Share of population living in rural areas in Italy
Italy: Share of population living in rural areas was 23.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Italy, 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 Italy stood at 23.2%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Italy peaked at 29.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 23.2%, in 2020.
That places Italy 140th 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 Italy, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 29.6% | — |
| 1955 | 28.8% | -2.7% |
| 1960 | 28.3% | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 27.5% | -2.5% |
| 1970 | 26.8% | -2.5% |
| 1975 | 26.3% | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 25.8% | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 25.6% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 25.5% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 25.3% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 25.2% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 24.6% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 23.8% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 23.4% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 23.2% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 29.2% | 28.8% | 29.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 27.9% | 27.5% | 28.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 26.6% | 26.3% | 26.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 25.7% | 25.6% | 25.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 25.4% | 25.3% | 25.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 24.9% | 24.6% | 25.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 23.6% | 23.4% | 23.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 23.2% | 23.2% | 23.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 137 Turkmenistan 23.5% compare
- 138 Turks and Caicos Islands 23.4% compare
- 139 Kazakhstan 23.3% compare
- 141 Ghana 23.2% compare
- 142 Armenia 23.0% compare
- 143 Oman 22.9% compare
More population data for Italy
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6708 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7397 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6708 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5615 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 52,250 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.3544 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3246 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 119.63 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1.26 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Italy?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Italy was 23.2% 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 29.6% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.2% in 2020.
- How does Italy rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Italy ranks 140th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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.