Rural population in Pacific island small states
Pacific island small states: Rural population was 59.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Pacific island small states, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Pacific island small states recorded 59.1% for rural population in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Pacific island small states peaked at 80.5% in 1960 and was at its lowest, 59.1%, in 2025.
Pacific island small states ranks 8th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Pacific island small states, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 80.5% | — |
| 1961 | 79.5% | -1.2% |
| 1962 | 78.6% | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 77.7% | -1.1% |
| 1964 | 76.9% | -1.0% |
| 1965 | 76.2% | -0.9% |
| 1966 | 75.6% | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 75.1% | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 74.6% | -0.7% |
| 1969 | 74.1% | -0.6% |
| 1970 | 73.7% | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 73.3% | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 73.0% | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 72.8% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 72.6% | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 72.4% | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 72.1% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 71.9% | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 71.7% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 71.5% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 71.4% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 71.2% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 71.0% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 70.8% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 70.6% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 70.4% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 70.1% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 69.9% | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 69.5% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 69.1% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 68.7% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 68.3% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 67.9% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 67.5% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 67.1% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 66.8% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 66.5% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 66.3% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 66.0% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 65.8% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 65.6% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 65.3% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 65.1% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 64.9% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 64.7% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 64.4% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 64.2% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 63.9% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 63.5% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 63.2% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 62.9% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 62.7% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 62.5% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 62.3% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 62.0% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 61.8% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 61.5% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 61.2% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 61.0% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 60.7% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 60.5% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 60.3% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 60.1% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 59.7% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 59.4% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 59.1% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 76.9% | 74.1% | 80.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 72.5% | 71.5% | 73.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 70.4% | 69.1% | 71.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 67.1% | 65.8% | 68.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.5% | 63.2% | 65.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.9% | 60.7% | 62.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.9% | 59.1% | 60.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pacific island small states
More agriculture & rural data for Pacific island small states
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 8.88 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.11 billion current US$ (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 17.1% (2024)
- Rural population 1.63 million (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2021)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 26.3% (2018)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5912 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6872 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 773.88 current US$ per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Pacific island small states?
- Rural population in Pacific island small states was 59.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Pacific island small states?
- The highest recorded value was 80.5% in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Pacific island small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.1% in 2025.
- How does Pacific island small states rank for rural population?
- Pacific island small states ranks 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Pacific island small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pacific island small states 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.
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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.