Rural population in Australia
Australia: Rural population was 13.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
13.2%
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
172nd
of 214 countries
All-time high
16.0%
in 1970
All-time low
13.2%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Australia, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Australia recorded 13.2% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Australia peaked at 16.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 2024.
Australia ranks 172nd of 214 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 16.0% | — |
| 1971 | 15.8% | -1.0% |
| 1972 | 15.7% | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 15.5% | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 15.4% | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 15.2% | -1.0% |
| 1976 | 15.1% | -1.0% |
| 1977 | 14.9% | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 14.7% | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 14.6% | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 14.4% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 14.3% | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 14.3% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 14.4% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 14.4% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 14.4% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 14.4% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 14.5% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 14.5% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 14.5% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 14.6% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 14.6% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 14.7% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 14.8% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 15.0% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 15.1% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 15.2% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 15.4% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 15.6% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 15.8% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 15.9% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 15.8% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 15.7% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 15.5% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 15.4% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 15.3% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 15.2% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 15.1% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 14.9% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 14.8% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 14.7% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 14.5% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 14.4% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 14.3% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 14.2% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 14.1% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 14.0% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 13.9% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 13.8% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 13.6% | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 13.5% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 13.4% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 13.2% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 15.3% | 14.6% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.4% | 14.3% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.1% | 14.6% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.5% | 14.9% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 13.9% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.5% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 169 Dominican Republic 15.0% compare
- 170 Saudi Arabia 14.8% compare
- 171 Finland 14.1% compare
- 173 New Zealand 12.9% compare
- 174 American Samoa 12.7% compare
- 175 Andorra 12.3% compare
More population data for Australia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 32,193 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8589 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.2773 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.503 (2100)
- Population density 5.61 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.09 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.503 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.859 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 29,511 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Australia?
- Rural population in Australia was 13.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 16.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 2024.
- How does Australia rank for rural population?
- Australia ranks 172nd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release