Share of population living in rural areas in Brazil
Brazil: Share of population living in rural areas was 20.8% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Brazil, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Brazil recorded 20.8% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Brazil peaked at 46.2% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 20.8%, in 2020.
Brazil ranks 155th of 236 countries on this measure, 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 Brazil, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 46.2% | — |
| 1955 | 42.9% | -7.1% |
| 1960 | 39.5% | -7.8% |
| 1965 | 36.3% | -8.1% |
| 1970 | 33.6% | -7.6% |
| 1975 | 31.1% | -7.3% |
| 1980 | 28.4% | -8.9% |
| 1985 | 26.9% | -5.0% |
| 1990 | 25.5% | -5.2% |
| 1995 | 24.3% | -4.7% |
| 2000 | 23.2% | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 22.5% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 21.7% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 21.1% | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 20.8% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 44.5% | 42.9% | 46.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 37.9% | 36.3% | 39.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 32.3% | 31.1% | 33.6% | 2 |
| 1980s | 27.6% | 26.9% | 28.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 24.9% | 24.3% | 25.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 22.8% | 22.5% | 23.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 21.4% | 21.1% | 21.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 20.8% | 20.8% | 20.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
- 152 Russian Federation 21.2% compare
- 153 Azerbaijan 21.1% compare
- 154 Syria 21.0% compare
- 156 Algeria 20.2% compare
- 157 San Marino 19.5% compare
- 158 Nigeria 19.4% compare
More population data for Brazil
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.7328 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.2798 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.7328 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 230,886 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4122 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8366 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 19.55 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 6.45 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Brazil?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Brazil was 20.8% 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 Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 46.2% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.8% in 2020.
- How does Brazil rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Brazil ranks 155th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brazil 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.