Share of population living in rural areas in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Share of population living in rural areas was 50.6% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Timor-Leste, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Timor-Leste recorded 50.6% for share of population living in rural areas in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Timor-Leste peaked at 88.9% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 50.6%, in 2020.
That places Timor-Leste 27th 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 Timor-Leste, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 88.9% | — |
| 1955 | 87.8% | -1.2% |
| 1960 | 86.5% | -1.5% |
| 1965 | 84.8% | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 82.9% | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 80.9% | -2.4% |
| 1980 | 77.6% | -4.1% |
| 1985 | 74.9% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 70.8% | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 68.9% | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 71.6% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 66.6% | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 61.0% | -8.4% |
| 2015 | 56.5% | -7.3% |
| 2020 | 50.6% | -10.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 88.3% | 87.8% | 88.9% | 2 |
| 1960s | 85.6% | 84.8% | 86.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 81.9% | 80.9% | 82.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | 76.3% | 74.9% | 77.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 69.8% | 68.9% | 70.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 69.1% | 66.6% | 71.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 58.8% | 56.5% | 61.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 50.6% | 50.6% | 50.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Timor-Leste
- 24 Dominica 57.1% compare
- 25 Papua New Guinea 53.7% compare
- 26 Mali 52.9% compare
- 28 Burkina Faso 50.6% compare
- 29 Niger 50.6% compare
- 30 Mozambique 50.0% compare
More population data for Timor-Leste
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.2427 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.71 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.2427 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5654 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3779 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 132.68 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 97,537 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.2% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 1.71 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Timor-Leste?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Timor-Leste was 50.6% 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 Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 88.9% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.6% in 2020.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Timor-Leste ranks 27th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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.