Europe & Central Asia vs India: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Europe & Central Asia
25.9%
in 2025
India
64.3%
in 2025
Europe & Central Asia rank
38th
India rank
36th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Europe & Central Asia
- India
How they compare
India currently reports 64.3% against 25.9% in Europe & Central Asia, a difference of 38.4%.
That makes India's figure about 2.5 times Europe & Central Asia's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, India has been ahead every year.
Europe & Central Asia ranks 38th and India ranks 36th of 47 groups.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Europe & Central Asia | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 42.5% | 81.4% | 38.9% | India |
| 1970s | 37.3% | 78.7% | 41.4% | India |
| 1980s | 33.9% | 75.5% | 41.6% | India |
| 1990s | 32.2% | 73.5% | 41.4% | India |
| 2000s | 30.5% | 71.0% | 40.5% | India |
| 2010s | 27.8% | 67.6% | 39.8% | India |
| 2020s | 26.2% | 65.1% | 38.9% | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Europe & Central Asia or India?
- India, at 64.3% against 25.9% in Europe & Central Asia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Europe & Central Asia and India?
- 38.4%, with India ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Europe & Central Asia and India?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Europe & Central Asia and India rank globally for rural population?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 38th and India ranks 36th of 47 groups.
- 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.