Rural population growth (annual %) in IBRD only
IBRD only: Rural population growth (annual %) was -0.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in IBRD only, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
IBRD only recorded -0.2% for rural population growth in 2025.
That represents a change of down 45.8% on the previous year and up 63.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in IBRD only peaked at 2.3% in 1962 and was at its lowest, -1.1%, in 2011.
That places IBRD only 35th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 IBRD only, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.9% | — |
| 1962 | 2.3% | +166.2% |
| 1963 | 2.2% | -3.6% |
| 1964 | 1.2% | -44.5% |
| 1965 | 2.0% | +65.0% |
| 1966 | 2.0% | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 1.9% | -4.3% |
| 1968 | 1.9% | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 2.0% | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 2.0% | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 2.0% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 1.8% | -8.3% |
| 1973 | 1.7% | -10.2% |
| 1974 | 1.6% | -3.1% |
| 1975 | 1.4% | -13.6% |
| 1976 | 1.4% | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | -4.6% |
| 1978 | 1.1% | -11.6% |
| 1979 | 0.8% | -30.2% |
| 1980 | 1.1% | +41.6% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | -10.8% |
| 1982 | 1.3% | +26.2% |
| 1983 | 0.9% | -26.8% |
| 1984 | 0.7% | -23.2% |
| 1985 | 1.1% | +51.2% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | +13.5% |
| 1989 | 1.2% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | +15.3% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | -34.5% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | -7.6% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | -7.8% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -7.0% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -71.0% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | -25.4% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | -29.6% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | -35.1% |
| 2000 | -0.1% | -274.5% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | -160.0% |
| 2002 | -0.1% | -226.5% |
| 2003 | -0.2% | +61.6% |
| 2004 | -0.0% | -70.3% |
| 2005 | -0.1% | +67.3% |
| 2006 | -0.2% | +151.5% |
| 2007 | -0.4% | +86.0% |
| 2008 | -0.1% | -63.7% |
| 2009 | -0.3% | +125.8% |
| 2010 | -0.0% | -84.5% |
| 2011 | -1.1% | +2160.7% |
| 2012 | -0.2% | -78.4% |
| 2013 | -0.4% | +73.7% |
| 2014 | -0.4% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | -0.6% | +57.9% |
| 2016 | -0.5% | -18.3% |
| 2017 | -0.4% | -12.4% |
| 2018 | -0.6% | +28.9% |
| 2019 | -0.5% | -11.5% |
| 2020 | -0.3% | -36.1% |
| 2021 | -0.7% | +128.9% |
| 2022 | -0.3% | -56.0% |
| 2023 | -0.2% | -48.4% |
| 2024 | -0.2% | -8.4% |
| 2025 | -0.2% | +45.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rural population growth (annual %) in IBRD only 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | -2160.7% | -0.0% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | -274.5% | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | -226.5% | 0.1% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.8% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.5% | 0.8% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.1% | -0.4% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.5% | -1.1% | -0.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.3% | -0.7% | -0.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near IBRD only
- 32 Kyrgyzstan 1.6% compare
- 33 Mozambique 1.6% compare
- 34 Turkmenistan 1.6% compare
- 35 Guinea 1.6% compare
- 36 Kenya 1.5% compare
- 37 Liechtenstein 1.4% compare
- 38 Solomon Islands 1.4% compare
More agriculture & rural data for IBRD only
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0763 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population 41.4% (2025)
- Rural population 2.07 billion (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 7.6% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 3.29 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.7% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4135 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in IBRD only?
- Rural population growth in IBRD only was -0.2% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in IBRD only?
- The highest recorded value was 2.3% in 1962.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in IBRD only?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.1% in 2011.
- How does IBRD only rank for rural population growth?
- IBRD only ranks 35th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in IBRD only?
- Over the last ten years it is up 63.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this IBRD only 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.