Countries With the Fastest Growth in Rural population share (5-Year Change)
Change in Rural population share over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
American Samoa rose the most: by 2.11 pts, from 17.4% of population to 19.5% of population in the five years to 2025. Syrian Arab Republic is second (+1.33 pts), followed by Belize (+1.09 pts). 26 countries rose over that period; the median change among them was +0.201 pts.
- #1
- American Samoa · +2.11 pts
- Median
- +0.201 pts
- Coverage
- 26 countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Samoa | 17.4 | 19.5 | +2.11 pts |
| 2 | Syrian Arab Republic | 26.6 | 27.9 | +1.33 pts |
| 3 | Belize | 57.4 | 58.4 | +1.09 pts |
| 4 | Dominican Republic | 26.7 | 27.5 | +0.746 pts |
| 5 | Tonga | 78.1 | 78.8 | +0.721 pts |
| 6 | Eritrea | 64.9 | 65.5 | +0.576 pts |
| 7 | Samoa | 81.9 | 82.5 | +0.546 pts |
| 8 | Oman | 20 | 20.5 | +0.54 pts |
| 9 | Romania | 47.4 | 47.8 | +0.439 pts |
| 10 | Bahamas, The | 18.3 | 18.7 | +0.333 pts |
| 11 | Antigua and Barbuda | 75.4 | 75.7 | +0.308 pts |
| 12 | Aruba | 38 | 38.3 | +0.254 pts |
| 13 | Suriname | 34 | 34.2 | +0.219 pts |
| 14 | Channel Islands | 67.2 | 67.4 | +0.182 pts |
| 15 | Timor-Leste | 71 | 71.2 | +0.176 pts |
| 16 | Mauritius | 60.8 | 61 | +0.124 pts |
| 17 | Vanuatu | 77.6 | 77.7 | +0.097 pts |
| 18 | Kyrgyz Republic | 65.2 | 65.3 | +0.071 pts |
| 19 | Isle of Man | 47.8 | 47.9 | +0.055 pts |
| 20 | Slovak Republic | 46.8 | 46.8 | +0.054 pts |
| 21 | Liechtenstein | 85.3 | 85.4 | +0.037 pts |
| 22 | Tajikistan | 73.8 | 73.8 | +0.028 pts |
| 23 | Cyprus | 33.3 | 33.3 | +0.023 pts |
| 24 | French Polynesia | 38.2 | 38.2 | +0.009 pts |
| 25 | Korea, Rep. | 18.8 | 18.8 | +0.002 pts |
| 26 | Israel | 8.42 | 8.42 | +0.0005 pts |
About the top 10
#1 American Samoa
American Samoa ranks #1 on this list with +2.11 pts.
- Capital
- Pago Pago
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 46,029 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$871 million (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$18,017 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 73 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 80.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in forest area share · #9 in voice and accountability score · #14 in homicide rate.
#2 Syrian Arab Republic
Syrian Arab Republic ranks #2 on this list with +1.33 pts.
- Capital
- Damascus
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 25.62 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$23.74 billion (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$1,057 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 72.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 72.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Damascus, Aleppo.
Also ranks #2 in refugee population by origin · #2 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #3 in net migration.
#3 Belize
Belize ranks #3 on this list with +1.09 pts.
- Capital
- Belmopan
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 422,920 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.33 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,866 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 41.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in secure internet servers per million · #12 in homicide rate · #14 in time to start a business (days).
#4 Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic ranks #4 on this list with +0.746 pts.
- Capital
- Santo Domingo
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 11.52 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$127.41 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$11,059 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 72.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santo Domingo.
Also ranks #4 in crop production index · #14 in deposit interest rate · #19 in remittances received.
#5 Tonga
Tonga ranks #5 on this list with +0.721 pts.
- 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%.
#6 Eritrea
Eritrea ranks #6 on this list with +0.576 pts.
- Capital
- Asmara
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 3.61 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 34.5% of population (2025)
- International tourist arrivals
- 142,000 arrivals (2016)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 0.22 t CO2e per person (2024)
Also ranks #5 in time to start a business (days) · #9 in refugee population by origin · #12 in female labour force participation.
#7 Samoa
Samoa ranks #7 on this list with +0.546 pts.
- 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 Oman
Oman ranks #8 on this list with +0.54 pts.
- Capital
- Muscat
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 5.49 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$109.6 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,947 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 80.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Muscat.
Also ranks #1 in cereal yield · #1 in crop production index · #3 in population growth rate.
#9 Romania
Romania ranks #9 on this list with +0.439 pts.
- Capital
- Bucharest
- Continent
- Europe
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 19.02 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$428.68 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$22,538 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 52.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Bucharest.
Also ranks #1 in alcohol consumption per capita · #8 in hospital beds per 10,000 · #13 in death rate.
#10 Bahamas, The
Bahamas, The ranks #10 on this list with +0.333 pts.
- Capital
- Nassau
- Continent
- North America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 403,030 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$15.83 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$39,455 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 74.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 81.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in access to clean cooking fuels · #10 in homicide rate · #10 in cereal yield.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Rural population share over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed.
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 (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.