United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland vs United States of America: Rural population
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
15.1%
in 2024
United States of America
16.5%
in 2024
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
168th
United States of America rank
165th
Rural population over time
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 16.5% against 15.1% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 1.4%.
That makes United States of America's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was United States of America ahead.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 168th and United States of America ranks 165th of 214 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland averaged higher in 1 and United States of America in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.4% | 26.4% | 4.0% | United States of America |
| 1980s | 21.6% | 25.6% | 4.0% | United States of America |
| 1990s | 21.7% | 23.0% | 1.3% | United States of America |
| 2000s | 20.2% | 20.2% | 0.1% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 17.5% | 18.4% | 0.9% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 15.6% | 16.9% | 1.3% | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 16.5% against 15.1% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in rural population between United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America?
- 1.4%, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America rank globally for rural population?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 168th and United States of America 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