Share of population living in rural areas in Palestine, State of

Palestine, State of: Share of population living in rural areas was 5.9% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
5.9%
World rank
220th
of 236 countries
All-time high
26.1%
in 1950
All-time low
5.9%
in 2020
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in rural areas in Palestine, State of, 1950–2020

5101520251950198520201950: 26.1 %1955: 25.5 %1960: 24.4 %1965: 23.4 %1970: 24.6 %1975: 22.5 %1980: 19.8 %1985: 17.5 %1990: 15.2 %1995: 11.6 %2000: 10.5 %2005: 9.1 %2010: 7.9 %2015: 6.8 %2020: 5.9 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population living in rural areas in Palestine, State of is 5.9%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is down 24.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in rural areas in Palestine, State of peaked at 26.1% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2020.

That places Palestine, State of 220th 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 Palestine, State of, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in rural areas in Palestine, State of, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 26.1%
1955 25.5% -2.3%
1960 24.4% -4.1%
1965 23.4% -4.4%
1970 24.6% +5.0%
1975 22.5% -8.5%
1980 19.8% -11.8%
1985 17.5% -11.9%
1990 15.2% -12.9%
1995 11.6% -23.9%
2000 10.5% -9.4%
2005 9.1% -12.8%
2010 7.9% -14.2%
2015 6.8% -13.9%
2020 5.9% -12.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 25.8% 25.5% 26.1% 2
1960s 23.9% 23.4% 24.4% 2
1970s 23.5% 22.5% 24.6% 2
1980s 18.6% 17.5% 19.8% 2
1990s 13.4% 11.6% 15.2% 2
2000s 9.8% 9.1% 10.5% 2
2010s 7.3% 6.8% 7.9% 2
2020s 5.9% 5.9% 5.9% 1

Countries ranked near Palestine, State of

  1. 217 Qatar 6.7% compare
  2. 218 Jordan 6.5% compare
  3. 219 Israel 6.4% compare
  4. 221 Taiwan, China 5.4% compare
  5. 222 Curaçao 5.4% compare
  6. 223 Malta 4.9% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Palestine, State of

All data for Palestine, State of →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in rural areas in Palestine, State of?
Share of population living in rural areas in Palestine, State of was 5.9% 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 Palestine, State of?
The highest recorded value was 26.1% in 1950.
What is the lowest share of population living in rural areas recorded in Palestine, State of?
The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2020.
How does Palestine, State of rank for share of population living in rural areas?
Palestine, State of ranks 220th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in rural areas rising or falling in Palestine, State of?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Palestine, State of 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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Share of population living in rural areas in Palestine, State of. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-rural-areas/west-bank-and-gaza/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in rural areas
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

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.