Mexico vs United States: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Mexico
20.0%
in 2025
United States
19.8%
in 2025
Mexico rank
161st
United States rank
162nd
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Mexico
- United States
How they compare
Mexico currently reports 20.0% against 19.8% in United States, a difference of 0.2%.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Mexico has been ahead every year.
Mexico ranks 161st and United States ranks 162nd of 218 countries.
Mexico has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Mexico | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 45.5% | 28.1% | 17.4% | Mexico |
| 1970s | 37.5% | 26.4% | 11.2% | Mexico |
| 1980s | 31.2% | 25.7% | 5.5% | Mexico |
| 1990s | 26.9% | 23.0% | 3.9% | Mexico |
| 2000s | 23.9% | 20.0% | 3.9% | Mexico |
| 2010s | 22.8% | 19.5% | 3.3% | Mexico |
| 2020s | 20.7% | 19.9% | 0.7% | Mexico |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Mexico or United States?
- Mexico, at 20.0% against 19.8% in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Mexico and United States?
- 0.2%, with Mexico ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Mexico and United States?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Mexico and United States rank globally for rural population?
- Mexico ranks 161st and United States ranks 162nd 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.