Rural population in Romania
Romania: Rural population was 45.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Romania, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Romania recorded 45.1% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Romania peaked at 59.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 45.1%, in 2024.
That places Romania 79th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Romania, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 59.7% | — |
| 1971 | 59.2% | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 58.7% | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 58.2% | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 57.7% | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 57.2% | -0.9% |
| 1976 | 56.7% | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 56.1% | -1.1% |
| 1978 | 55.4% | -1.3% |
| 1979 | 54.6% | -1.3% |
| 1980 | 53.9% | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 53.2% | -1.3% |
| 1982 | 52.5% | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 51.8% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 51.1% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 50.4% | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 49.6% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 48.9% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 48.2% | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 47.5% | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 46.8% | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 46.1% | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 45.8% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 45.9% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 46.1% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 46.2% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 46.4% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 46.5% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 46.7% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 46.8% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 47.0% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 47.1% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 47.2% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 47.1% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 47.0% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 46.8% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 46.7% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 46.6% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 46.4% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 46.3% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 46.2% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 46.0% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 46.0% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 46.1% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 46.1% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 46.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 46.1% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 46.1% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 46.0% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 45.9% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 45.8% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 45.7% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 45.5% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 45.3% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 45.1% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 57.3% | 54.6% | 59.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.7% | 47.5% | 53.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 46.3% | 45.8% | 46.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.8% | 46.3% | 47.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.1% | 45.9% | 46.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.5% | 45.1% | 45.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Romania
More population data for Romania
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 17,457 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.3241 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8232 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.785 (2100)
- Population density 46.8 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 440,116 (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.785 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates -0.3238 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -9.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 184,529 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Romania?
- Rural population in Romania was 45.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Romania?
- The highest recorded value was 59.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Romania?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.1% in 2024.
- How does Romania rank for rural population?
- Romania ranks 79th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Romania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Romania 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