Brunei vs Malaysia: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute)
Brunei
20.6%
in 2024
Malaysia
20.8%
in 2024
Brunei rank
153rd
Malaysia rank
151st
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) over time
- Brunei
- Malaysia
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 20.8% against 20.6% in Brunei, a difference of 0.2%.
Across all 55 years both countries report, Malaysia has been ahead every year.
Brunei ranks 153rd and Malaysia ranks 151st of 214 countries.
Malaysia has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brunei | Malaysia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 36.1% | 62.7% | 26.7% | Malaysia |
| 1980s | 34.4% | 54.5% | 20.1% | Malaysia |
| 1990s | 31.6% | 44.9% | 13.3% | Malaysia |
| 2000s | 27.0% | 33.9% | 6.9% | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 23.5% | 26.2% | 2.6% | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 21.2% | 21.8% | 0.7% | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Brunei or Malaysia?
- Malaysia, at 20.8% against 20.6% in Brunei as of 2024.
- What is the difference in rural population between Brunei and Malaysia?
- 0.2%, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brunei and Malaysia?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Brunei and Malaysia rank globally for rural population?
- Brunei ranks 153rd and Malaysia ranks 151st of 214 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release