Rural population in United States
United States: Rural population was 16.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in United States, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
United States recorded 16.5% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in United States peaked at 26.4% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 2024.
That places United States 165th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in United States, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 26.4% | — |
| 1971 | 26.4% | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 26.4% | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 26.4% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 26.4% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 26.3% | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 26.3% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 26.3% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 26.3% | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 26.3% | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 26.3% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 26.1% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 26.0% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 25.8% | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 25.7% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 25.5% | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 25.4% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 25.2% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 25.1% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 24.9% | -0.6% |
| 1990 | 24.7% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 24.3% | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 23.9% | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 23.5% | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 23.1% | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 22.7% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 22.4% | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 22.0% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 21.6% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 21.3% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 20.9% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 20.8% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 20.6% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 20.4% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 20.2% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 20.1% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 19.9% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 19.7% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 19.6% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 19.4% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 19.2% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 19.1% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 18.9% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 18.7% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 18.5% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 18.3% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 18.1% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 17.9% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 17.7% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 17.5% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 17.3% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 17.1% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 16.9% | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 16.7% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 16.5% | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 26.4% | 26.3% | 26.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.6% | 24.9% | 26.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.0% | 21.3% | 24.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.2% | 19.4% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.4% | 17.5% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.5% | 17.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More population data for United States
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.8 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0241 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 375,392 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4762 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1565 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Population density 46.05 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 19.91 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in United States?
- Rural population in United States was 16.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 26.4% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 2024.
- How does United States rank for rural population?
- United States ranks 165th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release