Rural population growth in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Rural population growth was 1.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Rural population growth in Timor-Leste, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, rural population growth in Timor-Leste stood at 1.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and down 45.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population growth in Timor-Leste peaked at 8.2% in 2001 and was at its lowest, -12.6%, in 1999.
Timor-Leste ranks 51st of 209 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Rural population growth in Timor-Leste, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.5% | — |
| 1962 | 1.5% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 1.5% | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 1.5% | -0.7% |
| 1965 | 1.4% | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 1.4% | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 1.4% | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 1.4% | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 1.4% | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 1.4% | -1.4% |
| 1971 | 1.3% | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 1.3% | -3.0% |
| 1973 | 1.2% | -5.5% |
| 1974 | 0.9% | -30.5% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | -16.9% |
| 1976 | 1.0% | +45.1% |
| 1977 | 1.2% | +15.7% |
| 1978 | 1.1% | -6.6% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | -10.4% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | +15.7% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | -9.7% |
| 1982 | 0.7% | -30.5% |
| 1983 | 0.7% | -3.8% |
| 1984 | 0.8% | +9.4% |
| 1985 | 0.9% | +14.4% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | +9.4% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | +10.6% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | +12.2% |
| 1989 | 1.4% | +20.5% |
| 1990 | 1.6% | +12.1% |
| 1991 | 1.9% | +18.7% |
| 1992 | 2.3% | +18.8% |
| 1993 | 2.3% | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 2.4% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 2.4% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 2.3% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | -12.6% | -639.9% |
| 2000 | -11.8% | -6.1% |
| 2001 | 8.2% | -169.2% |
| 2002 | 7.4% | -9.2% |
| 2003 | 3.7% | -50.7% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | -80.1% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | +69.3% |
| 2006 | 1.8% | +48.8% |
| 2007 | 1.6% | -10.3% |
| 2008 | 1.6% | -3.9% |
| 2009 | 1.7% | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | +23.4% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | +12.4% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | -4.7% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 2.1% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -16.6% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | -36.7% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 1.1% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7% | -12.6% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | -11.8% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.1% | 2.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Timor-Leste
More agriculture & rural data for Timor-Leste
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 20.16 (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.2% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.8% (2023)
- Rural population 71.2% (2025)
- Rural population 1.01 million (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 376.12 million current US$ (2024)
- Agriculture share gdp 20.16 (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.7121 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 268.53 current US$ per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population growth in Timor-Leste?
- Rural population growth in Timor-Leste was 1.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2% in 2001.
- What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was -12.6% in 1999.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for rural population growth?
- Timor-Leste ranks 51st out of 209 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population growth rising or falling in Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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.