Share of population living in rural areas in Barbados
Barbados: Share of population living in rural areas was 13.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in rural areas in Barbados, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Barbados recorded 13.6% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020.
The figure is down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Barbados peaked at 16.8% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 11.6%, in 1970.
That places Barbados 192nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Barbados, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 13.3% | — |
| 1955 | 12.5% | -5.4% |
| 1960 | 12.3% | -1.9% |
| 1965 | 11.9% | -3.7% |
| 1970 | 11.6% | -2.2% |
| 1975 | 11.7% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 12.8% | +9.1% |
| 1985 | 12.4% | -3.2% |
| 1990 | 12.4% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 12.4% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 12.9% | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 14.2% | +10.4% |
| 2010 | 14.4% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 16.8% | +16.5% |
| 2020 | 13.6% | -18.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12.9% | 12.5% | 13.3% | 2 |
| 1960s | 12.1% | 11.9% | 12.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 11.7% | 11.6% | 11.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 12.6% | 12.4% | 12.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 12.4% | 12.4% | 12.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 13.6% | 12.9% | 14.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 15.6% | 14.4% | 16.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 13.6% | 13.6% | 13.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
More population data for Barbados
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.7043 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.04 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.7043 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6177 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 267.79 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.0106 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.9003 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 452.82 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 8,035 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Barbados?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Barbados was 13.6% 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 Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 16.8% in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.6% in 1970.
- How does Barbados rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Barbados ranks 192nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Barbados 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.