Ethiopia vs Norway: Share of population living in rural areas

Ethiopia
35.6%
in 2020
Norway
35.5%
in 2020
Ethiopia rank
70th
Norway rank
73rd

Share of population living in rural areas over time

  • Ethiopia
  • Norway
0204060195019852020

How they compare

Ethiopia currently reports 35.6% against 35.5% in Norway, a difference of 0.1%.

Across all 15 years both countries report, Ethiopia has been ahead every year.

Ethiopia ranks 70th and Norway ranks 73rd of 236 countries.

Ethiopia has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ethiopia Norway Difference Ahead
1950s 60.3% 49.1% 11.1% Ethiopia
1960s 57.2% 47.1% 10.0% Ethiopia
1970s 52.4% 45.4% 7.0% Ethiopia
1980s 53.9% 44.8% 9.1% Ethiopia
1990s 50.8% 43.2% 7.6% Ethiopia
2000s 47.2% 40.0% 7.2% Ethiopia
2010s 41.7% 37.0% 4.7% Ethiopia
2020s 35.6% 35.5% 0.1% Ethiopia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in rural areas, Ethiopia or Norway?
Ethiopia, at 35.6% against 35.5% in Norway as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population living in rural areas between Ethiopia and Norway?
0.1%, with Ethiopia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and Norway?
15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
How do Ethiopia and Norway rank globally for share of population living in rural areas?
Ethiopia ranks 70th and Norway ranks 73rd 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.

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Ethiopia vs Norway: Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/ethiopia/norway/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

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.