Rural population — all countries

Rural population — Western Europe

Rural population in Western Europe in 2025 — 35,814,138 people. Since 1960, the indicator has fallen by 28.1%.

2025 35.81M people −0.47% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 49.84M people1960
Period minimum 35.81M people2025

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Rural population — Western Europe, 1960–202535M40M45M50M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 49,837,608 people1962: 49,034,652 people1964: 47,792,004 people1966: 46,371,533 people1968: 45,306,402 people1970: 44,916,755 people1972: 44,628,042 people1974: 44,376,213 people1976: 44,095,282 people1978: 43,958,710 people1980: 43,916,087 people1982: 43,636,402 people1984: 43,200,528 people1986: 42,845,158 people1988: 42,661,927 people1990: 42,715,539 people1992: 42,828,600 people1994: 42,611,132 people1996: 42,079,811 people1998: 41,112,509 people2000: 40,618,440 people2002: 40,056,047 people2004: 39,878,601 people2006: 39,740,981 people2008: 39,815,688 people2010: 39,643,457 people2012: 39,243,654 people2014: 38,971,551 people2016: 38,055,667 people2018: 37,390,445 people2020: 36,671,231 people2022: 36,175,754 people2024: 35,982,967 people2025: 35,814,138 people
Change over the period: −14.02M (−28.14%) Average annual rate: -0.51 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Western Europe 35.81M people
World 3.46B people
Rural population — Western Europe, by year Western Europe All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 35.81M −168,829 −0.47%
2024 35.98M −95,801 −0.27%
2023 36.08M −96,986 −0.27%
2022 36.18M −168,842 −0.46%
2021 36.34M −326,635 −0.89%
2020 36.67M −301,055 −0.81%
2019 36.97M −418,159 −1.12%
2018 37.39M −423,363 −1.12%
2017 37.81M −241,859 −0.64%
2016 38.06M −619,587 −1.6%
2015 38.68M −296,297 −0.76%
2014 38.97M −158,136 −0.4%
2013 39.13M −113,967 −0.29%
2012 39.24M −51,022 −0.13%
2011 39.29M −348,781 −0.88%
2010 39.64M −142,592 −0.36%
2009 39.79M −29,639 −0.07%
2008 39.82M +75,495 +0.19%
2007 39.74M −788 −0%
2006 39.74M −60,196 −0.15%
2005 39.8M −77,424 −0.19%
2004 39.88M −70,839 −0.18%
2003 39.95M −106,607 −0.27%
2002 40.06M −180,015 −0.45%
2001 40.24M −382,378 −0.94%
2000 40.62M −332,243 −0.81%
1999 40.95M −161,826 −0.39%
1998 41.11M −339,003 −0.82%
1997 41.45M −628,299 −1.49%
1996 42.08M −383,762 −0.9%
1995 42.46M −147,559 −0.35%
1994 42.61M −170,199 −0.4%
1993 42.78M −47,269 −0.11%
1992 42.83M +62,394 +0.15%
1991 42.77M +50,667 +0.12%
1990 42.72M +53,633 +0.13%
1989 42.66M −21 −0%
1988 42.66M −69,552 −0.16%
1987 42.73M −113,679 −0.27%
1986 42.85M −163,046 −0.38%
1985 43.01M −192,324 −0.45%
1984 43.2M −233,444 −0.54%
1983 43.43M −202,430 −0.46%
1982 43.64M −195,812 −0.45%
1981 43.83M −83,873 −0.19%
1980 43.92M +3,915 +0.01%
1979 43.91M −46,538 −0.11%
1978 43.96M −50,814 −0.12%
1977 44.01M −85,758 −0.19%
1976 44.1M −140,164 −0.32%
1975 44.24M −140,767 −0.32%
1974 44.38M −157,856 −0.35%
1973 44.53M −93,973 −0.21%
1972 44.63M −72,303 −0.16%
1971 44.7M −216,410 −0.48%
1970 44.92M −193,570 −0.43%
1969 45.11M −196,077 −0.43%
1968 45.31M −427,625 −0.94%
1967 45.73M −637,506 −1.37%
1966 46.37M −685,820 −1.46%
1965 47.06M −734,651 −1.54%
1964 47.79M −713,334 −1.47%
1963 48.51M −529,314 −1.08%
1962 49.03M −417,310 −0.84%
1961 49.45M −385,646 −0.77%
1960 49.84M

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.