Rural population in Ecuador
Ecuador: Rural population was 36.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Ecuador, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Ecuador stood at 36.6%. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Ecuador peaked at 65.3% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 36.6%, in 2025.
Ecuador ranks 105th of 217 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 65.3% | — |
| 1961 | 64.7% | -0.9% |
| 1962 | 64.2% | -0.8% |
| 1963 | 63.7% | -0.8% |
| 1964 | 63.2% | -0.8% |
| 1965 | 62.7% | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 62.3% | -0.7% |
| 1967 | 61.9% | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 61.5% | -0.7% |
| 1969 | 61.1% | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 60.7% | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 60.2% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 59.7% | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 59.2% | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 58.6% | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 57.9% | -1.2% |
| 1976 | 57.0% | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 56.1% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 55.1% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 54.1% | -1.9% |
| 1980 | 53.0% | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 52.0% | -1.9% |
| 1982 | 51.1% | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 50.3% | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 49.4% | -1.7% |
| 1985 | 48.6% | -1.7% |
| 1986 | 47.8% | -1.7% |
| 1987 | 47.0% | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 46.3% | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 45.6% | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 44.9% | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 44.3% | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 43.6% | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 43.0% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 42.4% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 41.8% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 41.2% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 40.7% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 40.2% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 39.7% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 39.3% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 39.0% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 38.7% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 38.5% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 38.2% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 38.0% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 37.8% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 37.6% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 37.5% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 37.3% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 37.3% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 37.2% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 37.2% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 37.1% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 37.1% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 37.0% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 37.0% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 37.0% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 37.0% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 36.9% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 36.9% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 36.9% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 36.9% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 36.9% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 36.8% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 36.6% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 63.1% | 61.1% | 65.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 57.9% | 54.1% | 60.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.1% | 45.6% | 53.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.2% | 39.7% | 44.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.2% | 37.3% | 39.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.1% | 36.9% | 37.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.8% | 36.6% | 36.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More agriculture & rural data for Ecuador
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.097 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 691.36 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4287 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3661 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 9.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 9.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 3.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Ecuador?
- Rural population in Ecuador was 36.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 65.3% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.6% in 2025.
- How does Ecuador rank for rural population?
- Ecuador ranks 105th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador 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
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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.