Rural population in Spain
Spain: Rural population was 18.2% in 2024. βΌ Falling
Rural population in Spain, 1970β2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Spain stood at 18.2%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Spain peaked at 34.0% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 18.2%, in 2024.
Spain ranks 157th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 30.8% | 27.8% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.9% | 24.9% | 27.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.2% | 23.8% | 24.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.8% | 21.8% | 23.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.5% | 19.4% | 21.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.7% | 18.2% | 19.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More population data for Spain
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.536 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 1.24 million (2100)
- Population density 66.29 (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.536 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2658 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1636 Percent per annum (2030)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 44,220 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates -0.1635 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 1.1 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 429,333 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Spain?
- Rural population in Spain was 18.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 34.0% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.2% in 2024.
- How does Spain rank for rural population?
- Spain ranks 157th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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 Β· JSON β 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release