Rural population growth in Netherlands
Netherlands: Rural population growth was -6.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Netherlands, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Netherlands recorded -6.6% for rural population growth in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.2% on the previous year and down 64.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Netherlands peaked at 1.3% in 1963 and was at its lowest, -18.4%, in 2019.
Netherlands ranks 205th of 209 countries 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 in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 0.8% | — |
| 1962 | 1.0% | +23.7% |
| 1963 | 1.3% | +25.6% |
| 1964 | 0.0% | -98.8% |
| 1965 | 0.6% | +3715.3% |
| 1966 | 0.9% | +56.8% |
| 1967 | 0.3% | -68.0% |
| 1968 | 0.6% | +101.3% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | +86.8% |
| 1970 | 0.5% | -56.8% |
| 1971 | -0.7% | -249.0% |
| 1972 | 0.3% | -139.1% |
| 1973 | -0.4% | -227.9% |
| 1974 | -1.2% | +223.3% |
| 1975 | 0.4% | -134.1% |
| 1976 | 0.5% | +17.0% |
| 1977 | 0.4% | -19.9% |
| 1978 | 0.5% | +34.6% |
| 1979 | 0.2% | -68.9% |
| 1980 | 0.3% | +78.5% |
| 1981 | -1.5% | -629.8% |
| 1982 | -1.7% | +11.2% |
| 1983 | -1.0% | -39.0% |
| 1984 | -0.9% | -6.9% |
| 1985 | -0.3% | -64.5% |
| 1986 | -0.5% | +60.0% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -106.5% |
| 1988 | -0.2% | -670.0% |
| 1989 | -0.5% | +142.2% |
| 1990 | -0.0% | -97.6% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -764.0% |
| 1992 | 0.4% | +457.1% |
| 1993 | -0.8% | -283.1% |
| 1994 | -1.6% | +101.9% |
| 1995 | -0.5% | -70.2% |
| 1996 | -5.6% | +1098.7% |
| 1997 | -11.5% | +105.2% |
| 1998 | -4.4% | -61.8% |
| 1999 | -0.7% | -84.8% |
| 2000 | -5.7% | +748.3% |
| 2001 | -7.5% | +31.6% |
| 2002 | -2.6% | -65.7% |
| 2003 | -2.1% | -17.0% |
| 2004 | -4.9% | +128.6% |
| 2005 | -7.1% | +45.8% |
| 2006 | -7.1% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | -4.8% | -31.5% |
| 2008 | -1.0% | -78.6% |
| 2009 | -3.8% | +267.9% |
| 2010 | -8.0% | +111.3% |
| 2011 | -4.9% | -39.5% |
| 2012 | -4.1% | -14.8% |
| 2013 | -5.5% | +31.9% |
| 2014 | -5.9% | +9.0% |
| 2015 | -4.0% | -32.6% |
| 2016 | -2.6% | -34.6% |
| 2017 | -5.3% | +103.5% |
| 2018 | -17.7% | +232.2% |
| 2019 | -18.4% | +4.0% |
| 2020 | -5.6% | -69.7% |
| 2021 | -6.2% | +12.0% |
| 2022 | -5.9% | -5.4% |
| 2023 | -6.0% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | -6.4% | +7.1% |
| 2025 | -6.6% | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7% | 0.0% | 1.3% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.0% | -1.2% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.6% | -1.7% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -2.5% | -11.5% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | -4.7% | -7.5% | -1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | -7.6% | -18.4% | -2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | -6.1% | -6.6% | -5.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More agriculture & rural data for Netherlands
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 6.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0168 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,240 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -6.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.0406 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 1.68 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 1.68 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Netherlands?
- Rural population growth in Netherlands was -6.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 1.3% in 1963.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was -18.4% in 2019.
- How does Netherlands rank for rural population growth?
- Netherlands ranks 205th out of 209 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 64.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Netherlands 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.