Rural population in Finland
Finland: Rural population was 14.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
14.1%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
171st
of 214 countries
All-time high
36.3%
in 1970
All-time low
14.1%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Finland, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Finland recorded 14.1% 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 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Finland peaked at 36.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 14.1%, in 2024.
Finland ranks 171st of 214 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Finland, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 36.3% | — |
| 1971 | 35.5% | -2.3% |
| 1972 | 34.6% | -2.4% |
| 1973 | 33.8% | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 33.0% | -2.4% |
| 1975 | 32.2% | -2.5% |
| 1976 | 31.4% | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 30.6% | -2.5% |
| 1978 | 29.8% | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 29.0% | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 28.3% | -2.6% |
| 1981 | 27.5% | -2.8% |
| 1982 | 26.6% | -3.1% |
| 1983 | 25.8% | -3.1% |
| 1984 | 25.0% | -3.2% |
| 1985 | 24.2% | -3.2% |
| 1986 | 23.4% | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 22.7% | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 22.0% | -3.1% |
| 1989 | 21.3% | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 20.6% | -3.2% |
| 1991 | 20.2% | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 19.9% | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 19.6% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 19.3% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 19.0% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 18.8% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 18.5% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 18.3% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 18.1% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 17.8% | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 17.6% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 17.5% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 17.4% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 17.2% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 17.1% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 17.0% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 16.8% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 16.7% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 16.6% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 16.2% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 15.7% | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 15.2% | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 14.9% | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 14.8% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 14.8% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 14.7% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 14.7% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 14.6% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 14.6% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 14.5% | -0.5% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 14.3% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 14.2% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 14.1% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.6% | 29.0% | 36.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 24.7% | 21.3% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.2% | 18.1% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.2% | 16.6% | 17.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.0% | 14.6% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.3% | 14.1% | 14.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Finland
- 168 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 15.1% compare
- 169 Dominican Republic 15.0% compare
- 170 Saudi Arabia 14.8% compare
- 172 Australia 13.2% compare
- 173 New Zealand 12.9% compare
- 174 American Samoa 12.7% compare
More population data for Finland
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.3888 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.3569 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1705 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,461 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.0156 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0727 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.367 (2100)
- Population density 15.14 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 178,591 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.367 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Finland?
- Rural population in Finland was 14.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 36.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.1% in 2024.
- How does Finland rank for rural population?
- Finland ranks 171st out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Finland 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