Costa Rica vs Palau: Rural population

Costa Rica
20.3%
in 2025
Palau
20.7%
in 2025
Costa Rica rank
160th
Palau rank
157th

Rural population over time

  • Costa Rica
  • Palau
203040506070196019922025

How they compare

Palau currently reports 20.7% against 20.3% in Costa Rica, a difference of 0.4%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Costa Rica ahead.

Costa Rica ranks 160th and Palau ranks 157th of 218 countries.

Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Costa Rica Palau Difference Ahead
1960s 64.5% 48.8% 15.8% Costa Rica
1970s 59.0% 39.3% 19.6% Costa Rica
1980s 55.1% 33.5% 21.6% Costa Rica
1990s 46.9% 29.5% 17.4% Costa Rica
2000s 35.6% 24.2% 11.4% Costa Rica
2010s 25.4% 19.6% 5.7% Costa Rica
2020s 21.4% 20.8% 0.5% Costa Rica

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher rural population, Costa Rica or Palau?
Palau, at 20.7% against 20.3% in Costa Rica as of 2025.
What is the difference in rural population between Costa Rica and Palau?
0.4%, with Palau ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Palau?
66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
How do Costa Rica and Palau rank globally for rural population?
Costa Rica ranks 160th and Palau ranks 157th 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.

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Costa Rica vs Palau: Rural population. Statizoid, drawing on World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/compare/rural-population-percent-of-total-population/costa-rica/palau/

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About this data

Indicator
Rural population (% of total population)
Unit
% of total population
Source
World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
266 places, 17,556 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.