Saudi Arabia vs United Arab Emirates: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization)
Saudi Arabia
15.4%
in 2025
United Arab Emirates
14.0%
in 2025
Saudi Arabia rank
172nd
United Arab Emirates rank
175th
Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) over time
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 15.4% against 14.0% in United Arab Emirates, a difference of 1.4%.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.1 times United Arab Emirates's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Saudi Arabia ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 172nd and United Arab Emirates ranks 175th of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 6 and United Arab Emirates in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | United Arab Emirates | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 61.4% | 22.7% | 38.7% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1970s | 42.6% | 17.2% | 25.5% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1980s | 28.0% | 20.2% | 7.8% | Saudi Arabia |
| 1990s | 21.4% | 21.5% | 0.2% | United Arab Emirates |
| 2000s | 19.1% | 18.5% | 0.6% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 17.1% | 15.8% | 1.4% | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 15.8% | 14.4% | 1.4% | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher rural population, Saudi Arabia or United Arab Emirates?
- Saudi Arabia, at 15.4% against 14.0% in United Arab Emirates as of 2025.
- What is the difference in rural population between Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates?
- 1.4%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates rank globally for rural population?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 172nd and United Arab Emirates ranks 175th 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.