Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Canada
Canada: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 18.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
18.0%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
160th
of 214 countries
All-time high
24.5%
in 1976
All-time low
18.0%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Canada, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Canada recorded 18.0% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Canada peaked at 24.5% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 18.0%, in 2024.
Canada ranks 160th of 214 countries on this measure, 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 Canada, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 24.3% | — |
| 1971 | 23.9% | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 24.0% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 24.1% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 24.3% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 24.4% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 24.5% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 24.5% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 24.4% | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 24.4% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 24.3% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 24.3% | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 24.1% | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 24.0% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 23.8% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 23.6% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 23.5% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 23.5% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 23.5% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 23.4% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 23.4% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 23.4% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 23.1% | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 22.8% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 22.6% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 22.3% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 22.0% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 21.7% | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 21.3% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 20.9% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 20.5% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 20.2% | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 20.1% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 20.0% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 20.0% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 19.9% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 19.8% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 19.6% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 19.4% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 19.2% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 19.1% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 18.9% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 18.9% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 18.8% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 18.8% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 18.7% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 18.7% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 18.6% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 18.6% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 18.5% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 18.4% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 18.3% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 18.2% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 18.1% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 18.0% | -0.7% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 18.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 16.4%, 1.1× the median. (84 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 24.3% | 23.9% | 24.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.8% | 23.4% | 24.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.4% | 20.9% | 23.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.9% | 19.2% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.8% | 18.5% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.2% | 18.0% | 18.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More population data for Canada
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2634 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 45,891 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7644 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.3863 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.327 (2100)
- Population density 6.1 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.33 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Canada?
- Rural population in Canada was 18.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5% in 1976.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.0% in 2024.
- How does Canada rank for rural population?
- Canada ranks 160th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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