China vs Saudi Arabia: Share of population living in rural areas
China
16.4%
in 2020
Saudi Arabia
16.4%
in 2020
China rank
175th
Saudi Arabia rank
176th
Share of population living in rural areas over time
- China
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
China currently reports 16.4% against 16.4% in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
China ranks 175th and Saudi Arabia ranks 176th of 236 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Saudi Arabia in 7.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 34.4% | 48.6% | 14.2% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1960s | 30.9% | 44.6% | 13.8% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 26.6% | 39.3% | 12.7% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 23.8% | 32.5% | 8.6% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 20.4% | 24.8% | 4.4% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2000s | 18.1% | 19.8% | 1.7% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 16.8% | 16.9% | 0.1% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 16.4% | 16.4% | 0.0% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living in rural areas, China or Saudi Arabia?
- China, at 16.4% against 16.4% in Saudi Arabia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of population living in rural areas between China and Saudi Arabia?
- 0.0%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Saudi Arabia?
- 15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
- How do China and Saudi Arabia rank globally for share of population living in rural areas?
- China ranks 175th and Saudi Arabia ranks 176th of 236 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.