Share of population living in rural areas in Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong, China: Share of population living in rural areas was 0.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
0.5%
World rank
231st
of 236 countries
All-time high
2.6%
in 1950
All-time low
0.5%
in 2015
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Hong Kong, China, 1950–2020

0.511.522.51950198520201950: 2.6 %1955: 2 %1960: 1.6 %1965: 1.2 %1970: 1.3 %1975: 1 %1980: 0.844 %1985: 0.805 %1990: 0.763 %1995: 0.675 %2000: 0.529 %2005: 0.503 %2010: 0.481 %2015: 0.463 %2020: 0.464 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Hong Kong, China recorded 0.5% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020.

That represents a change of down 3.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Hong Kong, China peaked at 2.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2015.

That places Hong Kong, China 231st out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Share of population living in rural areas in Hong Kong, China, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Hong Kong, China, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 2.6%
1955 2.0% -22.5%
1960 1.6% -22.8%
1965 1.2% -21.0%
1970 1.3% +2.9%
1975 1.0% -21.3%
1980 0.8% -16.4%
1985 0.8% -4.7%
1990 0.8% -5.3%
1995 0.7% -11.5%
2000 0.5% -21.6%
2005 0.5% -4.9%
2010 0.5% -4.5%
2015 0.5% -3.8%
2020 0.5% +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 2.3% 2.0% 2.6% 2
1960s 1.4% 1.2% 1.6% 2
1970s 1.1% 1.0% 1.3% 2
1980s 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 2
1990s 0.7% 0.7% 0.8% 2
2000s 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 2
2010s 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 2
2020s 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 1

Countries ranked near Hong Kong, China

  1. 228 Bahrain 2.1% compare
  2. 229 Bangladesh 2.0% compare
  3. 230 Bermuda 1.6% compare
  4. 232 Macau, China 0.2% compare
  5. 233 Singapore 0.1% compare
  6. 234 Gibraltar 0.0%
  7. 234 Monaco 0.0%
  8. 234 Vatican 0.0%

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Hong Kong, China

All data for Hong Kong, China →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Hong Kong, China?
Share of population living in rural areas in Hong Kong, China was 0.5% 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 Hong Kong, China?
The highest recorded value was 2.6% in 1950.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Hong Kong, China?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2015.
How does Hong Kong, China rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Hong Kong, China ranks 231st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Hong Kong, China?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Hong Kong, China 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 Hong Kong, China. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/hong-kong-sar-china/

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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.