Rural population in Belgium
Belgium: Rural population was 12.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Belgium, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Belgium stood at 12.3%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Belgium peaked at 34.1% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 12.3%, in 2025.
Belgium ranks 176th of 217 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 34.1% | — |
| 1961 | 33.8% | -1.0% |
| 1962 | 33.4% | -1.1% |
| 1963 | 33.0% | -1.3% |
| 1964 | 32.5% | -1.5% |
| 1965 | 32.0% | -1.6% |
| 1966 | 31.4% | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 30.9% | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 30.4% | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 29.8% | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 29.4% | -1.6% |
| 1971 | 28.9% | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 28.5% | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 28.1% | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 27.7% | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 27.3% | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 26.9% | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 26.5% | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 26.1% | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 25.7% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 25.3% | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 24.9% | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 24.5% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 24.1% | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 23.7% | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 23.3% | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 22.9% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 22.6% | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 22.2% | -1.7% |
| 1989 | 21.8% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 21.4% | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 21.1% | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 20.7% | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 20.4% | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 20.0% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 19.7% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 19.3% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 19.0% | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 18.6% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 18.3% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 18.0% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 17.7% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 17.3% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 17.0% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 16.7% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 16.4% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 16.1% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 15.9% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 15.6% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 15.3% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 15.0% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 14.8% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 14.5% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 14.3% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 14.0% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 13.8% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 13.5% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 13.3% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 13.1% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 12.9% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 12.7% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 12.6% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 12.5% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 12.4% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 12.4% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 12.3% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 32.1% | 29.8% | 34.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.5% | 25.7% | 29.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.5% | 21.8% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.9% | 18.3% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.6% | 15.3% | 18.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.9% | 12.9% | 15.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 12.3% | 12.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 173 Switzerland 14.3% compare
- 174 United Arab Emirates 14.0% compare
- 175 Palestine, State of 12.6% compare
- 177 Australia 12.3% compare
- 178 Libya 12.1% compare
- 179 Brazil 11.8% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Belgium
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -0.3325 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0073 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 443.58 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2138 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1233 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 0.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 0.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Belgium?
- Rural population in Belgium was 12.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 34.1% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.3% in 2025.
- How does Belgium rank for rural population?
- Belgium ranks 176th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.