Rural population in Netherlands
Netherlands: Rural population was 6.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Netherlands, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Netherlands is 6.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.0% on the previous year and down 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Netherlands peaked at 38.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 6.5%, in 2024.
Netherlands ranks 194th 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 Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 38.3% | — |
| 1971 | 38.1% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 37.8% | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 37.5% | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 37.1% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 36.8% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 36.5% | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 36.2% | -0.9% |
| 1978 | 35.9% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 35.6% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 35.3% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 34.9% | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 34.5% | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 34.1% | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 33.7% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 33.3% | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 32.9% | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 32.5% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 32.1% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 31.7% | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 31.3% | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 30.7% | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 29.8% | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 28.9% | -2.9% |
| 1994 | 28.0% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 27.2% | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 26.4% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 25.5% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 24.8% | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 24.0% | -3.2% |
| 2000 | 23.2% | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 22.2% | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 20.9% | -5.8% |
| 2003 | 19.7% | -5.9% |
| 2004 | 18.5% | -6.0% |
| 2005 | 17.4% | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 16.4% | -5.8% |
| 2007 | 15.5% | -5.5% |
| 2008 | 14.6% | -5.6% |
| 2009 | 13.7% | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 12.9% | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 12.1% | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 11.4% | -5.8% |
| 2013 | 10.8% | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 10.3% | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 9.4% | -4.7% |
| 2017 | 8.9% | -4.7% |
| 2018 | 8.5% | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 8.1% | -4.5% |
| 2020 | 7.8% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 7.4% | -4.3% |
| 2022 | 7.1% | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 6.8% | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 6.5% | -4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.0% | 35.6% | 38.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 33.5% | 31.7% | 35.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.7% | 24.0% | 31.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.2% | 13.7% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.2% | 8.1% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.1% | 6.5% | 7.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 191 Luxembourg 7.7% compare
- 192 Argentina 7.4% compare
- 193 Israel 7.1% compare
- 195 Puerto Rico 6.3% compare
- 196 Iceland 5.9% compare
- 197 Turks and Caicos Islands 5.6% compare
More population data for Netherlands
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2761 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.201 (2100)
- Population density 519.97 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 757,165 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.201 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 263,399 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, per capita 0.0146 units per person (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Netherlands?
- Rural population in Netherlands was 6.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 38.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.5% in 2024.
- How does Netherlands rank for rural population?
- Netherlands ranks 194th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Netherlands 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