A new analysis of World Bank data shows that several countries around the world remain overwhelmingly rural, with the majority of their populations living outside urban centres.
Papua New Guinea tops the global ranking, with 86.12 per cent of its population living in rural areas.
Liechtenstein follows at 85.29 per cent, while Burundi ranks third at 84.84 per cent.
Other countries in the top 15 include Niger, Samoa, Rwanda, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Ethiopia.
The list also features Tonga, Micronesia, Chad and Swaziland, reflecting the continued dominance of rural settlements in parts of Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
Kenya is ranked 23rd globally, with 69.9 per cent of its population still residing in rural areas.
The figures highlight the continued importance of agriculture, rural livelihoods and small-scale local economies across many developing nations.
According to the report, Africa remains heavily represented among the countries with the highest rural populations, underscoring the continent’s ongoing urbanisation transition and the enduring role of rural communities in national development.
