
Population growth in Eswatini
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Eswatini increased from 336,578.00 to 1.19 million people. This is a growth of 254.2 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Eswatini was recorded in 2015 with 3.55 percent. The smallest increase in 2004 with 0.34 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Eswatini rose by 3.88 years from 2012 to 2021 from 19.82 to 23.70 years (median value).
Around 24 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 1.8 percent 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 Eswatini | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 % | 28.4 ‰ | 12.2 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
2015 | 1,134,000 | 3.55 % | 27.7 ‰ | 11.2 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
2016 | 1,143,000 | 0.76 % | 27.1 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
2017 | 1,151,000 | 0.78 % | 26.4 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
2018 | 1,160,000 | 0.78 % | 25.7 ‰ | 9.3 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
2019 | 1,170,000 | 0.79 % | 25.1 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
2020 | 1,181,000 | 0.94 % | 24.6 ‰ | 9.6 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
2021 | 1,192,000 | 0.98 % | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |

Birth and death rate in Eswatini
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2020 in the graph: The population in Eswatini increased by about 11,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 9.6 per 1,000 people (~ 11,200 deaths) and the birth rate was 24.6 per 1,000 people (~ 28,800 births). As a result, around 6,600 inhabitants have migrated to other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 12,806 in Eswatini. The number of births was 30,655 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate