Norway vs United States: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute)
Norway
15.7%
in 2024
United States
16.5%
in 2024
Norway rank
167th
United States rank
165th
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) over time
- Norway
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 16.5% against 15.7% in Norway, a difference of 0.8%.
That makes United States's figure about 1.1 times Norway's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Norway ahead.
Norway ranks 167th and United States ranks 165th of 214 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 5 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.1% | 26.4% | 5.8% | Norway |
| 1980s | 28.8% | 25.6% | 3.2% | Norway |
| 1990s | 26.4% | 23.0% | 3.4% | Norway |
| 2000s | 22.5% | 20.2% | 2.4% | Norway |
| 2010s | 19.1% | 18.4% | 0.7% | Norway |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 16.9% | 0.6% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Norway or United States?
- United States, at 16.5% against 15.7% in Norway as of 2024.
- What is the difference in rural population between Norway and United States?
- 0.8%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and United States?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Norway and United States rank globally for rural population?
- Norway ranks 167th and United States ranks 165th 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