,050,000 | 0.70 % | 31.4 ‰ | 17.8 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
2009 | 1,057,000 | 0.72 % | 31.0 ‰ | 17.1 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
2010 | 1,065,000 | 0.70 % | 30.4 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
2011 | 1,072,000 | 0.68 % | 29.7 ‰ | 15.3 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
2012 | 1,079,000 | 0.68 % | 29.1 ‰ | 14.2 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
2013 | 1,087,000 | 0.70 % | 28.5 ‰ | 13.2 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
2014 | 1,095,000 | 0.75 % | 28.0 ‰ | 12.2 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 1,104,000 | 0.82 % | 27.6 ‰ | 11.2 ‰ | 7,348 M | 1.18 % | |
2016 | 1,114,000 | 0.90 % | 27.2 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 7,434 M | 1.17 % | |
2017 | 1,125,000 | 0.97 % | 26.8 ‰ | 9.8 ‰ | 7,519 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 1,136,000 | 1.02 % | 26.3 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 7,602 M | 1.11 % | |
2019 | 1,148,000 | 1.04 % | 25.9 ‰ | 9.1 ‰ | 7,683 M | 1.07 % | |
2020 | 1,160,000 | 1.05 % | 25.4 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 7,763 M | 1.04 % |

Birth- and deathrate in Eswatini
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. The example of the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Eswatini increased by about 12,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 8.9 per 1000 people (~ 10,200 deaths) and the birth rate was 25.4 per 1000 people (~ 29,200 births). As a result, around 7,000 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 12,583 in Eswatini. The number of births was 30,495 annually.
The development of births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1000 inhabitants.
Birthrate Deathrate