Share of population living in rural areas in Canada

Canada: Share of population living in rural areas was 23.76 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
23.76
World rank
129th
of 229 countries
All-time high
40.98
in 1950
All-time low
23.76
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Canada, 1950–2020

0102030401950198520201950: 411955: 38.51960: 361965: 34.41970: 33.11975: 31.81980: 31.11985: 301990: 28.71995: 27.82000: 26.92005: 262010: 252015: 24.32020: 23.8

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Canada stood at 23.76. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Canada peaked at 40.98 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 23.76, in 2020.

That places Canada 129th out of 229 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 Canada, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Canada, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 40.98
1955 38.47 -6.1%
1960 36.01 -6.4%
1965 34.37 -4.5%
1970 33.06 -3.8%
1975 31.75 -3.9%
1980 31.13 -2.0%
1985 30.02 -3.5%
1990 28.72 -4.4%
1995 27.77 -3.3%
2000 26.91 -3.1%
2005 25.96 -3.5%
2010 25.05 -3.5%
2015 24.35 -2.8%
2020 23.76 -2.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 39.72 38.47 40.98 2
1960s 35.19 34.37 36.01 2
1970s 32.4 31.75 33.06 2
1980s 30.58 30.02 31.13 2
1990s 28.24 27.77 28.72 2
2000s 26.44 25.96 26.91 2
2010s 24.7 24.35 25.05 2
2020s 23.76 23.76 23.76 1

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 126 Iceland 24.14 compare
  2. 127 Switzerland 23.98 compare
  3. 128 El Salvador 23.93 compare
  4. 130 New Zealand 23.72 compare
  5. 131 Turkmenistan 23.51 compare
  6. 132 Turks and Caicos Islands 23.37 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Canada?
Share of population living in rural areas in Canada was 23.76 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 40.98 in 1950.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 23.76 in 2020.
How does Canada rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Canada ranks 129th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from 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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Share of population living in rural areas in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed