Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Denmark
Denmark: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 11.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
11.4%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
181st
of 214 countries
All-time high
20.3%
in 1970
All-time low
11.4%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Denmark, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Denmark stood at 11.4%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Denmark peaked at 20.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 11.4%, in 2024.
That places Denmark 181st out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 20.3% | — |
| 1971 | 19.8% | -2.5% |
| 1972 | 19.3% | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 18.8% | -2.5% |
| 1974 | 18.3% | -2.5% |
| 1975 | 17.9% | -2.5% |
| 1976 | 17.4% | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 17.1% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 16.8% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 16.6% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 16.3% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 16.1% | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 16.0% | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 15.9% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 15.8% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 15.6% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 15.5% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 15.4% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 15.3% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 15.2% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 15.2% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 15.1% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 15.1% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 15.1% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 15.0% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 15.0% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 15.0% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 15.0% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 14.9% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 14.9% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 14.9% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 14.8% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 14.8% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 14.6% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 14.4% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 14.1% | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 13.9% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 13.7% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 13.5% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 13.3% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 13.2% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 13.0% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 12.9% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 12.7% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 12.6% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 12.5% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 12.4% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 12.2% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 12.1% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 12.0% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 11.9% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 11.8% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 11.6% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 11.5% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 11.4% | -1.1% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 11.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 16.4%, 70% of the median. (84 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 11.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.5%, 37% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.2% | 16.6% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 15.7% | 15.2% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.0% | 14.9% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.2% | 13.3% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.6% | 12.0% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.6% | 11.4% | 11.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More population data for Denmark
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.61 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1645 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 6,445 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4223 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2287 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.123 (2100)
- Population density 146.58 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 261,283 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Denmark?
- Rural population in Denmark was 11.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.4% in 2024.
- How does Denmark rank for rural population?
- Denmark ranks 181st out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Denmark 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