Share of population living in rural areas in Norway
Norway: Share of population living in rural areas was 35.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Norway, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Norway recorded 35.5% 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 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Norway peaked at 49.7% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 35.5%, in 2020.
That places Norway 73rd 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 Norway, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 49.7% | — |
| 1955 | 48.6% | -2.2% |
| 1960 | 47.5% | -2.1% |
| 1965 | 46.7% | -1.8% |
| 1970 | 45.8% | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 45.1% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 45.1% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 44.5% | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 44.1% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 42.4% | -3.9% |
| 2000 | 40.8% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 39.2% | -3.9% |
| 2010 | 37.5% | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 36.4% | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 35.5% | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 49.1% | 48.6% | 49.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 47.1% | 46.7% | 47.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 45.4% | 45.1% | 45.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 44.8% | 44.5% | 45.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 43.2% | 42.4% | 44.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 40.0% | 39.2% | 40.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 37.0% | 36.4% | 37.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 35.5% | 35.5% | 35.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More population data for Norway
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.2322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.32 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.2322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1866 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 6,368 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.6612 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1496 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 14.86 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 224,990 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Norway?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Norway was 35.5% 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 Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 49.7% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.5% in 2020.
- How does Norway rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Norway ranks 73rd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Norway 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.