Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Greece
Greece: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 19.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
19.0%
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
154th
of 214 countries
All-time high
35.8%
in 1970
All-time low
19.0%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Greece, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Greece recorded 19.0% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Greece peaked at 35.8% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 19.0%, in 2024.
That places Greece 154th 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 Greece, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 35.8% | — |
| 1971 | 35.0% | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 34.5% | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 34.0% | -1.4% |
| 1974 | 33.6% | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 33.1% | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 32.6% | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 32.1% | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 31.6% | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 31.1% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 30.7% | -1.5% |
| 1981 | 30.3% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 30.1% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 29.9% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 29.7% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 29.5% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 29.3% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 29.1% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 28.9% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 28.7% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 28.5% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 28.4% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 28.2% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 28.1% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 28.0% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 27.9% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 27.8% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 27.6% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 27.5% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 27.4% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 27.3% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 27.1% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 26.7% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 26.3% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 25.9% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 25.5% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 25.2% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 24.8% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 24.4% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 24.1% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 23.7% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 23.4% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 23.0% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 22.6% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 22.3% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 22.0% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 21.6% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 21.3% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 20.9% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 20.6% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 20.3% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 20.0% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 19.6% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 19.3% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 19.0% | -1.6% |
Greece compared with similar countries
- Greece's 19.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 16.4%, 1.2× the median. (84 countries reporting)
- Greece's 19.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.5%, 62% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 33.3% | 31.1% | 35.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 29.6% | 28.7% | 30.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.9% | 27.4% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.7% | 24.1% | 27.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.1% | 20.6% | 23.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.6% | 19.0% | 20.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Greece
More population data for Greece
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6525 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.38 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6525 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6991 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 9,145 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.4091 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6659 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.658 (2100)
- Population density 48.69 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 223,897 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Greece?
- Rural population in Greece was 19.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Greece?
- The highest recorded value was 35.8% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Greece?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.0% in 2024.
- How does Greece rank for rural population?
- Greece ranks 154th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Greece?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Greece 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