Rural population share — all countries

Rural population share — Papua New Guinea

Rural population share in Papua New Guinea in 2025 — 84.2%. Ranked 2 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has fallen by 12.3 pp.

2025 84.2% −0.4 pp vs 2024
World rank 2of 217
Period maximum 96.5%1960
Period minimum 84.2%2025

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Rural population share — Papua New Guinea, 1960–20258085909510019601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 96.5%1962: 95.8%1964: 95%1966: 94.1%1968: 92.2%1970: 89.8%1972: 88.3%1974: 87.3%1976: 86.9%1978: 86.9%1980: 86.9%1982: 86.7%1984: 86.2%1986: 85.5%1988: 84.9%1990: 84.6%1992: 84.8%1994: 85.3%1996: 86%1998: 86.5%2000: 86.8%2002: 86.8%2004: 86.9%2006: 87%2008: 87%2010: 87%2012: 87%2014: 86.9%2016: 86.6%2018: 86.3%2020: 85.8%2022: 85.3%2024: 84.6%2025: 84.2%
Change over the period: −12.3 pp Annual average: -0.19 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea 84.2%
World 42.2%
Melanesia computed 78.8%
Rural population share — Papua New Guinea, by year Papua New Guinea All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 84.2 −0.4 pp
2024 84.6 −0.3 pp
2023 84.9 −0.3 pp
2022 85.3 −0.3 pp
2021 85.6 −0.3 pp
2020 85.8 −0.2 pp
2019 86.1 −0.2 pp
2018 86.3 −0.2 pp
2017 86.5 −0.2 pp
2016 86.6 −0.1 pp
2015 86.8 −0.1 pp
2014 86.9 −0.1 pp
2013 86.9 −0 pp
2012 87 −0 pp
2011 87 +0 pp
2010 87 +0 pp
2009 87 +0 pp
2008 87 +0 pp
2007 87 +0 pp
2006 87 +0 pp
2005 86.9 +0 pp
2004 86.9 +0 pp
2003 86.9 +0 pp
2002 86.8 +0 pp
2001 86.8 +0 pp
2000 86.8 +0.1 pp
1999 86.7 +0.2 pp
1998 86.5 +0.2 pp
1997 86.3 +0.3 pp
1996 86 +0.3 pp
1995 85.6 +0.3 pp
1994 85.3 +0.3 pp
1993 85.1 +0.2 pp
1992 84.8 +0.2 pp
1991 84.7 +0.1 pp
1990 84.6 −0.1 pp
1989 84.7 −0.2 pp
1988 84.9 −0.3 pp
1987 85.2 −0.3 pp
1986 85.5 −0.4 pp
1985 85.8 −0.3 pp
1984 86.2 −0.3 pp
1983 86.5 −0.3 pp
1982 86.7 −0.2 pp
1981 86.9 −0 pp
1980 86.9 +0 pp
1979 86.9 +0 pp
1978 86.9 +0 pp
1977 86.9 +0 pp
1976 86.9 −0.1 pp
1975 87 −0.3 pp
1974 87.3 −0.5 pp
1973 87.8 −0.6 pp
1972 88.3 −0.6 pp
1971 88.9 −0.8 pp
1970 89.8 −1.2 pp
1969 90.9 −1.3 pp
1968 92.2 −1.1 pp
1967 93.4 −0.8 pp
1966 94.1 −0.5 pp
1965 94.6 −0.4 pp
1964 95 −0.4 pp
1963 95.4 −0.4 pp
1962 95.8 −0.4 pp
1961 96.2 −0.3 pp
1960 96.5

Melanesia, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The share of population living outside urban settlements, as a percent of the total. It is computed as the difference between total and urban population, and therefore inherits every particularity of national definitions of urban areas.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.