Share of population living in rural areas in Mexico
Mexico: Share of population living in rural areas was 22.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Mexico, 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 Mexico stood at 22.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Mexico peaked at 51.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 22.1%, in 2015.
That places Mexico 144th 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 Mexico, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 51.6% | — |
| 1955 | 48.4% | -6.2% |
| 1960 | 44.8% | -7.3% |
| 1965 | 41.0% | -8.5% |
| 1970 | 37.3% | -9.2% |
| 1975 | 33.9% | -9.0% |
| 1980 | 31.2% | -7.9% |
| 1985 | 29.0% | -7.3% |
| 1990 | 26.3% | -9.3% |
| 1995 | 25.2% | -3.9% |
| 2000 | 24.1% | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 23.6% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 22.8% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 22.1% | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 22.7% | +2.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 50.0% | 48.4% | 51.6% | 2 |
| 1960s | 42.9% | 41.0% | 44.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 35.6% | 33.9% | 37.3% | 2 |
| 1980s | 30.1% | 29.0% | 31.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 25.8% | 25.2% | 26.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 23.9% | 23.6% | 24.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 22.4% | 22.1% | 22.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 22.7% | 22.7% | 22.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More population data for Mexico
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5786 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.1 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5786 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7936 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 143,772 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.6019 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7222 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.6% (2100)
- Population density 67 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 5.55 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Mexico?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Mexico was 22.7% 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.1% in 2015.
- How does Mexico rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Mexico ranks 144th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mexico 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.