IDA only vs Malawi: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
IDA only
63.1%
in 2025
Malawi
82.4%
in 2025
IDA only rank
5th
Malawi rank
4th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- IDA only
- Malawi
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 82.4% against 63.1% in IDA only, a difference of 19.3%.
That makes Malawi's figure about 1.3 times IDA only's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Malawi has been ahead every year.
IDA only ranks 5th and Malawi ranks 4th of 47 groups.
Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | IDA only | Malawi | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 87.3% | 95.4% | 8.1% | Malawi |
| 1970s | 83.5% | 92.5% | 9.1% | Malawi |
| 1980s | 79.2% | 89.9% | 10.7% | Malawi |
| 1990s | 75.7% | 86.7% | 11.0% | Malawi |
| 2000s | 72.0% | 84.9% | 12.9% | Malawi |
| 2010s | 67.5% | 84.2% | 16.7% | Malawi |
| 2020s | 64.2% | 83.1% | 18.9% | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, IDA only or Malawi?
- Malawi, at 82.4% against 63.1% in IDA only as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between IDA only and Malawi?
- 19.3%, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for IDA only and Malawi?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do IDA only and Malawi rank globally for rural population?
- IDA only ranks 5th and Malawi ranks 4th 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.