New Zealand vs Norway: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
New Zealand
16.0%
in 2025
Norway
16.4%
in 2025
New Zealand rank
171st
Norway rank
170th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- New Zealand
- Norway
How they compare
Norway currently reports 16.4% against 16.0% in New Zealand, a difference of 0.4%.
Across all 66 years both countries report, Norway has been ahead every year.
New Zealand ranks 171st and Norway ranks 170th of 218 countries.
Norway has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Norway | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 31.7% | 44.5% | 12.9% | Norway |
| 1970s | 17.6% | 31.6% | 14.0% | Norway |
| 1980s | 16.2% | 28.8% | 12.6% | Norway |
| 1990s | 14.7% | 26.2% | 11.5% | Norway |
| 2000s | 14.1% | 22.4% | 8.2% | Norway |
| 2010s | 15.0% | 19.2% | 4.2% | Norway |
| 2020s | 16.1% | 16.9% | 0.8% | Norway |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, New Zealand or Norway?
- Norway, at 16.4% against 16.0% in New Zealand as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between New Zealand and Norway?
- 0.4%, with Norway ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Norway?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do New Zealand and Norway rank globally for rural population?
- New Zealand ranks 171st and Norway ranks 170th 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.