Rural population — all countries

Rural population — Northern Europe

Rural population in Northern Europe in 2025 — 19,806,906 people. Since 1960, the indicator has fallen by 14.3%.

2025 19.81M people −0.31% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 23.29M people1964
Period minimum 19.68M people2021

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Rural population — Northern Europe, 1960–202519M20M21M22M23M24M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 23,119,532 people1962: 23,247,268 people1964: 23,288,507 people1966: 23,261,969 people1968: 23,167,821 people1970: 23,019,766 people1972: 22,909,244 people1974: 22,570,010 people1976: 22,144,700 people1978: 21,764,482 people1980: 21,529,709 people1982: 21,468,029 people1984: 21,517,838 people1986: 21,620,852 people1988: 21,730,604 people1990: 21,865,845 people1992: 21,914,407 people1994: 21,745,593 people1996: 21,505,672 people1998: 21,213,297 people2000: 20,992,184 people2002: 20,860,907 people2004: 20,791,258 people2006: 20,788,891 people2008: 20,821,568 people2010: 20,765,422 people2012: 20,649,666 people2014: 20,451,625 people2016: 20,275,984 people2018: 20,036,175 people2020: 19,740,928 people2022: 19,729,708 people2024: 19,868,222 people2025: 19,806,906 people
Change over the period: −3.31M (−14.33%) Average annual rate: -0.24 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Northern Europe 19.81M people
World 3.46B people
Rural population — Northern Europe, by year Northern Europe All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 19.81M −61,316 −0.31%
2024 19.87M +42,403 +0.21%
2023 19.83M +96,111 +0.49%
2022 19.73M +54,558 +0.28%
2021 19.68M −65,778 −0.33%
2020 19.74M −171,490 −0.86%
2019 19.91M −123,757 −0.62%
2018 20.04M −122,830 −0.61%
2017 20.16M −116,979 −0.58%
2016 20.28M −78,022 −0.38%
2015 20.35M −97,619 −0.48%
2014 20.45M −95,617 −0.47%
2013 20.55M −102,424 −0.5%
2012 20.65M −61,481 −0.3%
2011 20.71M −54,275 −0.26%
2010 20.77M −35,487 −0.17%
2009 20.8M −20,659 −0.1%
2008 20.82M +8,476 +0.04%
2007 20.81M +24,201 +0.12%
2006 20.79M +8,684 +0.04%
2005 20.78M −11,051 −0.05%
2004 20.79M −27,314 −0.13%
2003 20.82M −42,335 −0.2%
2002 20.86M −55,645 −0.27%
2001 20.92M −75,632 −0.36%
2000 20.99M −96,144 −0.46%
1999 21.09M −124,969 −0.59%
1998 21.21M −147,188 −0.69%
1997 21.36M −145,187 −0.68%
1996 21.51M −128,236 −0.59%
1995 21.63M −111,685 −0.51%
1994 21.75M −97,805 −0.45%
1993 21.84M −71,009 −0.32%
1992 21.91M −7,783 −0.04%
1991 21.92M +56,345 +0.26%
1990 21.87M +71,578 +0.33%
1989 21.79M +63,663 +0.29%
1988 21.73M +53,299 +0.25%
1987 21.68M +56,453 +0.26%
1986 21.62M +54,420 +0.25%
1985 21.57M +48,594 +0.23%
1984 21.52M +38,514 +0.18%
1983 21.48M +11,295 +0.05%
1982 21.47M −16,525 −0.08%
1981 21.48M −45,155 −0.21%
1980 21.53M −94,935 −0.44%
1979 21.62M −139,838 −0.64%
1978 21.76M −177,822 −0.81%
1977 21.94M −202,396 −0.91%
1976 22.14M −214,312 −0.96%
1975 22.36M −210,998 −0.93%
1974 22.57M −191,091 −0.84%
1973 22.76M −148,143 −0.65%
1972 22.91M −87,159 −0.38%
1971 23M −23,363 −0.1%
1970 23.02M −64,143 −0.28%
1969 23.08M −83,912 −0.36%
1968 23.17M −58,410 −0.25%
1967 23.23M −35,738 −0.15%
1966 23.26M −22,289 −0.1%
1965 23.28M −4,249 −0.02%
1964 23.29M +7,979 +0.03%
1963 23.28M +33,260 +0.14%
1962 23.25M +57,083 +0.25%
1961 23.19M +70,653 +0.31%
1960 23.12M

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.