Rural population in India
India: Rural population was 63.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
63.1%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
35th
of 214 countries
All-time high
80.2%
in 1970
All-time low
63.1%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in India, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
India recorded 63.1% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in India peaked at 80.2% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 63.1%, in 2024.
That places India 35th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in India, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 80.2% | — |
| 1971 | 80.0% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 79.7% | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 79.3% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 79.0% | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 78.7% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 78.3% | -0.4% |
| 1977 | 78.0% | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 77.6% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 77.3% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 76.9% | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 76.6% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 76.4% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 76.1% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 75.9% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 75.7% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 75.4% | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 75.2% | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 74.9% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 74.7% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 74.5% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 74.2% | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 74.0% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 73.8% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 73.6% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 73.4% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 73.2% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 73.0% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 72.8% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 72.5% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 72.3% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 72.1% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 71.8% | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 71.4% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 71.1% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 70.8% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 70.4% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 70.1% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 69.8% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 69.4% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 69.1% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 68.7% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 68.4% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 68.0% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 67.6% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 67.2% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 66.8% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 66.4% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 66.0% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 65.5% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 65.1% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 64.6% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 64.1% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 63.6% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 63.1% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 78.8% | 77.3% | 80.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 75.8% | 74.7% | 76.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 73.5% | 72.5% | 74.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 70.9% | 69.4% | 72.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.4% | 65.5% | 69.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.1% | 63.1% | 65.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 32 Timor-Leste 67.2% compare
- 33 Burkina Faso 66.8% compare
- 34 Sudan 63.2% compare
- 36 Grenada 62.7% compare
- 37 Tanzania, United Republic of 61.9% compare
- 38 Kyrgyzstan 61.8% compare
More population data for India
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.67 million Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7665 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7604 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.512 (2100)
- Population density 506.27 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 66.77 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.512 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.7662 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -0.6582 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 236,763 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in India?
- Rural population in India was 63.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 80.2% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.1% in 2024.
- How does India rank for rural population?
- India ranks 35th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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