Rural population in Estonia
Estonia: Rural population was 30.0% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
30.0%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
126th
of 214 countries
All-time high
35.1%
in 1970
All-time low
28.6%
in 1989
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Estonia, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Estonia is 30.0%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Estonia peaked at 35.1% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 28.6%, in 1989.
Estonia ranks 126th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Rural population in Estonia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 35.1% | — |
| 1971 | 34.5% | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 34.0% | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 33.5% | -1.6% |
| 1974 | 32.9% | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 32.4% | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 31.9% | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 31.4% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 30.9% | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 30.5% | -1.2% |
| 1980 | 30.3% | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 30.1% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 29.9% | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 29.7% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 29.4% | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 29.2% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 29.0% | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 28.8% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 28.6% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 28.6% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 28.8% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 29.0% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 29.1% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 29.3% | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 29.5% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 29.7% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 29.9% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 30.1% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 30.3% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 30.5% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 30.6% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 30.8% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 30.9% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 31.0% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 31.1% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 31.3% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 31.4% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 31.5% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 31.6% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 31.8% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 31.9% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 32.0% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 32.0% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 31.9% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 31.7% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 31.6% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 31.4% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 31.3% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 31.1% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 30.9% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 30.8% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 30.6% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 30.4% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 30.2% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 30.0% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.7% | 30.5% | 35.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 29.4% | 28.6% | 30.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 29.6% | 28.8% | 30.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.2% | 30.6% | 31.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.6% | 30.9% | 32.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.4% | 30.0% | 30.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More population data for Estonia
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.5636 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6697 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6551 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3052 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.677 (2100)
- Population density 19.31 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 30,706 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.677 (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.288 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Estonia?
- Rural population in Estonia was 30.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 35.1% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.6% in 1989.
- How does Estonia rank for rural population?
- Estonia ranks 126th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Estonia 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