Rural population in Central Europe and the Baltics
Central Europe and the Baltics: Rural population was 38.02 million in 2025. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Central Europe and the Baltics, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Central Europe and the Baltics stood at 38.02 million. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Central Europe and the Baltics peaked at 50.79 million in 1960 and was at its lowest, 38.02 million, in 2025.
That places Central Europe and the Baltics 43rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Central Europe and the Baltics, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 50.79 million | — |
| 1961 | 50.69 million | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 50.59 million | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 50.52 million | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 50.32 million | -0.4% |
| 1965 | 50.03 million | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 49.84 million | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 49.76 million | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 49.61 million | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 49.31 million | -0.6% |
| 1970 | 48.88 million | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 48.43 million | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 48.02 million | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 47.61 million | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 47.16 million | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 46.95 million | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 46.53 million | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 46.18 million | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 45.95 million | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 45.61 million | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 44.87 million | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 44.49 million | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 44.21 million | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 43.94 million | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 43.66 million | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 43.53 million | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 43.36 million | -0.4% |
| 1987 | 43.18 million | -0.4% |
| 1988 | 43.02 million | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 42.86 million | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 42.75 million | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 42.55 million | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 42.35 million | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 42.30 million | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 42.28 million | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 42.24 million | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 42.19 million | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 42.15 million | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 42.10 million | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 42.05 million | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 41.82 million | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 41.42 million | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 41.09 million | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 40.97 million | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 40.86 million | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 40.65 million | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 40.45 million | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 40.29 million | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 40.03 million | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 39.92 million | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 39.70 million | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 39.58 million | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 39.52 million | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 39.40 million | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 39.28 million | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 39.16 million | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 39.11 million | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 39.02 million | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 38.98 million | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 38.97 million | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 38.83 million | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 38.53 million | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 38.43 million | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 38.37 million | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 38.23 million | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 38.02 million | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 50.15 million | 49.31 million | 50.79 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 47.13 million | 45.61 million | 48.88 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 43.71 million | 42.86 million | 44.87 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.30 million | 42.05 million | 42.75 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.75 million | 39.92 million | 41.82 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.27 million | 38.97 million | 39.70 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.40 million | 38.02 million | 38.83 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Central Europe and the Baltics
More agriculture & rural data for Central Europe and the Baltics
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.1% (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.5316 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3809 units per person (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 67.30 billion current US$ (2025)
- Rural population growth -0.5% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 2.4% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 674.26 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population 38.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- Rural population in Central Europe and the Baltics was 38.02 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- The highest recorded value was 50.79 million in 1960.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.02 million in 2025.
- How does Central Europe and the Baltics rank for rural population?
- Central Europe and the Baltics ranks 43rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Central Europe and the Baltics?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Central Europe and the Baltics 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
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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. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.