Share of population living in rural areas in Taiwan
Taiwan: Share of population living in rural areas was 5.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Taiwan, 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 Taiwan stood at 5.4%.
That represents a change of up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Taiwan peaked at 14.7% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2010.
That places Taiwan 221st out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in rural areas in Taiwan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 14.7% | — |
| 1955 | 12.6% | -14.5% |
| 1960 | 10.5% | -16.1% |
| 1965 | 8.9% | -15.2% |
| 1970 | 7.9% | -11.7% |
| 1975 | 7.2% | -9.5% |
| 1980 | 6.8% | -5.5% |
| 1985 | 6.4% | -4.9% |
| 1990 | 6.0% | -7.1% |
| 1995 | 5.5% | -7.9% |
| 2000 | 5.3% | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 5.2% | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 5.2% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 5.2% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 5.4% | +4.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13.6% | 12.6% | 14.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 9.7% | 8.9% | 10.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 7.5% | 7.2% | 7.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | 6.6% | 6.4% | 6.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 5.7% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Taiwan
More population data for Taiwan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5325 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -1.2% (2100)
- Population density 282.89 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 301,946 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.2% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.4176 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Taiwan?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Taiwan was 5.4% 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 Taiwan?
- The highest recorded value was 14.7% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Taiwan?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2010.
- How does Taiwan rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Taiwan ranks 221st out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Taiwan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Taiwan 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.