Cambodia vs Laos: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Cambodia
58.9%
in 2025
Laos
59.7%
in 2025
Cambodia rank
48th
Laos rank
46th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Cambodia
- Laos
How they compare
Laos currently reports 59.7% against 58.9% in Cambodia, a difference of 0.8%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Laos ahead.
Cambodia ranks 48th and Laos ranks 46th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Cambodia averaged higher in 3 and Laos in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Cambodia | Laos | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 89.2% | 91.7% | 2.5% | Laos |
| 1970s | 84.8% | 89.1% | 4.3% | Laos |
| 1980s | 86.0% | 86.3% | 0.3% | Laos |
| 1990s | 82.7% | 82.5% | 0.2% | Cambodia |
| 2000s | 80.8% | 73.4% | 7.4% | Cambodia |
| 2010s | 70.4% | 66.9% | 3.5% | Cambodia |
| 2020s | 59.5% | 61.5% | 2.0% | Laos |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Cambodia or Laos?
- Laos, at 59.7% against 58.9% in Cambodia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Cambodia and Laos?
- 0.8%, with Laos ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Cambodia and Laos?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Cambodia and Laos rank globally for rural population?
- Cambodia ranks 48th and Laos ranks 46th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), 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
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.