Share of population living in rural areas in Australia
Australia: Share of population living in rural areas was 17.8% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Australia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Australia is 17.8%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Australia peaked at 34.2% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 17.8%, in 2020.
That places Australia 165th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 34.2% | — |
| 1955 | 31.9% | -6.7% |
| 1960 | 29.9% | -6.3% |
| 1965 | 28.2% | -5.7% |
| 1970 | 26.6% | -5.7% |
| 1975 | 24.8% | -6.6% |
| 1980 | 24.1% | -3.1% |
| 1985 | 23.3% | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 22.5% | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 21.6% | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 21.6% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 21.0% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 19.8% | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 18.7% | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 17.8% | -4.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 33.0% | 31.9% | 34.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 29.0% | 28.2% | 29.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 25.7% | 24.8% | 26.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 23.7% | 23.3% | 24.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 22.0% | 21.6% | 22.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.3% | 21.0% | 21.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 19.2% | 18.7% | 19.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 17.8% | 17.8% | 17.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More population data for Australia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.5755 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2553 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 32,193 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.8589 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.2773 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.5% (2100)
- Population density 5.61 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.09 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Australia?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Australia was 17.8% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 34.2% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.8% in 2020.
- How does Australia rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Australia ranks 165th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.