Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Bolivia
Bolivia: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 28.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
28.5%
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
129th
of 214 countries
All-time high
60.2%
in 1970
All-time low
28.5%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Bolivia, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Bolivia stood at 28.5%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 10.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Bolivia peaked at 60.2% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 28.5%, in 2024.
That places Bolivia 129th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Bolivia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 60.2% | — |
| 1971 | 59.9% | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 59.6% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 59.3% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 59.0% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 58.7% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 58.4% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 57.6% | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 56.6% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 55.6% | -1.8% |
| 1980 | 54.5% | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 53.5% | -1.8% |
| 1982 | 52.5% | -1.9% |
| 1983 | 51.5% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 50.5% | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 49.5% | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 48.5% | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 47.5% | -2.1% |
| 1988 | 46.4% | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 45.4% | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 44.4% | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 43.4% | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 42.5% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 41.9% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 41.4% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 40.9% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 40.3% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 39.8% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 39.3% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 38.7% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 38.2% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 37.7% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 37.2% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 36.8% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 36.3% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 35.8% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 35.4% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 34.9% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 34.5% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 34.0% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 33.6% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 33.1% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 32.7% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 32.3% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 32.0% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 31.6% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 31.3% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 30.9% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 30.6% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 30.2% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 29.9% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 29.5% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 29.2% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 28.8% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 28.5% | -1.2% |
Bolivia compared with similar countries
- Bolivia's 28.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 53.1%, 54% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bolivia's 28.5% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28.5%, 1.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 58.5% | 55.6% | 60.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.0% | 45.4% | 54.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.3% | 38.7% | 44.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.1% | 34.0% | 38.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.8% | 30.2% | 33.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.2% | 28.5% | 29.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bolivia
More population data for Bolivia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1198 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.45 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1198 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0694 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 16,610 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.29 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5952 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.125 (2100)
- Population density 16.39 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 971,603 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Bolivia?
- Rural population in Bolivia was 28.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Bolivia?
- The highest recorded value was 60.2% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Bolivia?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.5% in 2024.
- How does Bolivia rank for rural population?
- Bolivia ranks 129th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Bolivia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bolivia 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