Nepal vs Sri Lanka: Rural population
Nepal
77.6%
in 2024
Sri Lanka
80.6%
in 2024
Nepal rank
11th
Sri Lanka rank
9th
Rural population over time
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 80.6% against 77.6% in Nepal, a difference of 3.0%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Nepal ahead.
Nepal ranks 11th and Sri Lanka ranks 9th of 214 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Nepal averaged higher in 4 and Sri Lanka in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nepal | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 95.2% | 82.0% | 13.3% | Nepal |
| 1980s | 92.7% | 81.4% | 11.3% | Nepal |
| 1990s | 89.3% | 81.5% | 7.7% | Nepal |
| 2000s | 85.0% | 81.7% | 3.3% | Nepal |
| 2010s | 81.6% | 81.7% | 0.1% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 78.5% | 81.0% | 2.4% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Nepal or Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka, at 80.6% against 77.6% in Nepal as of 2024.
- What is the difference in rural population between Nepal and Sri Lanka?
- 3.0%, with Sri Lanka ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nepal and Sri Lanka?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Nepal and Sri Lanka rank globally for rural population?
- Nepal ranks 11th 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