Share of population living in rural areas in Vietnam
Vietnam: Share of population living in rural areas was 13.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in rural areas in Vietnam, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Vietnam recorded 13.1% 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 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Vietnam peaked at 42.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 13.1%, in 2020.
That places Vietnam 194th 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 Vietnam, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 42.0% | — |
| 1955 | 39.6% | -5.8% |
| 1960 | 36.5% | -7.7% |
| 1965 | 33.7% | -7.7% |
| 1970 | 31.4% | -6.7% |
| 1975 | 29.2% | -7.0% |
| 1980 | 26.2% | -10.3% |
| 1985 | 22.9% | -12.7% |
| 1990 | 20.2% | -11.9% |
| 1995 | 17.7% | -11.9% |
| 2000 | 16.3% | -8.3% |
| 2005 | 15.5% | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 14.4% | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 13.6% | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 13.1% | -3.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 40.8% | 39.6% | 42.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 35.1% | 33.7% | 36.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 30.3% | 29.2% | 31.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 24.5% | 22.9% | 26.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 18.9% | 17.7% | 20.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 15.9% | 15.5% | 16.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 14.0% | 13.6% | 14.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 13.1% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Vietnam
- 191 Comoros 13.7% compare
- 192 Barbados 13.6% compare
- 193 North Korea 13.4% compare
- 195 Saint Barthelemy 12.8% compare
- 196 Trinidad and Tobago 12.6% compare
- 197 Iraq 12.5% compare
More population data for Vietnam
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.5387 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.4983 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.5387 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4775 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.531 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 292.59 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.95 million people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 1.49 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in rural areas in Vietnam?
- Share of population living in rural areas in Vietnam was 13.1% 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 Vietnam?
- The highest recorded value was 42.0% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Vietnam?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.1% in 2020.
- How does Vietnam rank for share of population living in rural areas?
- Vietnam ranks 194th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Vietnam?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Vietnam 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.