Rural population in Arab World
Arab World: Rural population was 201.16 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Rural population in Arab World, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
Arab World recorded 201.16 million for rural population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Arab World peaked at 201.16 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 63.21 million, in 1960.
Arab World ranks 34th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Arab World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 63.21 million | — |
| 1961 | 64.16 million | +1.5% |
| 1962 | 65.08 million | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 66.04 million | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 67.04 million | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 68.10 million | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 69.29 million | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 70.56 million | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 71.86 million | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 73.18 million | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 74.51 million | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 75.86 million | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 77.22 million | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 78.74 million | +2.0% |
| 1974 | 80.35 million | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 82.09 million | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 84.00 million | +2.3% |
| 1977 | 85.91 million | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 88.00 million | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 90.35 million | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 92.67 million | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 94.69 million | +2.2% |
| 1982 | 96.67 million | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 98.77 million | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 100.77 million | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 102.70 million | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 104.62 million | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 106.53 million | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 108.30 million | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 110.03 million | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 112.62 million | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 114.43 million | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 116.35 million | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 118.90 million | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 121.56 million | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 124.10 million | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 126.52 million | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 128.89 million | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 131.35 million | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 133.81 million | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 136.28 million | +1.8% |
| 2001 | 138.75 million | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 141.20 million | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 143.59 million | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 145.99 million | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 148.47 million | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 151.01 million | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 153.69 million | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 156.42 million | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 159.09 million | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 161.45 million | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 163.51 million | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 164.75 million | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 165.86 million | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 167.99 million | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 170.84 million | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 173.96 million | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 176.98 million | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 179.70 million | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 182.62 million | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 185.62 million | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 188.35 million | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 191.68 million | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 194.92 million | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 197.93 million | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 201.16 million | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 67.85 million | 63.21 million | 73.18 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 81.70 million | 74.51 million | 90.35 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 101.58 million | 92.67 million | 110.03 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 122.85 million | 112.62 million | 133.81 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 147.45 million | 136.28 million | 159.09 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 170.77 million | 161.45 million | 182.62 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 193.28 million | 185.62 million | 201.16 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
More agriculture & rural data for Arab World
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 12.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 225.78 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 5.9% (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.6% (2025)
- Rural population 40.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.7% (2023)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.1% (2023)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3996 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 448.55 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Arab World?
- Rural population in Arab World was 201.16 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 201.16 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.21 million in 1960.
- How does Arab World rank for rural population?
- Arab World ranks 34th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Arab World data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural 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. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.