Share of population living in rural areas in Cook Islands

Cook Islands: Share of population living in rural areas was 100.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
100.0%
World rank
1st
of 236 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 1950
All-time low
45.6%
in 2005
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Cook Islands, 1950–2020

0204060801001950198520201950: 100 %1955: 100 %1960: 100 %1965: 100 %1970: 100 %1975: 100 %1980: 100 %1985: 100 %1990: 100 %1995: 100 %2000: 100 %2005: 45.6 %2010: 50.3 %2015: 55 %2020: 100 %

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 Cook Islands stood at 100.0%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is up 98.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Cook Islands peaked at 100.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 45.6%, in 2005.

Cook Islands ranks 1st of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in rural areas in Cook Islands, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Cook Islands, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 100.0%
1955 100.0% +0.0%
1960 100.0% +0.0%
1965 100.0% +0.0%
1970 100.0% +0.0%
1975 100.0% +0.0%
1980 100.0% +0.0%
1985 100.0% +0.0%
1990 100.0% +0.0%
1995 100.0% +0.0%
2000 100.0% +0.0%
2005 45.6% -54.4%
2010 50.3% +10.3%
2015 55.0% +9.3%
2020 100.0% +81.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 2
1960s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 2
1970s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 2
1980s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 2
1990s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 2
2000s 72.8% 45.6% 100.0% 2
2010s 52.6% 50.3% 55.0% 2
2020s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 1

Countries ranked near Cook Islands

  1. 1 Anguilla 100.0% compare
  2. 1 Falkland Islands 100.0% compare
  3. 1 Montserrat 100.0% compare
  4. 1 Niue 100.0% compare
  5. 1 Saint Helena 100.0% compare
  6. 1 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 100.0% compare
  7. 1 Tokelau 100.0% compare
  8. 1 Wallis and Futuna 100.0% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Cook Islands

All data for Cook Islands →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Cook Islands?
Share of population living in rural areas in Cook Islands was 100.0% 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 Cook Islands?
The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1950.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Cook Islands?
The lowest recorded value was 45.6% in 2005.
How does Cook Islands rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Cook Islands ranks 1st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Cook Islands?
Over the last ten years it is up 98.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Cook Islands 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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Share of population living in rural areas in Cook Islands. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/cook-islands/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

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.