Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) in Mexico
Mexico: Rural population (% of total population) (UNESCO Institute) was 18.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
18.1%
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
158th
of 214 countries
All-time high
41.0%
in 1970
All-time low
18.1%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Mexico, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Mexico stood at 18.1%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Mexico peaked at 41.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 18.1%, in 2024.
Mexico ranks 158th of 214 countries on this measure, 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 Mexico, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 41.0% | — |
| 1971 | 40.2% | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 39.5% | -1.9% |
| 1973 | 38.7% | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 38.0% | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 37.2% | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 36.5% | -2.0% |
| 1977 | 35.8% | -2.0% |
| 1978 | 35.1% | -2.0% |
| 1979 | 34.4% | -2.0% |
| 1980 | 33.7% | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 33.1% | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 32.6% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 32.1% | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 31.6% | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 31.1% | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 30.5% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 30.0% | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 29.5% | -1.7% |
| 1989 | 29.0% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 28.6% | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 28.2% | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 27.8% | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 27.4% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 27.0% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 26.6% | -1.4% |
| 1996 | 26.3% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 26.1% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 25.8% | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 25.6% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 25.3% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 25.0% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 24.6% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 24.3% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 24.0% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 23.7% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 23.4% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 23.1% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 22.8% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 22.5% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 22.2% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 21.9% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 21.6% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 21.3% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 21.0% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 20.7% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 20.4% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 20.1% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 19.8% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 19.6% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 19.3% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 19.0% | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 18.7% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 18.4% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 18.1% | -1.5% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 18.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 34.5%, 53% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 18.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28.5%, 64% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.6% | 34.4% | 41.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.3% | 29.0% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.9% | 25.6% | 28.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.9% | 22.5% | 25.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.9% | 19.6% | 22.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.7% | 18.1% | 19.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More population data for Mexico
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5786 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.1 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5786 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7936 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 143,772 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.6019 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7222 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.583 (2100)
- Population density 67 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 5.55 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Mexico?
- Rural population in Mexico was 18.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 41.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.1% in 2024.
- How does Mexico rank for rural population?
- Mexico ranks 158th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mexico 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