Rural population in Greenland
Greenland: Rural population was 11.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Greenland, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Greenland stood at 11.9%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 16.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Greenland peaked at 27.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 2024.
That places Greenland 179th 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 in Greenland, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 27.3% | — |
| 1971 | 26.6% | -2.5% |
| 1972 | 26.3% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 26.1% | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 25.8% | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 25.6% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 25.4% | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 25.0% | -1.3% |
| 1978 | 24.6% | -1.6% |
| 1979 | 24.3% | -1.6% |
| 1980 | 23.9% | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 23.5% | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 23.1% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 22.8% | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 22.4% | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 22.0% | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 21.7% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 21.3% | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 21.0% | -1.6% |
| 1989 | 20.6% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 20.3% | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 20.0% | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 19.7% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 19.5% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 19.3% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 19.1% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 18.9% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 18.8% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 18.6% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 18.5% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 18.4% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 18.2% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 17.9% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 17.7% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 17.4% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 17.1% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 16.8% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 16.5% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 16.2% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 15.9% | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 15.6% | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 15.2% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 14.8% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 14.4% | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 14.2% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 13.9% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 13.7% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 13.4% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 13.2% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 12.9% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 12.7% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 12.5% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 12.3% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 12.1% | -1.7% |
| 2024 | 11.9% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.7% | 24.3% | 27.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.2% | 20.6% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.3% | 18.5% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.2% | 15.9% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.1% | 12.9% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.3% | 11.9% | 12.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
More population data for Greenland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6084 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.75 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6084 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7286 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8929 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.65 (2100)
- Population density 0.0907 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1,776 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.65 (2100)
- Population regions with projections, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Greenland?
- Rural population in Greenland was 11.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 27.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 2024.
- How does Greenland rank for rural population?
- Greenland ranks 179th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Greenland 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