Malawi vs Sri Lanka: Rural population
Malawi
81.4%
in 2024
Sri Lanka
80.6%
in 2024
Malawi rank
7th
Sri Lanka rank
9th
Rural population over time
- Malawi
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 81.4% against 80.6% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.8%.
Across all 55 years both countries report, Malawi has been ahead every year.
Malawi ranks 7th and Sri Lanka ranks 9th of 214 countries.
Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 92.5% | 82.0% | 10.6% | Malawi |
| 1980s | 89.9% | 81.4% | 8.5% | Malawi |
| 1990s | 86.9% | 81.5% | 5.4% | Malawi |
| 2000s | 85.0% | 81.7% | 3.3% | Malawi |
| 2010s | 83.7% | 81.7% | 2.0% | Malawi |
| 2020s | 82.0% | 81.0% | 1.0% | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Malawi or Sri Lanka?
- Malawi, at 81.4% against 80.6% in Sri Lanka as of 2024.
- What is the difference in rural population between Malawi and Sri Lanka?
- 0.8%, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Sri Lanka?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Malawi and Sri Lanka rank globally for rural population?
- Malawi ranks 7th and Sri Lanka ranks 9th 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