Eswatini Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Eswatini is 1,273,390 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 1,242,822 in 2024.

Eswatini is projected to reach 1.55M people in 2063.
Eswatini is ranked 156/197 by population and was ranked 152nd in 2006.
Eswatini accounts for 0.02% of the world's population.
Since 2006, population has increased from 1.08M people to 1.27M (17.4% growth in 20 years).
For the last 20 years, Eswatini has had an average growth rate of 0.87% per year.

Eswatini population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	1,352,404	-0.67%
2099	1,361,498	-0.61%
2098	1,369,861	-0.59%
2097	1,378,017	-0.59%
2096	1,386,191	-0.59%
2095	1,394,405	-0.58%
2094	1,402,538	-0.56%
2093	1,410,423	-0.54%
2092	1,418,137	-0.56%
2091	1,426,097	-0.52%
2090	1,433,623	-0.53%
2089	1,441,192	-0.49%
2088	1,448,332	-0.48%
2087	1,455,333	-0.48%
2086	1,462,398	-0.49%
2085	1,469,660	-0.48%
2084	1,476,745	-0.44%
2083	1,483,271	-0.42%
2082	1,489,551	-0.36%
2081	1,494,969	-0.36%
2080	1,500,315	-0.33%
2079	1,505,309	-0.3%
2078	1,509,779	-0.32%
2077	1,514,574	-0.32%
2076	1,519,452	-0.29%
2075	1,523,845	-0.29%
2074	1,528,267	-0.24%
2073	1,531,967	-0.21%
2072	1,535,206	-0.2%
2071	1,538,333	-0.15%
2070	1,540,715	-0.16%
2069	1,543,234	-0.13%
2068	1,545,288	-0.11%
2067	1,547,029	-0.05%
2066	1,547,862	-0.05%
2065	1,548,678	-0.03%
2064	1,549,121	-0.01%
2063	1,549,274	0.03%
2062	1,548,873	0.05%
2061	1,548,072	0.05%
2060	1,547,285	0.12%
2059	1,545,426	0.17%
2058	1,542,799	0.18%
2057	1,540,085	0.18%
2056	1,537,270	0.2%
2055	1,534,161	0.23%
2054	1,530,631	0.28%
2053	1,526,357	0.32%
2052	1,521,506	0.36%
2051	1,515,982	0.36%
2050	1,510,547	0.43%
2049	1,504,126	0.43%
2048	1,497,656	0.45%
2047	1,491,001	0.48%
2046	1,483,817	0.53%
2045	1,475,974	0.53%
2044	1,468,200	0.56%
2043	1,460,050	0.59%
2042	1,451,433	0.67%
2041	1,441,822	0.63%
2040	1,432,811	0.68%
2039	1,423,063	0.73%
2038	1,412,806	0.71%
2037	1,402,845	0.77%
2036	1,392,117	0.79%
2035	1,381,258	0.83%
2034	1,369,883	0.88%
2033	1,357,906	0.88%
2032	1,346,063	0.88%
2031	1,334,330	0.98%
2030	1,321,430	0.94%
2029	1,309,060	0.97%
2028	1,296,535	1.02%
2027	1,283,434	1.08%
2026	1,269,667	1.09%
2025	1,255,921	1.05%
2024	1,242,822	1%
2023	1,230,506	0.95%
2022	1,218,917	1.02%
2021	1,206,593	1.16%
2020	1,192,729	1.09%
2019	1,179,874	0.94%
2018	1,168,929	0.93%
2017	1,158,195	0.76%
2016	1,149,507	0.59%
2015	1,142,813	0.57%
2014	1,136,299	0.56%
2013	1,129,990	0.55%
2012	1,123,863	0.54%
2011	1,117,833	0.56%
2010	1,111,650	0.59%
2009	1,105,153	0.64%
2008	1,098,091	0.68%
2007	1,090,705	0.58%
2006	1,084,436	0.5%
2005	1,079,022	0.55%
2004	1,073,159	0.61%
2003	1,066,700	0.69%
2002	1,059,441	0.8%
2001	1,051,064	0.93%
2000	1,041,414	1.03%
1999	1,030,782	1.09%
1998	1,019,653	1.29%
1997	1,006,635	1.7%
1996	989,841	2%
1995	970,433	-0.08%
1994	971,212	-0.01%
1993	971,318	2.96%
1992	943,416	3.88%
1991	908,189	4.1%
1990	872,428	4.13%
1989	837,800	4.75%
1988	799,798	4.71%
1987	763,811	3.96%
1986	734,732	4.04%
1985	706,196	3.73%
1984	680,783	3.31%
1983	658,957	3.34%
1982	637,652	3.38%
1981	616,808	3.38%
1980	596,644	3.37%
1979	577,199	3.36%
1978	558,446	3.35%
1977	540,348	3.25%
1976	523,330	3.08%
1975	507,673	2.98%
1974	492,988	2.91%
1973	479,038	2.84%
1972	465,788	2.78%
1971	453,183	2.71%
1970	441,216	2.64%
1969	429,875	2.56%
1968	419,147	2.47%
1967	409,031	2.57%
1966	398,766	2.69%
1965	388,336	2.56%
1964	378,656	2.41%
1963	369,759	2.32%
1962	361,365	2.29%
1961	353,264	2.3%
1960	345,337	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/eswatini | CC BY

