China vs Nepal: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
China
33.7%
in 2025
Nepal
33.0%
in 2025
China rank
118th
Nepal rank
120th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- China
- Nepal
How they compare
China currently reports 33.7% against 33.0% in Nepal, a difference of 0.7%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Nepal ahead.
China ranks 118th and Nepal ranks 120th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Nepal in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Nepal | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 82.0% | 96.3% | 14.3% | Nepal |
| 1970s | 82.5% | 92.4% | 9.9% | Nepal |
| 1980s | 77.0% | 82.8% | 5.9% | Nepal |
| 1990s | 70.3% | 76.0% | 5.7% | Nepal |
| 2000s | 57.6% | 55.6% | 2.0% | China |
| 2010s | 43.5% | 35.5% | 8.0% | China |
| 2020s | 34.8% | 33.5% | 1.3% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, China or Nepal?
- China, at 33.7% against 33.0% in Nepal as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between China and Nepal?
- 0.7%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Nepal?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and Nepal rank globally for rural population?
- China ranks 118th and Nepal ranks 120th 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.