Countries in Oceania Ranked by Rural population (2025)
Rural population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Papua New Guinea ranks #1 with 9.06 million people. That is 2.7 times Australia in second place (3.39 million people). The top five are Papua New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands and Fiji. Together the top 10 account for 98.9% of the total across the 19 countries in Oceania listed. The median across all 19 is 88,126 people; Naoero is last at 0 people. Papua New Guinea's figure has risen 82% since 2001 (4.97 million people to 9.06 million people in 2025).
- #1
- Papua New Guinea · 9.06 million people
- Median
- 88,126 people
- Coverage
- 19 countries in Oceania
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Papua New Guinea 59.8%Australia 22.4%New Zealand 5.6%Solomon Islands 3.8%Fiji 2.5%All others 5.9%
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Rural population (people) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papua New Guinea | 9,064,500 |
| 2 | Australia | 3,391,300 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 852,070 |
| 4 | Solomon Islands | 576,070 |
| 5 | Fiji | 377,510 |
| 6 | Vanuatu | 260,350 |
| 7 | Samoa | 180,910 |
| 8 | French Polynesia | 108,020 |
| 9 | New Caledonia | 93,999 |
| 10 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 88,126 |
| 11 | Tonga | 81,794 |
| 12 | Kiribati | 49,975 |
| 13 | Guam | 9,769 |
| 14 | American Samoa | 8,970 |
| 15 | Marshall Islands | 7,581 |
| 16 | Palau | 3,659 |
| 17 | Northern Mariana Islands | 3,406 |
| 18 | Tuvalu | 3,280 |
| 19 | Naoero | 0 |
About the top 10
#1 Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea ranks #1 on this list with 9.06 million people.
- Capital
- Port Moresby
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 10.76 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$32.5 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,020 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 15.8% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in rural population share · #5 in water resources per capita · #6 in smoking prevalence.
#2 Australia
Australia ranks #2 on this list with 3.39 million people.
- Capital
- Canberra
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 27.61 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.8 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$65,130 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 87.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane.
Also ranks #2 in regulatory quality score · #3 in access to clean cooking fuels · #4 in new businesses registered.
#3 New Zealand
New Zealand ranks #3 on this list with 852,070 people.
- Capital
- Wellington
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.32 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$264.06 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$49,591 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 84% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Auckland.
Also ranks #3 in voice and accountability score · #4 in tax revenue share of gdp · #4 in control of corruption score.
#4 Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands ranks #4 on this list with 576,070 people.
- Capital
- Honiara
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 838,650 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.75 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,086 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in forest rents share of gdp · #2 in female labour force participation · #3 in labour force participation rate.
#5 Fiji
Fiji ranks #5 on this list with 377,510 people.
- Capital
- Suva
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 933,150 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$6.2 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,642 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 59.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in mobile subscriptions per 100 · #5 in completion rate (primary) · #6 in livestock production index.
#6 Vanuatu
Vanuatu ranks #6 on this list with 260,350 people.
- Capital
- Port Vila
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 335,170 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,039 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 22.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in school enrolment (secondary) · #6 in completion rate (primary) · #9 in rural population share.
#7 Samoa
Samoa ranks #7 on this list with 180,910 people.
- Capital
- Apia
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 219,310 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.29 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,873 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in rural population share · #4 in diabetes prevalence · #16 in age dependency ratio.
#8 French Polynesia
French Polynesia ranks #8 on this list with 108,020 people.
- Capital
- Papeete
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 282,470 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$6.32 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$22,440 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 84.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 61.8% of population (2025)
Also ranks #5 in female life expectancy · #5 in protected marine area share · #7 in life expectancy.
#9 New Caledonia
New Caledonia ranks #9 on this list with 93,999 people.
- Capital
- Nouméa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 295,330 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$8.55 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$29,213 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 78.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 68.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in protected terrestrial area share · #4 in protected marine area share · #4 in mineral rents share of gdp.
#10 Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. ranks #10 on this list with 88,126 people.
- Capital
- Palikir
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 113,680 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$501.8 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,414 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 22.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in forest area share · #3 in education expenditure share of gdp · #7 in health expenditure share of gdp.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Rural population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SP.RUR.TOTL. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Rural population: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospe.
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.