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Rural population — all countries

Rural population — Italy

Rural population in Italy in 2025 — 17,862,719 people. Ranked 31 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has fallen by 12.6%.

2025 17.86M people −0.31% vs 2024
World rank 31of 217
Period maximum 20.44M people1960
Period minimum 17.86M people2025

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Rural population — Italy, 1960–202517M18M19M20M21M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 20,436,610 people1962: 20,188,371 people1964: 19,941,161 people1966: 19,679,541 people1968: 19,389,894 people1970: 19,129,100 people1972: 18,981,671 people1974: 18,923,408 people1976: 18,843,197 people1978: 18,758,819 people1980: 18,709,123 people1982: 18,717,415 people1984: 18,746,968 people1986: 18,784,607 people1988: 18,828,530 people1990: 18,882,193 people1992: 18,910,764 people1994: 18,891,933 people1996: 18,832,471 people1998: 18,762,939 people2000: 18,680,867 people2002: 18,637,613 people2004: 18,789,966 people2006: 18,874,102 people2008: 19,002,528 people2010: 19,012,776 people2012: 18,803,216 people2014: 18,349,098 people2016: 18,276,877 people2018: 18,274,526 people2020: 18,117,705 people2022: 18,008,624 people2024: 17,918,820 people2025: 17,862,719 people
Change over the period: −2.57M (−12.59%) Average annual rate: -0.21 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Italy 17.86M people
World 3.46B people
Europe & Central Asia 242M people
Southern Europe computed 42.97M people
High-income countries computed 274M people
Rural population — Italy, by year Italy All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 17.86M −56,101 −0.31%
2024 17.92M −48,861 −0.27%
2023 17.97M −40,943 −0.23%
2022 18.01M −38,081 −0.21%
2021 18.05M −71,000 −0.39%
2020 18.12M −96,678 −0.53%
2019 18.21M −60,143 −0.33%
2018 18.27M −15,313 −0.08%
2017 18.29M +12,962 +0.07%
2016 18.28M −26,900 −0.15%
2015 18.3M −45,321 −0.25%
2014 18.35M −162,105 −0.88%
2013 18.51M −292,013 −1.55%
2012 18.8M −164,361 −0.87%
2011 18.97M −45,199 −0.24%
2010 19.01M −15,535 −0.08%
2009 19.03M +25,783 +0.14%
2008 19M +74,660 +0.39%
2007 18.93M +53,766 +0.28%
2006 18.87M +22,116 +0.12%
2005 18.85M +62,020 +0.33%
2004 18.79M +95,018 +0.51%
2003 18.69M +57,335 +0.31%
2002 18.64M −7,991 −0.04%
2001 18.65M −35,263 −0.19%
2000 18.68M −38,788 −0.21%
1999 18.72M −43,284 −0.23%
1998 18.76M −38,834 −0.21%
1997 18.8M −30,698 −0.16%
1996 18.83M −30,396 −0.16%
1995 18.86M −29,066 −0.15%
1994 18.89M −17,812 −0.09%
1993 18.91M −1,019 −0.01%
1992 18.91M +10,590 +0.06%
1991 18.9M +17,981 +0.1%
1990 18.88M +25,832 +0.14%
1989 18.86M +27,831 +0.15%
1988 18.83M +25,082 +0.13%
1987 18.8M +18,841 +0.1%
1986 18.78M +17,517 +0.09%
1985 18.77M +20,122 +0.11%
1984 18.75M +15,732 +0.08%
1983 18.73M +13,821 +0.07%
1982 18.72M +12,935 +0.07%
1981 18.7M −4,643 −0.02%
1980 18.71M −19,521 −0.1%
1979 18.73M −30,175 −0.16%
1978 18.76M −39,654 −0.21%
1977 18.8M −44,724 −0.24%
1976 18.84M −44,552 −0.24%
1975 18.89M −35,659 −0.19%
1974 18.92M −30,510 −0.16%
1973 18.95M −27,753 −0.15%
1972 18.98M −51,590 −0.27%
1971 19.03M −95,839 −0.5%
1970 19.13M −120,500 −0.63%
1969 19.25M −140,294 −0.72%
1968 19.39M −147,416 −0.75%
1967 19.54M −142,231 −0.72%
1966 19.68M −137,606 −0.69%
1965 19.82M −124,014 −0.62%
1964 19.94M −120,797 −0.6%
1963 20.06M −126,413 −0.63%
1962 20.19M −121,736 −0.6%
1961 20.31M −126,503 −0.62%
1960 20.44M — —

Southern Europe, 2025

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

IT Italy 17.86M ES Spain 9.62M PT Portugal 4.16M RS Serbia 2.45M GR Greece 2.16M HR Croatia 1.64M BA Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.49M AL Albania 966,348 SI Slovenia 937,832 XK Kosovo 773,835 MK North Macedonia 675,721 ME Montenegro 214,303 MT Malta 25,040 AD Andorra 9,161 SM San Marino 959 GI Gibraltar 0 MC Monaco 0
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 Italy

Demography Rural population share

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

Italy by year Demography Urban population

The absolute number of city dwellers by country.

Italy by year Demography Population

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

Italy by year Labor Employment in agriculture

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

Italy by year
All indicators for Italy