Share of population living in rural areas in Spain

Spain: Share of population living in rural areas was 21.36 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
21.36
World rank
143rd
of 229 countries
All-time high
33.04
in 1950
All-time low
21.36
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Spain, 1950–2020

01020301950198520201950: 331955: 32.31960: 31.21965: 301970: 28.91975: 27.71980: 26.71985: 26.31990: 25.91995: 25.22000: 24.42005: 23.92010: 22.92015: 22.22020: 21.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in Spain stood at 21.36. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Spain peaked at 33.04 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 21.36, in 2020.

That places Spain 143rd out of 229 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 Spain, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Spain, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 33.04
1955 32.26 -2.4%
1960 31.22 -3.2%
1965 30 -3.9%
1970 28.86 -3.8%
1975 27.67 -4.1%
1980 26.68 -3.6%
1985 26.28 -1.5%
1990 25.92 -1.4%
1995 25.24 -2.6%
2000 24.4 -3.3%
2005 23.88 -2.2%
2010 22.86 -4.2%
2015 22.22 -2.8%
2020 21.36 -3.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 32.65 32.26 33.04 2
1960s 30.61 30 31.22 2
1970s 28.26 27.67 28.86 2
1980s 26.48 26.28 26.68 2
1990s 25.58 25.24 25.92 2
2000s 24.14 23.88 24.4 2
2010s 22.54 22.22 22.86 2
2020s 21.36 21.36 21.36 1

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 140 Morocco 21.9 compare
  2. 141 Belgium 21.58 compare
  3. 142 South Africa 21.38 compare
  4. 144 American Samoa 21.33 compare
  5. 145 Seychelles 21.32 compare
  6. 146 Russia 21.18 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Spain?
Share of population living in rural areas in Spain was 21.36 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 33.04 in 1950.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 21.36 in 2020.
How does Spain rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Spain ranks 143rd out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Spain data come from?
The figures come from 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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Share of population living in rural areas in Spain. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed