The proportion of rural population is estimated from the most recently available census or official population estimate of each country. If this estimate is only available for some period in the past, the proportion rural is extrapolated to the base year. In the 2018 Revision of the World Urbanization Prospects the base year is 2018.
We do not use our own definition of “rural” population but follow the definition that is used in each country.
Source: UN World Urbanization Prospects