Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Ecuador
Ecuador: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 35.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Ecuador, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Ecuador is 35.0%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Ecuador peaked at 60.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 35.0%, in 2024.
That places Ecuador 108th 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 Ecuador, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 60.7% | — |
| 1971 | 60.2% | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 59.6% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 59.1% | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 58.5% | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 57.6% | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 56.7% | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 55.8% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 54.9% | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 54.0% | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 53.0% | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 52.1% | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 51.2% | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 50.3% | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 49.6% | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 48.8% | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 48.0% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 47.2% | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 46.5% | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 45.7% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 44.9% | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 44.3% | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 43.8% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 43.3% | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 42.7% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 42.2% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 41.7% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 41.2% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 40.7% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 40.2% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 39.7% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 39.2% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 38.9% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 38.7% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 38.5% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 38.3% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 38.1% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 37.9% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 37.7% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 37.5% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 37.3% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 37.1% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 37.0% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 36.9% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 36.7% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 36.6% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 36.5% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 36.3% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 36.2% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 36.0% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 35.8% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 35.6% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 35.4% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 35.2% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 35.0% | -0.7% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 35.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 34.5%, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 35.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28.5%, 1.2× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 57.7% | 54.0% | 60.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.2% | 45.7% | 53.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.5% | 40.2% | 44.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.4% | 37.5% | 39.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.7% | 36.0% | 37.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.4% | 35.0% | 35.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More population data for Ecuador
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5775 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5775 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4058 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 22,270 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.9392 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6473 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.582 (2100)
- Population density 76.87 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 792,284 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Ecuador?
- Rural population in Ecuador was 35.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 60.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.0% in 2024.
- How does Ecuador rank for rural population?
- Ecuador ranks 108th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador 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