Rural population in Norway
Norway: Rural population was 15.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
15.7%
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
167th
of 214 countries
All-time high
34.6%
in 1970
All-time low
15.7%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Norway, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in Norway is 15.7%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Norway peaked at 34.6% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 15.7%, in 2024.
Norway ranks 167th 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 Norway, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 34.6% | — |
| 1971 | 33.8% | -2.4% |
| 1972 | 33.3% | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 32.8% | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 32.3% | -1.5% |
| 1975 | 31.8% | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 31.3% | -1.5% |
| 1977 | 30.9% | -1.5% |
| 1978 | 30.4% | -1.5% |
| 1979 | 29.9% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 29.5% | -1.6% |
| 1981 | 29.2% | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 29.1% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 29.0% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 28.8% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 28.7% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 28.6% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 28.4% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 28.3% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 28.2% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 28.0% | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 27.7% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 27.3% | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 26.9% | -1.4% |
| 1994 | 26.5% | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 26.2% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 25.9% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 25.5% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 25.0% | -2.2% |
| 1999 | 24.4% | -2.2% |
| 2000 | 24.0% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 23.6% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 22.9% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 22.6% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 22.3% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 22.1% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 21.8% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 21.5% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 21.2% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 20.9% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 20.5% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 20.1% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 19.7% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 19.3% | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 18.9% | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 18.5% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 18.1% | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 17.8% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 17.4% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 17.0% | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 16.7% | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 16.3% | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 16.0% | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 15.7% | -2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.1% | 29.9% | 34.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.8% | 28.2% | 29.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.4% | 24.4% | 28.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.5% | 21.2% | 24.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.1% | 17.4% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 15.7% | 17.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 164 Costa Rica 16.8% compare
- 165 United States of America 16.5% compare
- 166 Bahamas 16.2% compare
- 168 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 15.1% compare
- 169 Dominican Republic 15.0% compare
- 170 Saudi Arabia 14.8% compare
More population data for Norway
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1866 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 6,368 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.6612 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1496 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.231 (2100)
- Population density 14.86 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 224,990 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.231 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.6612 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate 3.57 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Norway?
- Rural population in Norway was 15.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 34.6% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.7% in 2024.
- How does Norway rank for rural population?
- Norway ranks 167th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Norway 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