Rural population, per square kilometre in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Rural population, per square kilometre was 47.7 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
47.7 units per square kilometre
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
68th
of 215 countries
All-time high
53.4 units per square kilometre
in 1972
All-time low
47.1 units per square kilometre
in 2021
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, rural population, per square kilometre in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 47.7 units per square kilometre.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 53.4 units per square kilometre in 1972 and was at its lowest, 47.1 units per square kilometre, in 2021.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 68th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 47.21 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 48.01 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 48.8 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1964 | 49.57 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 50.33 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 51.03 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 51.69 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 52.27 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 52.74 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 53.11 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 53.37 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 53.4 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 53.17 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 52.73 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 52.18 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1976 | 51.57 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 50.97 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 50.45 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 50.08 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 49.88 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 49.83 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 49.86 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 49.98 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 50.19 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 50.47 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 50.76 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 51.04 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 51.31 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 51.57 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 51.8 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 51.98 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 51.99 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 51.83 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 51.55 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 51.18 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 50.74 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 50.27 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 49.82 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 49.43 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 49.11 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 48.91 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 48.8 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 48.73 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 48.74 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 48.82 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 48.93 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 49.05 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 49.17 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 49.25 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 49.31 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 49.33 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 49.27 units per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 49.16 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 49.05 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 48.9 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 48.75 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 48.45 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 48.09 units per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 47.73 units per square kilometre | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 47.17 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 47.1 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 47.32 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 47.7 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 50.19 units per square kilometre | 47.21 units per square kilometre | 52.74 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 52.1 units per square kilometre | 50.08 units per square kilometre | 53.4 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.49 units per square kilometre | 49.83 units per square kilometre | 51.57 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.06 units per square kilometre | 49.43 units per square kilometre | 51.99 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.95 units per square kilometre | 48.73 units per square kilometre | 49.25 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.8 units per square kilometre | 47.73 units per square kilometre | 49.33 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.32 units per square kilometre | 47.1 units per square kilometre | 47.7 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 65 Cyprus 48.51 units per square kilometre compare
- 66 Belgium 48.09 units per square kilometre compare
- 67 Poland 48.05 units per square kilometre compare
- 69 Afghanistan 47.37 units per square kilometre compare
- 70 Yemen 47.32 units per square kilometre compare
- 71 Slovenia 46.83 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0064 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 368.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1852 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1668 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 0.64 (2025)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 0.64 (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 47.7 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 53.4 units per square kilometre in 1972.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.1 units per square kilometre in 2021.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 68th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.