Share of population living in rural areas in Sweden
Sweden: Share of population living in rural areas was 31.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Sweden, 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 Sweden stood at 31.2%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Sweden peaked at 40.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 31.2%, in 2020.
That places Sweden 89th 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 Sweden, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 40.0% | — |
| 1955 | 39.3% | -1.7% |
| 1960 | 38.7% | -1.5% |
| 1965 | 38.2% | -1.3% |
| 1970 | 37.5% | -1.9% |
| 1975 | 37.2% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 37.6% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 37.5% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 37.2% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 36.0% | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 35.1% | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 34.5% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 33.3% | -3.2% |
| 2015 | 32.3% | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 31.2% | -3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 39.7% | 39.3% | 40.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 38.5% | 38.2% | 38.7% | 2 |
| 1970s | 37.4% | 37.2% | 37.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 37.6% | 37.5% | 37.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 36.6% | 36.0% | 37.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 34.8% | 34.5% | 35.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 32.8% | 32.3% | 33.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 31.2% | 31.2% | 31.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More population data for Sweden
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0422 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7238 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0422 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1458 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 11,902 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4642 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1484 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Population density 27.91 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 479,660 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Sweden?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Sweden was 31.2% 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 40.0% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.2% in 2020.
- How does Sweden rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Sweden ranks 89th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sweden 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.