Rural population in Low & middle income
Low & middle income: Rural population was 3.18 billion in 2025. ▲ Rising
Rural population in Low & middle income, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, rural population in Low & middle income stood at 3.18 billion. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Low & middle income peaked at 3.18 billion in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1.64 billion, in 1960.
Low & middle income ranks 3rd of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Rural population in Low & middle income, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 1.64 billion | — |
| 1961 | 1.66 billion | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 1.70 billion | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 1.74 billion | +2.4% |
| 1964 | 1.76 billion | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 1.80 billion | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 1.84 billion | +2.2% |
| 1967 | 1.88 billion | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 1.92 billion | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 1.97 billion | +2.2% |
| 1970 | 2.01 billion | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 2.05 billion | +2.1% |
| 1972 | 2.09 billion | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 2.13 billion | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 2.17 billion | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 2.21 billion | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 2.24 billion | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 2.28 billion | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 2.31 billion | +1.4% |
| 1979 | 2.34 billion | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 2.37 billion | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 2.40 billion | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 2.44 billion | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 2.47 billion | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 2.50 billion | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 2.53 billion | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 2.56 billion | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 2.60 billion | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 2.64 billion | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 2.68 billion | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 2.72 billion | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 2.75 billion | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 2.79 billion | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 2.82 billion | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 2.86 billion | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 2.89 billion | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 2.91 billion | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 2.93 billion | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 2.95 billion | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 2.96 billion | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 2.98 billion | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 2.99 billion | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 3.01 billion | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 3.02 billion | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 3.03 billion | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 3.04 billion | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 3.05 billion | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 3.06 billion | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 3.07 billion | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 3.08 billion | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 3.10 billion | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 3.09 billion | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 3.10 billion | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 3.10 billion | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 3.11 billion | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 3.11 billion | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 3.11 billion | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 3.12 billion | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 3.12 billion | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 3.13 billion | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 3.14 billion | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 3.14 billion | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 3.15 billion | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 3.16 billion | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 3.17 billion | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 3.18 billion | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.79 billion | 1.64 billion | 1.97 billion | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.18 billion | 2.01 billion | 2.34 billion | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.52 billion | 2.37 billion | 2.68 billion | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.86 billion | 2.72 billion | 2.96 billion | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.03 billion | 2.98 billion | 3.08 billion | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.11 billion | 3.09 billion | 3.13 billion | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.16 billion | 3.14 billion | 3.18 billion | 6 |
Countries ranked near Low & middle income
More agriculture & rural data for Low & middle income
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0909 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population 46.9% (2025)
- Rural population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 3.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 9.1% (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 3.77 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.8% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 1.2% (2024)
- Rural population, per capita 0.4688 units per person (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Low & middle income?
- Rural population in Low & middle income was 3.18 billion in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Low & middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 3.18 billion in 2025.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Low & middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.64 billion in 1960.
- How does Low & middle income rank for rural population?
- Low & middle income ranks 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Low & middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Low & middle income 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.