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Rural population — all countries

Rural population — Belgium

Rural population in Belgium in 2025 — 1,472,110 people. Ranked 116 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has fallen by 52.9%.

2025 1.47M people +0.21% vs 2024
World rank 116of 217
Period maximum 3.12M people1960
Period minimum 1.46M people2021

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Rural population — Belgium, 1960–20251M1.5M2M2.5M3M3.5M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 3,124,265 people1962: 3,080,609 people1964: 3,048,621 people1966: 2,996,050 people1968: 2,919,687 people1970: 2,835,415 people1972: 2,770,438 people1974: 2,707,442 people1976: 2,639,931 people1978: 2,566,045 people1980: 2,492,276 people1982: 2,413,615 people1984: 2,336,544 people1986: 2,262,351 people1988: 2,196,740 people1990: 2,137,462 people1992: 2,081,211 people1994: 2,023,982 people1996: 1,961,807 people1998: 1,901,901 people2000: 1,843,661 people2002: 1,792,638 people2004: 1,743,923 people2006: 1,702,663 people2008: 1,667,860 people2010: 1,637,396 people2012: 1,611,445 people2014: 1,570,968 people2016: 1,535,319 people2018: 1,498,276 people2020: 1,465,807 people2022: 1,461,288 people2024: 1,468,967 people2025: 1,472,110 people
Change over the period: −1.65M (−52.88%) Average annual rate: -1.15 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Belgium

Belgium 1.47M people
World 3.46B people
Europe & Central Asia 242M people
Western Europe computed 35.81M people
High-income countries computed 274M people
Rural population — Belgium, by year Belgium All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 1.47M +3,143 +0.21%
2024 1.47M +2,540 +0.17%
2023 1.47M +5,139 +0.35%
2022 1.46M +4,968 +0.34%
2021 1.46M −9,487 −0.65%
2020 1.47M −16,712 −1.13%
2019 1.48M −15,757 −1.05%
2018 1.5M −17,672 −1.17%
2017 1.52M −19,371 −1.26%
2016 1.54M −18,120 −1.17%
2015 1.55M −17,529 −1.12%
2014 1.57M −20,191 −1.27%
2013 1.59M −20,286 −1.26%
2012 1.61M −18,359 −1.13%
2011 1.63M −7,592 −0.46%
2010 1.64M −14,189 −0.86%
2009 1.65M −16,275 −0.98%
2008 1.67M −16,799 −1%
2007 1.68M −18,004 −1.06%
2006 1.7M −19,545 −1.13%
2005 1.72M −21,715 −1.25%
2004 1.74M −24,071 −1.36%
2003 1.77M −24,644 −1.37%
2002 1.79M −24,414 −1.34%
2001 1.82M −26,609 −1.44%
2000 1.84M −28,818 −1.54%
1999 1.87M −29,422 −1.55%
1998 1.9M −30,065 −1.56%
1997 1.93M −29,841 −1.52%
1996 1.96M −31,073 −1.56%
1995 1.99M −31,102 −1.54%
1994 2.02M −29,365 −1.43%
1993 2.05M −27,864 −1.34%
1992 2.08M −27,697 −1.31%
1991 2.11M −28,554 −1.34%
1990 2.14M −30,274 −1.4%
1989 2.17M −29,004 −1.32%
1988 2.2M −30,118 −1.35%
1987 2.23M −35,493 −1.57%
1986 2.26M −36,889 −1.6%
1985 2.3M −37,304 −1.6%
1984 2.34M −38,317 −1.61%
1983 2.37M −38,754 −1.61%
1982 2.41M −39,498 −1.61%
1981 2.45M −39,163 −1.57%
1980 2.49M −36,551 −1.45%
1979 2.53M −37,218 −1.45%
1978 2.57M −37,276 −1.43%
1977 2.6M −36,610 −1.39%
1976 2.64M −35,228 −1.32%
1975 2.68M −32,283 −1.19%
1974 2.71M −31,536 −1.15%
1973 2.74M −31,460 −1.14%
1972 2.77M −29,031 −1.04%
1971 2.8M −35,946 −1.27%
1970 2.84M −42,846 −1.49%
1969 2.88M −41,426 −1.42%
1968 2.92M −40,368 −1.36%
1967 2.96M −35,995 −1.2%
1966 3M −31,224 −1.03%
1965 3.03M −21,347 −0.7%
1964 3.05M −15,817 −0.52%
1963 3.06M −16,171 −0.52%
1962 3.08M −21,304 −0.69%
1961 3.1M −22,352 −0.72%
1960 3.12M — —

Western Europe, 2025

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

DE Germany 14.91M FR France 14.54M AT Austria 2.79M BE Belgium 1.47M CH Switzerland 1.3M NL Netherlands 734,613 LU Luxembourg 35,144 LI Liechtenstein 35,022
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

The population living outside urban settlements. In the catalog this quantity was present only as a share, while the absolute number shows what the share does not: the world's rural population stopped growing only in the 2020s and still exceeds three billion people, even though the share has been falling for half a century. Each country defines a city itself, so cross-country comparisons of this series call for caution.

Important: It is computed as the difference between total and urban population, and the criterion for a city is national: in some places it is a settlement of two thousand residents, in others twenty thousand. Comparing the trend within a country is more reliable than comparing countries with each other.

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

Other indicators for Belgium

Demography Rural population share

The part of residents living outside cities — the other side of urbanization.

Belgium by year Demography Urban population

The absolute number of city dwellers by country.

Belgium by year Demography Population

Resident population of every country as of mid-year — series from 1960 onward.

Belgium by year Labor Employment in agriculture

The share of workers employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing.

Belgium by year
All indicators for Belgium