Malawi vs Nicaragua: Share of population living in rural areas

Malawi
35.6%
in 2020
Nicaragua
35.6%
in 2020
Malawi rank
71st
Nicaragua rank
72nd

Share of population living in rural areas over time

  • Malawi
  • Nicaragua
020406080100195019852020

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 35.6% against 35.6% in Nicaragua, a difference of 0.0%.

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

Malawi ranks 71st and Nicaragua ranks 72nd of 236 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Malawi Nicaragua Difference Ahead
1950s 92.2% 51.6% 40.5% Malawi
1960s 89.6% 45.8% 43.8% Malawi
1970s 86.1% 39.8% 46.3% Malawi
1980s 77.8% 37.3% 40.5% Malawi
1990s 65.1% 35.4% 29.7% Malawi
2000s 56.8% 34.0% 22.7% Malawi
2010s 44.1% 34.5% 9.7% Malawi
2020s 35.6% 35.6% 0.0% Malawi

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in rural areas, Malawi or Nicaragua?
Malawi, at 35.6% against 35.6% in Nicaragua as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population living in rural areas between Malawi and Nicaragua?
0.0%, with Malawi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Nicaragua?
15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
How do Malawi and Nicaragua rank globally for share of population living in rural areas?
Malawi ranks 71st and Nicaragua ranks 72nd 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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Malawi vs Nicaragua: 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 07 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/malawi/nicaragua/

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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.