Share of population living in rural areas in Finland
Finland: Share of population living in rural areas was 39.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Finland, 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 Finland stood at 39.1%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 4.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Finland peaked at 51.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 39.1%, in 2020.
That places Finland 62nd out of 236 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 Finland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 51.6% | — |
| 1955 | 50.4% | -2.3% |
| 1960 | 49.4% | -1.9% |
| 1965 | 48.8% | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 48.7% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 48.5% | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 47.5% | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 47.0% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 45.6% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 44.4% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 43.4% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 42.3% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 41.1% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 39.7% | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 39.1% | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 51.0% | 50.4% | 51.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 49.1% | 48.8% | 49.4% | 2 |
| 1970s | 48.6% | 48.5% | 48.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 47.3% | 47.0% | 47.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 45.0% | 44.4% | 45.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 42.8% | 42.3% | 43.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 40.4% | 39.7% | 41.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 39.1% | 39.1% | 39.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Finland
More population data for Finland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.3569 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.3888 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.3569 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1705 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,461 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.0156 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0727 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.4% (2100)
- Population density 15.14 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 178,591 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Finland?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Finland was 39.1% 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 Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.1% in 2020.
- How does Finland rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Finland ranks 62nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Finland 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.