Share of population living in rural areas in Lebanon
Lebanon: Share of population living in rural areas was 10.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Lebanon, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Lebanon is 10.4%, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 21.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Lebanon peaked at 22.1% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 2015.
That places Lebanon 202nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Lebanon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 22.1% | — |
| 1955 | 19.7% | -10.9% |
| 1960 | 17.5% | -11.3% |
| 1965 | 15.4% | -12.1% |
| 1970 | 13.7% | -10.6% |
| 1975 | 12.4% | -9.4% |
| 1980 | 13.9% | +11.6% |
| 1985 | 17.4% | +25.0% |
| 1990 | 18.6% | +7.1% |
| 1995 | 17.2% | -7.6% |
| 2000 | 15.4% | -10.3% |
| 2005 | 14.2% | -8.0% |
| 2010 | 13.2% | -7.0% |
| 2015 | 8.7% | -33.9% |
| 2020 | 10.4% | +19.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 20.9% | 19.7% | 22.1% | 2 |
| 1960s | 16.4% | 15.4% | 17.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 13.1% | 12.4% | 13.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 15.6% | 13.9% | 17.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 17.9% | 17.2% | 18.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 14.8% | 14.2% | 15.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 10.9% | 8.7% | 13.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 10.4% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lebanon
- 199 Reunion 11.7% compare
- 200 Venezuela 11.5% compare
- 201 Equatorial Guinea 10.5% compare
- 203 Saint Martin (French part) 10.3% compare
- 204 Djibouti 10.1% compare
- 205 South Korea 9.9% compare
More population data for Lebanon
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.3208 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.2181 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.3208 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4769 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 4,938 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -1.03 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5028 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.3% (2100)
- Population density 703.09 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 333,428 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Lebanon?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Lebanon was 10.4% 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 Lebanon?
- The highest recorded value was 22.1% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Lebanon?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 2015.
- How does Lebanon rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Lebanon ranks 202nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Lebanon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lebanon 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.