Iraq vs Pakistan: Share of population living in rural areas

Iraq
12.5%
in 2020
Pakistan
12.0%
in 2020
Iraq rank
197th
Pakistan rank
198th

Share of population living in rural areas over time

  • Iraq
  • Pakistan
102030405060195019852020

How they compare

Iraq currently reports 12.5% against 12.0% in Pakistan, a difference of 0.5%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Pakistan ahead.

Iraq ranks 197th and Pakistan ranks 198th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Iraq averaged higher in 1 and Pakistan in 7.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iraq Pakistan Difference Ahead
1950s 40.8% 59.1% 18.3% Pakistan
1960s 36.1% 51.8% 15.8% Pakistan
1970s 29.4% 43.9% 14.4% Pakistan
1980s 26.0% 36.5% 10.5% Pakistan
1990s 23.0% 27.1% 4.1% Pakistan
2000s 18.1% 20.1% 1.9% Pakistan
2010s 14.6% 15.3% 0.7% Pakistan
2020s 12.5% 12.0% 0.5% Iraq

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in rural areas, Iraq or Pakistan?
Iraq, at 12.5% against 12.0% in Pakistan as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population living in rural areas between Iraq and Pakistan?
0.5%, with Iraq ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and Pakistan?
15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
How do Iraq and Pakistan rank globally for share of population living in rural areas?
Iraq ranks 197th and Pakistan ranks 198th 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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Iraq vs Pakistan: 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 08 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/iraq/pakistan/

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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.