Based on a comparison of 171 countries in 2024, Papua New Guinea ranked the highest in rural population as a share of total population with 86.1% followed by Liechtenstein and Burundi. On the other end of the scale was Qatar with 0.613%, Belgium with 1.78% and Uruguay with 4.15%.
Average rural population as a share of total population reached 42.3% in 2024 in the World according to the National Statistical Office. This is 1.03 % more than in the previous year and -10.3 % less than 10 years ago.
Historically, average rural population as a share of total population reached an all time high of 66.3% in 1960 and an all time low of 42.3% in 2024. The average annual growth amounted to -0.669 % since 1960.
Data for more countries are available at Rural Population (As % of Total) indicator page.
| Rural Population (As % of Total) | Unit | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Afghanistan | % | 74.5% | 74.2% | 74.0% | 73.7% | 73.4% | ||||||||||||||||
| Burundi | % | 87.0% | 86.6% | 86.3% | 85.9% | 85.6% | ||||||||||||||||
| Cambodia | % | 76.6% | 76.2% | 75.8% | 75.3% | 74.9% | ||||||||||||||||
| Chad | % | 76.9% | 76.7% | 76.5% | 76.2% | 75.9% | ||||||||||||||||
| Ethiopia | % | 79.2% | 78.8% | 78.3% | 77.8% | 77.3% | ||||||||||||||||
| Guyana | % | 73.4% | 73.3% | 73.2% | 73.1% | 73.0% | ||||||||||||||||
| Liechtenstein | % | 85.7% | 85.6% | 85.6% | 85.5% | 85.5% | ||||||||||||||||
| Malawi | % | 83.1% | 82.8% | 82.6% | 82.3% | 82.0% | ||||||||||||||||
| Nepal | % | 80.3% | 79.8% | 79.4% | 79.0% | 78.5% | ||||||||||||||||
| Niger | % | 83.6% | 83.5% | 83.4% | 83.2% | 83.1% | ||||||||||||||||
| Papua New Guinea | % | 86.8% | 86.8% | 86.7% | 86.5% | 86.4% | ||||||||||||||||
| Rwanda | % | 82.8% | 82.7% | 82.6% | 82.4% | 82.3% | ||||||||||||||||
| South Sudan | % | 80.4% | 80.1% | 79.8% | 79.5% | 79.2% | ||||||||||||||||
| Sri Lanka | % | 81.5% | 81.4% | 81.3% | 81.1% | 81.0% | ||||||||||||||||
| Swaziland | % | 76.2% | 76.0% | 75.8% | 75.6% | 75.4% |
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