Norway vs United Kingdom: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute)
Norway
15.7%
in 2024
United Kingdom
15.1%
in 2024
Norway rank
167th
United Kingdom rank
168th
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) over time
- Norway
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Norway currently reports 15.7% against 15.1% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.6%.
Across all 55 years both countries report, Norway has been ahead every year.
Norway ranks 167th and United Kingdom ranks 168th of 214 countries.
Norway has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.1% | 22.4% | 9.7% | Norway |
| 1980s | 28.8% | 21.6% | 7.2% | Norway |
| 1990s | 26.4% | 21.7% | 4.7% | Norway |
| 2000s | 22.5% | 20.2% | 2.3% | Norway |
| 2010s | 19.1% | 17.5% | 1.6% | Norway |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 15.6% | 0.7% | Norway |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Norway or United Kingdom?
- Norway, at 15.7% against 15.1% in United Kingdom as of 2024.
- What is the difference in rural population between Norway and United Kingdom?
- 0.6%, with Norway ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and United Kingdom?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Norway and United Kingdom rank globally for rural population?
- Norway ranks 167th and United Kingdom ranks 168th 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