Rural population — all countries

Rural population — European Union

Rural population in the European Union in 2025 — 111,997,518 people. Since 1960, the indicator has fallen by 24.7%.

2025 112M people −0.38% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 149M people1960
Period minimum 112M people2025

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Rural population — European Union, 1960–2025110M120M130M140M150M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 148,696,814 people1962: 146,961,365 people1964: 144,403,143 people1966: 141,328,517 people1968: 138,873,070 people1970: 136,661,171 people1972: 134,918,936 people1974: 133,401,549 people1976: 132,464,621 people1978: 131,526,057 people1980: 130,193,008 people1982: 129,087,219 people1984: 127,923,244 people1986: 127,063,994 people1988: 126,326,948 people1990: 125,930,069 people1992: 125,536,233 people1994: 125,167,586 people1996: 124,425,471 people1998: 123,239,920 people2000: 122,275,906 people2002: 120,897,412 people2004: 120,571,614 people2006: 119,978,664 people2008: 119,659,422 people2010: 118,880,936 people2012: 117,799,831 people2014: 116,495,633 people2016: 115,219,824 people2018: 114,511,684 people2020: 113,728,747 people2022: 112,847,501 people2024: 112,421,938 people2025: 111,997,518 people
Change over the period: −36.7M (−24.68%) Average annual rate: -0.44 %

Comparison, 2025

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

European Union 112M people
World 3.46B people
Rural population — European Union, by year European Union All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 112M −424,420 −0.38%
2024 112M −276,708 −0.25%
2023 113M −148,855 −0.13%
2022 113M −285,009 −0.25%
2021 113M −596,237 −0.52%
2020 114M −413,751 −0.36%
2019 114M −369,186 −0.32%
2018 115M −407,515 −0.35%
2017 115M −300,625 −0.26%
2016 115M −723,930 −0.62%
2015 116M −551,879 −0.47%
2014 116M −580,493 −0.5%
2013 117M −723,705 −0.61%
2012 118M −427,592 −0.36%
2011 118M −653,513 −0.55%
2010 119M −528,591 −0.44%
2009 119M −249,895 −0.21%
2008 120M −181,775 −0.15%
2007 120M −137,467 −0.11%
2006 120M −298,112 −0.25%
2005 120M −294,838 −0.24%
2004 121M −147,712 −0.12%
2003 121M −178,086 −0.15%
2002 121M −521,877 −0.43%
2001 121M −856,617 −0.7%
2000 122M −655,232 −0.53%
1999 123M −308,782 −0.25%
1998 123M −461,334 −0.37%
1997 124M −724,217 −0.58%
1996 124M −492,772 −0.39%
1995 125M −249,343 −0.2%
1994 125M −232,896 −0.19%
1993 125M −135,751 −0.11%
1992 126M −182,658 −0.15%
1991 126M −211,178 −0.17%
1990 126M −137,454 −0.11%
1989 126M −259,425 −0.21%
1988 126M −332,284 −0.26%
1987 127M −404,762 −0.32%
1986 127M −448,718 −0.35%
1985 128M −410,532 −0.32%
1984 128M −601,994 −0.47%
1983 129M −561,981 −0.44%
1982 129M −561,924 −0.43%
1981 130M −543,865 −0.42%
1980 130M −840,780 −0.64%
1979 131M −492,269 −0.37%
1978 132M −389,479 −0.3%
1977 132M −549,085 −0.41%
1976 132M −578,748 −0.44%
1975 133M −358,180 −0.27%
1974 133M −775,758 −0.58%
1973 134M −741,629 −0.55%
1972 135M −748,456 −0.55%
1971 136M −993,779 −0.73%
1970 137M −1.11M −0.81%
1969 138M −1.1M −0.79%
1968 139M −1.15M −0.82%
1967 140M −1.31M −0.92%
1966 141M −1.49M −1.04%
1965 143M −1.59M −1.1%
1964 144M −1.45M −1%
1963 146M −1.1M −0.75%
1962 147M −923,285 −0.62%
1961 148M −812,164 −0.55%
1960 149M

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.