Rural population, per square kilometre in OECD members
OECD members: Rural population, per square kilometre was 7.44 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
7.44 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.1%
Rank
37th
of 45 groups
All-time high
8.84 units per square kilometre
in 1961
All-time low
7.4 units per square kilometre
in 2016
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in OECD members, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population, per square kilometre in OECD members is 7.44 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in OECD members peaked at 8.84 units per square kilometre in 1961 and was at its lowest, 7.4 units per square kilometre, in 2016.
OECD members ranks 37th of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in OECD members, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 8.84 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 8.84 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 8.83 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 8.82 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 8.79 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 8.76 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 8.73 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1968 | 8.69 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 8.66 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 8.64 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 8.64 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 8.64 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 8.63 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 8.62 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 8.62 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 8.63 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 8.64 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 8.65 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 8.66 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 8.66 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 8.66 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 8.66 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 8.66 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 8.65 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 8.64 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 8.63 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 8.61 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1988 | 8.59 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 8.58 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 8.57 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 8.57 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 8.52 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 8.48 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 8.45 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 8.43 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 8.39 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 8.36 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 8.33 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 8.3 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 8.26 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 8.22 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 8.14 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 8.06 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 7.97 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 7.9 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 7.86 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 7.81 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 7.79 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 7.76 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 7.74 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 7.72 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 7.68 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 7.59 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 7.49 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 7.42 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 7.4 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 7.42 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 7.43 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 7.44 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7.43 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 7.43 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 7.44 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 7.44 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.77 units per square kilometre | 8.66 units per square kilometre | 8.84 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 8.64 units per square kilometre | 8.62 units per square kilometre | 8.66 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.63 units per square kilometre | 8.58 units per square kilometre | 8.66 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.44 units per square kilometre | 8.3 units per square kilometre | 8.57 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.98 units per square kilometre | 7.76 units per square kilometre | 8.26 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.53 units per square kilometre | 7.4 units per square kilometre | 7.74 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.44 units per square kilometre | 7.43 units per square kilometre | 7.44 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 34 Ethiopia 87.74 units per square kilometre compare
- 35 Togo 85.81 units per square kilometre compare
- 36 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 80 units per square kilometre compare
- 37 El Salvador 77.32 units per square kilometre compare
- 38 Malta 75.53 units per square kilometre compare
- 39 Sao Tome and Principe 75.5 units per square kilometre compare
- 40 Guatemala 75.08 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for OECD members
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 977.64 billion current US$ (2024)
- Rural population 262.00 million (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.3% (2025)
- Rural population 18.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.3% (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1868 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0143 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 699.9 current US$ per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in OECD members?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in OECD members was 7.44 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 8.84 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4 units per square kilometre in 2016.
- How does OECD members rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- OECD members ranks 37th out of 45 groups with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.