Share of population living in rural areas in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Share of population living in rural areas was 13.96 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
13.96
World rank
188th
of 236 countries
All-time high
15.88
in 1950
All-time low
13.96
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020
Share of population living in rural areas in United Kingdom, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in rural areas in United Kingdom stood at 13.96. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is down 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in United Kingdom peaked at 15.88 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 13.96, in 2020.
That places United Kingdom 188th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 15.88 | — |
| 1955 | 15.76 | -0.7% |
| 1960 | 15.59 | -1.1% |
| 1965 | 15.27 | -2.1% |
| 1970 | 15.09 | -1.2% |
| 1975 | 15.12 | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 15.31 | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 15.36 | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 15.27 | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 15.13 | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 15.04 | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 14.83 | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 14.57 | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 14.28 | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 13.96 | -2.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 13.96 is below the median for high income countries, which is 23.76, 59% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 13.96 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.33, 46% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 15.82 | 15.76 | 15.88 | 2 |
| 1960s | 15.43 | 15.27 | 15.59 | 2 |
| 1970s | 15.11 | 15.09 | 15.12 | 2 |
| 1980s | 15.33 | 15.31 | 15.36 | 2 |
| 1990s | 15.2 | 15.13 | 15.27 | 2 |
| 2000s | 14.93 | 14.83 | 15.04 | 2 |
| 2010s | 14.42 | 14.28 | 14.57 | 2 |
| 2020s | 13.96 | 13.96 | 13.96 | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More population data for United Kingdom
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.1791 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.1389 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.1791 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0706 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 71,685 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.2666 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.169 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.184 (2100)
- Population density 307.14 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 3.21 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in United Kingdom?
- Share of population living in rural areas in United Kingdom was 13.96 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in rural areas recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 15.88 in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.96 in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- United Kingdom ranks 188th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).