Rural population growth (annual %) in Canada
Canada: Rural population growth (annual %) was -0.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Canada, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Canada recorded -0.1% for rural population growth in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 104.1% on the previous year and down 114.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Canada peaked at 2.4% in 1971 and was at its lowest, -1.1%, in 1964.
Canada ranks 119th of 210 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth (annual %) in Canada, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -0.1% | — |
| 1962 | -0.7% | +445.8% |
| 1963 | -1.0% | +52.6% |
| 1964 | -1.1% | +11.3% |
| 1965 | -1.1% | -2.3% |
| 1966 | -0.7% | -36.4% |
| 1967 | -0.7% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | -1.0% | +43.2% |
| 1969 | -1.0% | -1.6% |
| 1970 | -0.3% | -71.6% |
| 1971 | 2.4% | -930.3% |
| 1972 | 1.4% | -39.5% |
| 1973 | 1.8% | +26.2% |
| 1974 | 2.1% | +14.5% |
| 1975 | 2.0% | -3.3% |
| 1976 | 1.5% | -24.3% |
| 1977 | 1.1% | -26.2% |
| 1978 | 0.9% | -22.4% |
| 1979 | 0.8% | -7.4% |
| 1980 | 1.1% | +32.0% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | -8.2% |
| 1982 | 0.7% | -26.4% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | -63.5% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | -43.1% |
| 1985 | 0.2% | +58.7% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | +163.2% |
| 1987 | 1.2% | +89.4% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 1.7% | +42.2% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | -18.1% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | -23.8% |
| 1992 | 0.6% | -45.7% |
| 1993 | -0.0% | -105.2% |
| 1994 | -0.3% | +909.5% |
| 1995 | -0.4% | +23.2% |
| 1996 | -0.1% | -71.1% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | -186.4% |
| 1998 | 0.0% | -90.1% |
| 1999 | 0.0% | -32.0% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | +962.7% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | +30.7% |
| 2002 | -0.1% | -258.2% |
| 2003 | -0.5% | +264.1% |
| 2004 | -0.5% | +5.8% |
| 2005 | -0.5% | -14.6% |
| 2006 | -0.2% | -54.9% |
| 2007 | -0.2% | -20.2% |
| 2008 | -0.0% | -70.3% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -353.3% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | +148.6% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | +60.0% |
| 2012 | 0.8% | +67.4% |
| 2013 | 0.9% | +6.6% |
| 2014 | 0.9% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 0.6% | -33.0% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | +45.8% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | -20.7% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -29.5% |
| 2020 | -0.1% | -121.9% |
| 2021 | -0.7% | +628.0% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -222.2% |
| 2023 | 1.8% | +105.4% |
| 2024 | 2.0% | +10.7% |
| 2025 | -0.1% | -104.1% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's -0.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is -0.3%, 28% of the median. (77 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rural population growth (annual %) in Canada 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +962.7% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1971 | +930.3% | -0.3% | 2.4% |
| 1994 | -909.5% | -0.0% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | -628.0% | -0.1% | -0.7% |
| 1962 | -445.8% | -0.1% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | +353.3% | -0.0% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.8% | -1.1% | -0.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.4% | -0.3% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.1% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | -0.4% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.2% | -0.5% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | -0.7% | 2.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More agriculture & rural data for Canada
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 31.61 % change on previous year (2022)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0193 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,092 current US$ per person (2022)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.0803 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1712 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.9% (2022)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.9% (2022)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Canada?
- Rural population growth in Canada was -0.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 2.4% in 1971.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.1% in 1964.
- How does Canada rank for rural population growth?
- Canada ranks 119th out of 210 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 114.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada 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.