Share of population living in rural areas in Iceland
Iceland: Share of population living in rural areas was 24.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Iceland, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Iceland recorded 24.1% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Iceland peaked at 55.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 24.1%, in 2020.
That places Iceland 132nd 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 Iceland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 55.0% | — |
| 1955 | 52.1% | -5.3% |
| 1960 | 48.9% | -6.0% |
| 1965 | 46.2% | -5.6% |
| 1970 | 44.2% | -4.4% |
| 1975 | 42.4% | -4.1% |
| 1980 | 38.9% | -8.2% |
| 1985 | 37.7% | -3.2% |
| 1990 | 36.4% | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 36.5% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 32.5% | -11.0% |
| 2005 | 29.6% | -9.0% |
| 2010 | 26.3% | -11.2% |
| 2015 | 25.7% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 24.1% | -6.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 53.5% | 52.1% | 55.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 47.6% | 46.2% | 48.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 43.3% | 42.4% | 44.2% | 2 |
| 1980s | 38.3% | 37.7% | 38.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 36.4% | 36.4% | 36.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 31.0% | 29.6% | 32.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 26.0% | 25.7% | 26.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 24.1% | 24.1% | 24.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 129 Kyrgyzstan 24.5% compare
- 130 Liechtenstein 24.5% compare
- 131 Cyprus 24.3% compare
- 133 Switzerland 24.0% compare
- 134 El Salvador 23.9% compare
- 135 Canada 23.8% compare
More population data for Iceland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -5.08 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.2688 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 408.78 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4806 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6617 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 3.6 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 13,661 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Iceland?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Iceland was 24.1% 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 55.0% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.1% in 2020.
- How does Iceland rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Iceland ranks 132nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland 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.