Denmark vs Sweden: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Denmark
11.2%
in 2025
Sweden
10.9%
in 2025
Denmark rank
182nd
Sweden rank
184th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Denmark
- Sweden
How they compare
Denmark currently reports 11.2% against 10.9% in Sweden, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Sweden ahead.
Denmark ranks 182nd and Sweden ranks 184th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 3 and Sweden in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Denmark | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 23.4% | 23.4% | 0.0% | Denmark |
| 1970s | 18.2% | 17.6% | 0.6% | Denmark |
| 1980s | 15.6% | 16.9% | 1.3% | Sweden |
| 1990s | 15.0% | 16.2% | 1.2% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 14.1% | 15.6% | 1.5% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 12.4% | 13.6% | 1.2% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 0.0% | Denmark |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Denmark or Sweden?
- Denmark, at 11.2% against 10.9% in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Denmark and Sweden?
- 0.3%, with Denmark ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Sweden?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Denmark and Sweden rank globally for rural population?
- Denmark ranks 182nd and Sweden ranks 184th 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.