Rural population growth (annual %) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Rural population growth (annual %) was -0.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Latin America & Caribbean, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, rural population growth in Latin America & Caribbean stood at -0.6%. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 14.9% on the previous year and down 870.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 1.4% in 1961 and was at its lowest, -0.6%, in 2025.
That places Latin America & Caribbean 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.4% | — |
| 1962 | 1.3% | -2.8% |
| 1963 | 1.3% | -4.4% |
| 1964 | 1.2% | -5.9% |
| 1965 | 1.1% | -7.7% |
| 1966 | 1.0% | -9.3% |
| 1967 | 0.9% | -10.1% |
| 1968 | 0.8% | -10.1% |
| 1969 | 0.7% | -9.9% |
| 1970 | 0.7% | -10.8% |
| 1971 | 0.5% | -23.0% |
| 1972 | 0.4% | -29.4% |
| 1973 | 0.2% | -42.7% |
| 1974 | 0.1% | -64.5% |
| 1975 | -0.0% | -144.5% |
| 1976 | -0.1% | +208.4% |
| 1977 | -0.1% | +6.5% |
| 1978 | -0.1% | -51.7% |
| 1979 | 0.0% | -166.4% |
| 1980 | 0.2% | +435.2% |
| 1981 | 0.3% | +53.4% |
| 1982 | 0.3% | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 0.3% | +9.9% |
| 1984 | 0.3% | +7.8% |
| 1985 | 0.3% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 0.3% | -14.5% |
| 1987 | 0.3% | -9.6% |
| 1988 | 0.3% | -4.1% |
| 1989 | 0.2% | -9.3% |
| 1990 | 0.2% | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 0.2% | -20.3% |
| 1992 | 0.2% | -6.5% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | +6.5% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -29.4% |
| 1995 | 0.0% | -87.6% |
| 1996 | -0.2% | -1073.1% |
| 1997 | -0.4% | +154.7% |
| 1998 | -0.6% | +45.6% |
| 1999 | -0.6% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | -0.4% | -21.9% |
| 2001 | -0.3% | -31.9% |
| 2002 | -0.2% | -22.6% |
| 2003 | -0.2% | -32.7% |
| 2004 | -0.1% | -60.1% |
| 2005 | 0.0% | -133.5% |
| 2006 | 0.1% | +554.7% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | +11.1% |
| 2008 | 0.2% | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -12.2% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | +6.6% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | -6.7% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -51.4% |
| 2014 | 0.0% | -87.4% |
| 2015 | -0.1% | -863.1% |
| 2016 | -0.1% | +76.7% |
| 2017 | -0.1% | +31.7% |
| 2018 | -0.1% | -28.7% |
| 2019 | -0.2% | +131.3% |
| 2020 | -0.4% | +54.1% |
| 2021 | -0.4% | +19.5% |
| 2022 | -0.4% | -5.5% |
| 2023 | -0.4% | +8.3% |
| 2024 | -0.5% | +16.8% |
| 2025 | -0.6% | +14.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Rural population growth (annual %) in Latin America & Caribbean 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | -1073.1% | 0.0% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | -863.1% | 0.0% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | +554.7% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1980 | +435.2% | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| 1976 | -208.4% | -0.0% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | +166.4% | -0.1% | 0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.2% | -0.1% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -0.1% | -0.6% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | -0.1% | -0.4% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.0% | -0.2% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.5% | -0.6% | -0.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 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
- 43 Malta 1.3% compare
- 44 Burundi 1.3% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.5943 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1849 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.1% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 502.91 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population 123.28 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 6.8% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 754.45 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population 18.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Rural population growth in Latin America & Caribbean was -0.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 1.4% in 1961.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.6% in 2025.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for rural population growth?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 870.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.
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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.