Share of population living in rural areas in Colombia
Colombia: Share of population living in rural areas was 18.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Colombia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Colombia stood at 18.5%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Colombia peaked at 43.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 18.5%, in 2020.
Colombia ranks 161st 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 Colombia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 43.5% | — |
| 1955 | 40.2% | -7.5% |
| 1960 | 36.8% | -8.6% |
| 1965 | 33.3% | -9.4% |
| 1970 | 30.3% | -8.9% |
| 1975 | 28.0% | -7.7% |
| 1980 | 28.2% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 28.2% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 28.3% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 25.6% | -9.5% |
| 2000 | 23.4% | -8.5% |
| 2005 | 22.2% | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 20.9% | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 19.6% | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 18.5% | -5.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 41.8% | 40.2% | 43.5% | 2 |
| 1960s | 35.0% | 33.3% | 36.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 29.1% | 28.0% | 30.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 28.2% | 28.2% | 28.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 27.0% | 25.6% | 28.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 22.8% | 22.2% | 23.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 20.2% | 19.6% | 20.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 18.5% | 18.5% | 18.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
- 158 Nigeria 19.4% compare
- 159 Brunei Darussalam 19.2% compare
- 160 Puerto Rico 19.1% compare
- 162 Chile 18.2% compare
- 163 Montenegro 18.2% compare
- 164 Cuba 17.9% compare
More population data for Colombia
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.7218 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -5.66 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.7218 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6442 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 56,988 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.5501 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8769 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 42.43 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.83 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Colombia?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Colombia was 18.5% 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 Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 43.5% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.5% in 2020.
- How does Colombia rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Colombia ranks 161st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Colombia 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.