Countries Ranked by Rural population share in 2023
Rural population share for each country in 2023, ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
In 2023, Liechtenstein ranks #1 with 85.3% of population. Papua New Guinea is second with 84.9% of population, 0.45% behind. The top five are Liechtenstein, Papua New Guinea, Malawi, Samoa and Niger. The median across all 217 is 36.3% of population; Sint Maarten (Dutch part) is last at 0% of population.
- #1
- Liechtenstein · 85.3% of population
- Median
- 36.3% of population
- Coverage
- 217 countries
- Data year
- 2023
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
Showing the top 100 of 217. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein ranks #1 on this list with 85.3% of population.
- Capital
- Vaduz
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 41,024 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$8.91 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$220,170 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 84.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 14.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in rural population share · #1 in researchers in r&d per million · #2 in gdp per capita.
#2 Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea ranks #2 on this list with 84.9% of population.
- 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.
#3 Malawi
Malawi ranks #3 on this list with 83% of population.
- Capital
- Lilongwe
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 22.22 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$14.92 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$671.5 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in school enrolment (primary) · #3 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #3 in poverty headcount ratio.
#4 Samoa
Samoa ranks #4 on this list with 82.5% of population.
- 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.
#5 Niger
Niger ranks #5 on this list with 82.2% of population.
- Capital
- Niamey
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 27.92 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.65 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$775.4 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 18.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Niamey.
Also ranks #1 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #2 in under-5 mortality rate · #3 in population ages 0-14 share.
#6 Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka ranks #6 on this list with 79.9% of population.
- Capital
- Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 21.76 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$108.83 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,002 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 20.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in rural population share · #9 in immunisation (measles) rate · #13 in prevalence of wasting (under-5).
#7 South Sudan
South Sudan ranks #7 on this list with 78.9% of population.
- Capital
- Juba
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 12.19 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 21.7% of population (2025)
- Currency
- South Sudanese pound
- Official languages
- English
Also ranks #1 in infant mortality rate · #4 in inflation rate · #4 in maternal mortality ratio.
#8 Tonga
Tonga ranks #8 on this list with 78.9% of population.
- Capital
- Nukuʻalofa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 103,740 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$679.22 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,547 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 21.2% of population (2025)
Also ranks #7 in rural population share · #10 in completion rate (primary) · #11 in income share of poorest 10%.
#9 Vanuatu
Vanuatu ranks #9 on this list with 77.7% of population.
- 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.
#10 Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. ranks #10 on this list with 77.6% of population.
- 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 share for each country in 2023, ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Rural population (% of total 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.