South Korea vs Spain: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
South Korea
18.8%
in 2025
Spain
19.5%
in 2025
South Korea rank
165th
Spain rank
164th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- South Korea
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 19.5% against 18.8% in South Korea, a difference of 0.7%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Korea ahead.
South Korea ranks 165th and Spain ranks 164th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 3 and Spain in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 67.9% | 39.3% | 28.6% | South Korea |
| 1970s | 52.5% | 31.3% | 21.2% | South Korea |
| 1980s | 35.7% | 26.8% | 9.0% | South Korea |
| 1990s | 22.5% | 24.5% | 2.0% | Spain |
| 2000s | 19.0% | 22.9% | 3.9% | Spain |
| 2010s | 18.3% | 20.9% | 2.5% | Spain |
| 2020s | 18.8% | 19.9% | 1.1% | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, South Korea or Spain?
- Spain, at 19.5% against 18.8% in South Korea as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between South Korea and Spain?
- 0.7%, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Spain?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do South Korea and Spain rank globally for rural population?
- South Korea ranks 165th and Spain ranks 164th 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.