Rural population growth (annual %) in Central Europe and the Baltics
Central Europe and the Baltics: Rural population growth (annual %) was -0.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Central Europe and the Baltics, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Central Europe and the Baltics recorded -0.5% for rural population growth in 2025.
The figure is down 38.6% on the previous year and down 67.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Central Europe and the Baltics peaked at -0.0% in 1994 and was at its lowest, -1.6%, in 1980.
Central Europe and the Baltics ranks 39th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth (annual %) in Central Europe and the Baltics, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -0.2% | — |
| 1962 | -0.2% | +4.0% |
| 1963 | -0.1% | -25.0% |
| 1964 | -0.4% | +176.3% |
| 1965 | -0.6% | +40.5% |
| 1966 | -0.4% | -33.2% |
| 1967 | -0.2% | -57.4% |
| 1968 | -0.3% | +88.8% |
| 1969 | -0.6% | +102.9% |
| 1970 | -0.9% | +41.5% |
| 1971 | -0.9% | +4.3% |
| 1972 | -0.9% | -5.7% |
| 1973 | -0.9% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | -0.9% | +8.3% |
| 1975 | -0.4% | -52.0% |
| 1976 | -0.9% | +103.2% |
| 1977 | -0.8% | -17.5% |
| 1978 | -0.5% | -34.1% |
| 1979 | -0.7% | +50.8% |
| 1980 | -1.6% | +121.2% |
| 1981 | -0.8% | -49.6% |
| 1982 | -0.6% | -24.1% |
| 1983 | -0.6% | -2.1% |
| 1984 | -0.6% | +4.6% |
| 1985 | -0.3% | -55.9% |
| 1986 | -0.4% | +43.9% |
| 1987 | -0.4% | +2.0% |
| 1988 | -0.4% | -15.6% |
| 1989 | -0.4% | +7.1% |
| 1990 | -0.3% | -31.6% |
| 1991 | -0.5% | +81.3% |
| 1992 | -0.5% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | -0.1% | -75.3% |
| 1994 | -0.0% | -74.0% |
| 1995 | -0.1% | +237.3% |
| 1996 | -0.1% | +11.1% |
| 1997 | -0.1% | -21.9% |
| 1998 | -0.1% | +31.3% |
| 1999 | -0.1% | +7.2% |
| 2000 | -0.6% | +339.9% |
| 2001 | -1.0% | +72.5% |
| 2002 | -0.8% | -17.6% |
| 2003 | -0.3% | -64.5% |
| 2004 | -0.3% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | -0.5% | +82.8% |
| 2006 | -0.5% | -4.7% |
| 2007 | -0.4% | -22.7% |
| 2008 | -0.7% | +70.9% |
| 2009 | -0.3% | -57.5% |
| 2010 | -0.6% | +103.3% |
| 2011 | -0.3% | -47.0% |
| 2012 | -0.1% | -49.7% |
| 2013 | -0.3% | +109.7% |
| 2014 | -0.3% | -9.6% |
| 2015 | -0.3% | +11.9% |
| 2016 | -0.1% | -57.0% |
| 2017 | -0.2% | +62.1% |
| 2018 | -0.1% | -55.3% |
| 2019 | -0.0% | -66.9% |
| 2020 | -0.3% | +946.9% |
| 2021 | -0.8% | +129.3% |
| 2022 | -0.2% | -68.4% |
| 2023 | -0.2% | -36.5% |
| 2024 | -0.4% | +142.9% |
| 2025 | -0.5% | +38.6% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rural population growth (annual %) in Central Europe and the Baltics 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -946.9% | -0.0% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | -0.3% | -0.6% | -0.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | -0.8% | -0.9% | -0.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.6% | -1.6% | -0.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.2% | -0.5% | -0.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.5% | -1.0% | -0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.2% | -0.6% | -0.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.4% | -0.8% | -0.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Central Europe and the Baltics
- 36 Kenya 1.5% compare
- 37 Liechtenstein 1.4% compare
- 38 Solomon Islands 1.4% compare
- 39 Armenia 1.4% compare
- 40 Burkina Faso 1.4% compare
- 41 Egypt 1.4% compare
- 42 Papua New Guinea 1.3% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Central Europe and the Baltics
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.5316 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3809 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 67.30 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population 38.02 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.4% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 674.26 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population 38.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- Rural population growth in Central Europe and the Baltics was -0.5% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- The highest recorded value was -0.0% in 1994.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.6% in 1980.
- How does Central Europe and the Baltics rank for rural population growth?
- Central Europe and the Baltics ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Central Europe and the Baltics 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
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.