Rural population growth (annual %) in Belgium
Belgium: Rural population growth (annual %) was 0.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Rural population growth in Belgium, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 0.2% for rural population growth in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 23.5% on the previous year and up 119.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Belgium peaked at 0.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, -1.6%, in 1984.
Belgium ranks 103rd of 210 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Rural population growth (annual %) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -0.7% | — |
| 1962 | -0.7% | -4.0% |
| 1963 | -0.5% | -23.6% |
| 1964 | -0.5% | -1.7% |
| 1965 | -0.7% | +35.8% |
| 1966 | -1.0% | +47.5% |
| 1967 | -1.2% | +16.6% |
| 1968 | -1.4% | +13.6% |
| 1969 | -1.4% | +4.1% |
| 1970 | -1.5% | +5.0% |
| 1971 | -1.3% | -14.9% |
| 1972 | -1.0% | -18.3% |
| 1973 | -1.1% | +9.6% |
| 1974 | -1.2% | +1.4% |
| 1975 | -1.2% | +3.6% |
| 1976 | -1.3% | +10.5% |
| 1977 | -1.4% | +5.3% |
| 1978 | -1.4% | +3.3% |
| 1979 | -1.5% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | -1.5% | -0.3% |
| 1981 | -1.6% | +8.8% |
| 1982 | -1.6% | +2.5% |
| 1983 | -1.6% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | -1.6% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | -1.6% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | -1.6% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | -1.6% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | -1.4% | -13.9% |
| 1989 | -1.3% | -2.4% |
| 1990 | -1.4% | +5.8% |
| 1991 | -1.3% | -4.4% |
| 1992 | -1.3% | -1.7% |
| 1993 | -1.3% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | -1.4% | +6.9% |
| 1995 | -1.5% | +7.5% |
| 1996 | -1.6% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | -1.5% | -2.5% |
| 1998 | -1.6% | +2.3% |
| 1999 | -1.6% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | -1.6% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | -1.5% | -6.3% |
| 2002 | -1.4% | -7.0% |
| 2003 | -1.4% | +2.3% |
| 2004 | -1.4% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | -1.3% | -8.6% |
| 2006 | -1.1% | -8.9% |
| 2007 | -1.1% | -6.9% |
| 2008 | -1.0% | -5.7% |
| 2009 | -1.0% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | -0.9% | -12.0% |
| 2011 | -0.5% | -46.1% |
| 2012 | -1.1% | +143.8% |
| 2013 | -1.3% | +11.8% |
| 2014 | -1.3% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | -1.1% | -12.1% |
| 2016 | -1.2% | +4.6% |
| 2017 | -1.3% | +8.2% |
| 2018 | -1.2% | -7.6% |
| 2019 | -1.1% | -9.8% |
| 2020 | -1.1% | +7.2% |
| 2021 | -0.6% | -42.7% |
| 2022 | 0.3% | -152.4% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | +3.1% |
| 2024 | 0.2% | -50.7% |
| 2025 | 0.2% | +23.5% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 0.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is -0.3%. (77 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 0.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is -0.4%. (55 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rural population growth (annual %) in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +152.4% | -0.6% | 0.3% |
| 2012 | -143.8% | -0.5% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.9% | -1.4% | -0.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | -1.3% | -1.5% | -1.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | -1.5% | -1.6% | -1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.5% | -1.6% | -1.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | -1.3% | -1.6% | -1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | -1.1% | -1.3% | -0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.1% | -1.1% | 0.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 100 New Caledonia 0.2% compare
- 101 Saint Lucia 0.2% compare
- 102 Angola 0.2% compare
- 104 Bolivia 0.2% compare
- 105 United States 0.2% compare
- 106 French Polynesia 0.1% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Belgium
- Cropland extent over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.3957 % change on previous year (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Cropland extent over the long-term, per capita 0.0755 hectares per person (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.3957 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural area over the long-term, per capita 0.0755 hectares per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -0.3325 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0073 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 443.58 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2138 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Belgium?
- Rural population growth in Belgium was 0.2% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.6% in 1984.
- How does Belgium rank for rural population growth?
- Belgium ranks 103rd out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 119.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.