Share of population living in rural areas in Poland
Poland: Share of population living in rural areas was 40.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Poland, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Poland recorded 40.0% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Poland peaked at 50.7% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 40.0%, in 2015.
That places Poland 57th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Poland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 50.7% | — |
| 1955 | 48.4% | -4.5% |
| 1960 | 46.1% | -4.8% |
| 1965 | 44.7% | -3.2% |
| 1970 | 43.7% | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 42.8% | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 41.8% | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 41.3% | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 40.7% | -1.4% |
| 1995 | 40.1% | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 40.0% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 40.2% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 40.2% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 40.0% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 40.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 49.6% | 48.4% | 50.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 45.4% | 44.7% | 46.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 43.3% | 42.8% | 43.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 41.5% | 41.3% | 41.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 40.4% | 40.1% | 40.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 40.1% | 40.0% | 40.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 40.1% | 40.0% | 40.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 40.0% | 40.0% | 40.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Poland
More population data for Poland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.49 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7516 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6386 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Population density 63.15 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 624,863 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.0% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.8441 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Poland?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Poland was 40.0% 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 Poland?
- The highest recorded value was 50.7% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Poland?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.0% in 2015.
- How does Poland rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Poland ranks 57th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Poland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Poland 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.