Eswatini has a population of 1.27M as of 2026, compared to 1.15M in 2016, 1.08M in 2006, and 990K in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 1.08% per year. Eswatini is ranked 114th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Eswatini will have 1,483,817 people (16.5% growth) with a rank change from 156th to 155th.

By the year 2100, Eswatini's population is projected to grow by 6.21% from its current level to 1.35M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-5,775
2024	-	-	-6,754
2023	11,598	20,147	-8,549
2022	11,576	20,125	-8,549
2021	13,072	17,314	-4,242
2020	14,657	18,899	-4,242
2019	11,049	19,488	-8,439
2018	10,846	19,392	-8,546
2017	10,620	19,278	-8,658
2016	6,752	19,233	-12,481
2015	6,641	19,223	-12,582
2014	6,383	19,107	-12,724
2013	6,239	18,903	-12,664
2012	6,014	18,308	-12,294
2011	6,049	17,645	-11,596
2010	6,318	17,652	-11,334
2009	6,667	17,656	-10,989
2008	7,453	17,275	-9,822
2007	7,324	16,595	-9,271
2006	5,210	16,133	-10,923
2005	5,615	15,945	-10,330
2004	6,116	15,979	-9,863
2003	6,801	16,396	-9,595
2002	7,715	16,924	-9,209
2001	9,036	17,824	-8,788
2000	10,267	18,830	-8,563
1999	10,999	19,420	-8,421
1998	11,257	19,762	-8,505
1997	14,775	20,686	-5,911
1996	18,809	21,858	-3,049
1995	20,006	23,029	-3,023
1994	-21,556	26,703	-48,259
1993	21,354	28,046	-6,692
1992	34,457	28,446	6,011
1991	35,993	28,497	7,496
1990	35,518	28,349	7,169
1989	33,734	28,257	5,477
1988	42,275	27,396	14,879
1987	29,702	27,285	2,417
1986	28,449	27,096	1,353
1985	28,627	26,835	1,792
1984	22,200	26,149	-3,949
1983	21,454	24,883	-3,429
1982	21,168	24,742	-3,574
1981	20,509	23,973	-3,464
1980	19,803	23,153	-3,350
1979	19,089	22,299	-3,210
1978	18,426	21,466	-3,040
1977	17,771	20,609	-2,838
1976	16,265	19,734	-3,469
1975	15,055	18,849	-3,794
1974	14,306	17,971	-3,665
1973	13,590	17,145	-3,555
1972	12,918	16,353	-3,435
1971	12,290	15,615	-3,325
1970	11,643	14,873	-3,230
1969	11,037	14,164	-3,127
1968	10,420	13,449	-3,029
1967	9,809	12,773	-2,964
1966	10,725	12,282	-1,557
1965	10,141	11,719	-1,578
1964	9,217	11,266	-2,049
1963	8,571	10,929	-2,358
1962	8,211	10,601	-2,390
1961	7,992	10,262	-2,270
1960	7,865	9,947	-2,082

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/eswatini | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 68.3% of the population change in Eswatini is from natural causes (a gain of 192,206 people) and 31.7% is from migration (a loss of 89,012 people).

As of 2024, 33,268 residents or 2.7% of the population were not native-born in Eswatini, compared to 32,637 and 2.9% in 2010.

Eswatini population clock

	Eswatini	Rank
Current population	1273390	156/197
Percent of world population	0.02%	156/197
One net population change	42.7 minutes	130/197
One birth every	17.7 minutes	144/196
One death every	55.5 minutes	154/196
Daily growth/decline	+34	130/197
Annual growth/decline	+12,316	130/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1%	101/197
One migration net change every	1.52 hours	121/196
Annual migration change	-5,775	121/196
Foreign-born residents	33,268	161/195
Foreign-born share of population	2.7%	121/195

Largest cities by population

Eswatini
City	Population
Manzini	111K
Mbabane	76.2K

Eswatini population statistics

	Eswatini	World
Life expectancy	64.5 years	73.8 years
Average age	26.5 years	33.8 years
Median age	23.2 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.1:50.9	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	2.75 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	191.2 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Eswatini.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/eswatini | CC BY