Least developed countries vs Sri Lanka: Rural population
Least developed countries
63.4%
in 2025
Sri Lanka
79.5%
in 2025
Least developed countries rank
4th
Sri Lanka rank
6th
Rural population over time
- Least developed countries
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 79.5% against 63.4% in Least developed countries, a difference of 16.1%.
That makes Sri Lanka's figure about 1.3 times Least developed countries's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Least developed countries ahead.
Least developed countries ranks 4th and Sri Lanka ranks 6th of 47 groups.
Across the 7 decades both report, Least developed countries averaged higher in 3 and Sri Lanka in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Least developed countries | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 89.4% | 80.3% | 9.1% | Least developed countries |
| 1970s | 85.5% | 77.8% | 7.7% | Least developed countries |
| 1980s | 80.8% | 79.7% | 1.1% | Least developed countries |
| 1990s | 76.7% | 83.8% | 7.1% | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 72.7% | 84.7% | 12.0% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 68.1% | 81.4% | 13.3% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 64.5% | 79.9% | 15.4% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Least developed countries or Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka, at 79.5% against 63.4% in Least developed countries as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Least developed countries and Sri Lanka?
- 16.1%, with Sri Lanka ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Least developed countries and Sri Lanka?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Least developed countries and Sri Lanka rank globally for rural population?
- Least developed countries ranks 4th and Sri Lanka ranks 6th 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.