Canada vs New Zealand: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Canada
17.1%
in 2025
New Zealand
16.0%
in 2025
Canada rank
168th
New Zealand rank
171st
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Canada
- New Zealand
How they compare
Canada currently reports 17.1% against 16.0% in New Zealand, a difference of 1.1%.
That makes Canada's figure about 1.1 times New Zealand's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was New Zealand ahead.
Canada ranks 168th and New Zealand ranks 171st of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 6 and New Zealand in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 27.6% | 31.7% | 4.1% | New Zealand |
| 1970s | 24.2% | 17.6% | 6.6% | Canada |
| 1980s | 23.8% | 16.2% | 7.6% | Canada |
| 1990s | 22.5% | 14.7% | 7.8% | Canada |
| 2000s | 20.2% | 14.1% | 6.1% | Canada |
| 2010s | 18.7% | 15.0% | 3.7% | Canada |
| 2020s | 17.6% | 16.1% | 1.5% | Canada |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Canada or New Zealand?
- Canada, at 17.1% against 16.0% in New Zealand as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Canada and New Zealand?
- 1.1%, with Canada ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and New Zealand?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Canada and New Zealand rank globally for rural population?
- Canada ranks 168th and New Zealand ranks 171st 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.