Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) in Norway
Norway: Rural population (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) was 16.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
16.4%
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
170th
of 218 countries
All-time high
51.3%
in 1960
All-time low
16.4%
in 2025
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Rural population in Norway, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Norway recorded 16.4% for rural population in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Norway peaked at 51.3% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 16.4%, in 2025.
Norway ranks 170th of 218 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 (% of total population) (Rural World Urbanization) in Norway, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 51.3% | — |
| 1961 | 51.0% | -0.7% |
| 1962 | 49.9% | -2.0% |
| 1963 | 48.4% | -3.2% |
| 1964 | 46.4% | -4.1% |
| 1965 | 44.1% | -4.8% |
| 1966 | 41.8% | -5.3% |
| 1967 | 39.5% | -5.5% |
| 1968 | 37.4% | -5.3% |
| 1969 | 35.6% | -4.7% |
| 1970 | 34.4% | -3.5% |
| 1971 | 33.6% | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 32.9% | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 32.3% | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 31.7% | -1.8% |
| 1975 | 31.1% | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 30.7% | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 30.3% | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 29.9% | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 29.6% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 29.4% | -0.8% |
| 1981 | 29.2% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 29.0% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 28.9% | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 28.8% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 28.7% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 28.6% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 28.5% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 28.4% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 28.3% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 28.1% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 27.8% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 27.4% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 26.8% | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 26.4% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 26.1% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 25.8% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 25.3% | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 24.7% | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 24.2% | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 23.9% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 23.6% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 23.2% | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 22.7% | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 22.4% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 22.2% | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 21.9% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 21.6% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 21.2% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 20.9% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 20.8% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 20.7% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 20.5% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 20.0% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 19.4% | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 18.8% | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 18.3% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 18.0% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 17.8% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 17.5% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 17.3% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 17.1% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 17.0% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 16.9% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 16.7% | -1.5% |
| 2025 | 16.4% | -1.4% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 16.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.7%, 88% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Norway's 16.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.4%, 54% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 44.5% | 35.6% | 51.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 31.6% | 29.6% | 34.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.8% | 28.3% | 29.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.2% | 24.2% | 28.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.4% | 20.9% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.2% | 17.5% | 20.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.4% | 17.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 167 Germany 17.9% compare
- 168 Canada 17.1% compare
- 169 United Kingdom 16.7% compare
- 171 New Zealand 16.0% compare
- 172 Saudi Arabia 15.4% compare
- 173 Peru 14.4% compare
More agriculture & rural data for Norway
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0164 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 1,553 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.7644 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.1643 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 1.6% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 1.6% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.8% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Norway?
- Rural population in Norway was 16.4% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 51.3% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.4% in 2025.
- How does Norway rank for rural population?
- Norway ranks 170th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Norway 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.