World Rural Population 1960-2024

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. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.
  • World rural population for 2022 was 3,426,264,341, a 0.18% decline from 2021.
  • World rural population for 2021 was 3,432,394,282, a 0.09% decline from 2020.
  • World rural population for 2020 was 3,435,440,919, a 0.02% increase from 2019.
  • World rural population for 2019 was 3,434,599,314, a 0.06% increase from 2018.
Data Source: World Bank

MLA Citation:
Similar Country Ranking
Country Name Rural Population
World 3,426,264,341
South Asia 1,231,741,605
East Asia & Pacific 896,968,248
Sub-Saharan Africa 698,021,184
OECD members 255,495,746
Latin America & Caribbean 121,167,417
European Union 109,991,059
Euro Area 76,002,428
North America 63,482,852
World Rural Population - Historical Data
Year Population % of Total Change
2022 3,426,264,341 43.10 -0.18%
2021 3,432,394,282 43.52 -0.09%
2020 3,435,440,919 43.94 0.02%
2019 3,434,599,314 44.37 0.06%
2018 3,432,505,649 44.81 0.10%
2017 3,428,964,723 45.26 0.15%
2016 3,423,918,725 45.71 0.17%
2015 3,418,202,949 46.17 0.19%
2014 3,411,800,805 46.63 0.24%
2013 3,403,661,424 47.09 0.28%
2012 3,394,107,195 47.54 0.31%
2011 3,383,517,854 47.98 0.27%
2010 3,374,263,334 48.42 0.21%
2009 3,367,160,131 48.91 0.22%
2008 3,359,901,534 49.41 0.22%
2007 3,352,495,957 49.92 0.25%
2006 3,343,986,870 50.41 0.26%
2005 3,335,219,778 50.91 0.27%
2004 3,326,266,142 51.42 0.30%
2003 3,316,253,966 51.92 0.34%
2002 3,305,022,769 52.41 0.38%
2001 3,292,632,600 52.90 0.49%
2000 3,276,590,093 53.34 0.64%
1999 3,255,852,737 53.72 0.69%
1998 3,233,586,837 54.09 0.73%
1997 3,210,004,820 54.46 0.78%
1996 3,185,075,930 54.83 0.82%
1995 3,159,036,336 55.18 0.84%
1994 3,132,644,541 55.54 0.88%
1993 3,105,299,927 55.90 0.93%
1992 3,076,592,499 56.26 0.97%
1991 3,046,930,445 56.63 1.03%
1990 3,015,951,177 57.00 1.11%
1989 2,982,906,394 57.36 1.12%
1988 2,950,001,799 57.71 1.13%
1987 2,917,033,575 58.08 1.15%
1986 2,883,887,508 58.45 1.14%
1985 2,851,340,118 58.81 1.13%
1984 2,819,351,212 59.17 1.14%
1983 2,787,635,724 59.52 1.20%
1982 2,754,517,175 59.87 1.17%
1981 2,722,679,659 60.24 1.06%
1980 2,694,239,077 60.67 1.06%
1979 2,665,874,645 61.08 1.10%
1978 2,636,814,591 61.49 1.20%
1977 2,605,496,407 61.82 1.32%
1976 2,571,572,486 62.09 1.37%
1975 2,536,825,022 62.35 1.48%
1974 2,499,872,294 62.58 1.51%
1973 2,462,770,561 62.85 1.61%
1972 2,423,730,946 63.08 1.66%
1971 2,384,038,046 63.29 1.78%
1970 2,342,292,204 63.49 1.79%
1969 2,301,148,668 63.68 1.79%
1968 2,260,742,254 63.88 1.74%
1967 2,222,101,628 64.09 1.72%
1966 2,184,556,338 64.30 1.80%
1965 2,146,012,318 64.50 1.74%
1964 2,109,406,396 64.72 1.50%
1963 2,078,318,202 65.10 1.54%
1962 2,046,772,381 65.48 1.10%
1961 2,024,407,072 65.91 0.61%
1960 2,012,191,086 66.40 %