Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD): Rural population

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s rural population rose 0.3% on 2024 (from 142.27 million to 142.68 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.5% and a typical year strayed about 0.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.4% in 1992 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.3% in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 324,037 a year. A straight line explains 78% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

Limitations: Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverage. Estimates of the world's urban population would change significantly if China, India, and a few other populous nations were to change their definition of urban centers. Because the estimates of city and metropolitan area are based on national definitions of what constitutes a city or metropolitan area, cross-country comparisons should be made with caution. To estimate urban populations, UN ratios of urban to total population were applied to the World Bank's estimates of total population.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 66 values

Rural population in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 32.47 million (2025)
• Algeria — 11.47 million (2025)
• Bahrain — 0 (2025)
• Djibouti — 319,986 (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 67.58 million (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 20.91 million (2025)
• Iraq — 14.13 million (2025)
• Israel — 852,511 (2025)
• Jordan — 782,426 (2025)
• Kuwait — 0 (2025)
• Lebanon — 528,774 (2025)
• Libya — 901,647 (2025)
• Malta

More environment data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)

• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 17.42% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 21.97% (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 30.85% (2025)
• Urban population — 319.88 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 69.15% (2025)
• Fossil fuel energy consumption (% of total) — 86.95% (2024)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 1.31 million (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons)

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Questions people ask

What is Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s rural population?

142.68 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is down 16.83% from 171.55 million in 1960 (0.28% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 173.37 million in 1965 and the lowest 142.27 million in 2024.

Is the latest change in rural population unusual for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)?

In 2025, Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s rural population rose 0.3% on 2024 (from 142.27 million to 142.68 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.5% and a typical year strayed about 0.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SP.RUR.TOTL, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), uri: https://population.un.org/wup/, note: World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects, National definitions, publisher: UN Population Division; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: Wo… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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