Share of population living in rural areas in Romania
Romania: Share of population living in rural areas was 45.3% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Romania, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Romania recorded 45.3% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020.
The figure is up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Romania peaked at 56.7% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 44.0%, in 1995.
Romania ranks 40th of 236 countries on this measure, 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 Romania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 56.7% | — |
| 1955 | 54.8% | -3.3% |
| 1960 | 53.3% | -2.7% |
| 1965 | 52.5% | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 50.7% | -3.5% |
| 1975 | 48.8% | -3.7% |
| 1980 | 47.1% | -3.6% |
| 1985 | 45.7% | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 44.3% | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 44.0% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 44.4% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 44.8% | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 45.2% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 45.5% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 45.3% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 55.8% | 54.8% | 56.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 52.9% | 52.5% | 53.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 49.8% | 48.8% | 50.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 46.4% | 45.7% | 47.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 44.1% | 44.0% | 44.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 44.6% | 44.4% | 44.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 45.3% | 45.2% | 45.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 45.3% | 45.3% | 45.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Romania
More population data for Romania
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.7777 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.41 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.7777 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5328 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 17,457 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.3241 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8232 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.8% (2100)
- Population density 46.8 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 440,116 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Romania?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Romania was 45.3% 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 Romania?
- The highest recorded value was 56.7% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Romania?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.0% in 1995.
- How does Romania rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Romania ranks 40th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Romania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Romania 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.