In 2023, there were approximately ***** million people living in rural areas in the United States, while about ****** million people were living in urban areas. Within the provided time period, the number of people living in urban U.S. areas has increased significantly since totaling only ****** million in 1960.

United States US: Rural Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 17.942 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18.138 % for 2016. United States US: Rural Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 24.985 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 30.004 % in 1960 and a record low of 17.942 % in 2017. United States US: Rural Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. 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.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Rural population in World was reported at 3443380761 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The global urban population overtook the rural population in numbers in 2007. As of 2023, 4.61 billion people live in urban areas, compared to 3.45 million in rural areas. This development underlines that rapid urbanization the world has seen in recent decades.

This map's colors indicate which population is larger in each area: urban (green) or rural (yellow). The map's layers contain total population counts by sex, age, and race groups for Nation, State Legislative Districts Upper, State Legislative Districts Lower, Congressional District in the United States and Puerto Rico.The U.S. Census designates each census block as part of an urban area or as rural. Larger geographies in this map such as block group, tract, county and state can therefore have a mix of urban and rural population. This map illustrates the 100% urban areas in dark green, and 100% rural areas in dark yellow. Areas with mixed urban/rural population have softer shades of green or yellow, to give a visual indication of where change may be happening. From the Census:"The Census Bureau’s urban-rural classification is a delineation of geographic areas, identifying both individual urban areas and the rural area of the nation. The Census Bureau’s urban areas represent densely developed territory, and encompass residential, commercial, and other non-residential urban land uses. The Census Bureau delineates urban areas after each decennial census by applying specified criteria to decennial census and other data. Rural encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area.For the 2020 Census, an urban area will comprise a densely settled core of census blocks that meet minimum housing unit density and/or population density requirements. This includes adjacent territory containing non-residential urban land uses. To qualify as an urban area, the territory identified according to criteria must encompass at least 2,000 housing units or have a population of at least 5,000." SourceAbout the dataYou can use this map as is and you can also modify it to use other attributes included in its layers. This map's layers contain total population counts by sex, age, and race groups data from the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics. This is shown by Nation, State, County, Census Tract, Block Group boundaries. Each geography layer contains a common set of Census counts based on available attributes from the U.S. Census Bureau. There are also additional calculated attributes related to this topic, which can be mapped or used within analysis.Vintage of boundaries and attributes: 2020 Demographic and Housing Characteristics Table(s): P1, H1, H3, P2, P3, P5, P12, P13, P17, PCT12 (Not all lines of these DHC tables are available in this feature layer.)Data downloaded from: U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov siteDate the Data was Downloaded: May 25, 2023Geography Levels included: Nation, State, County, Census Tract, Block GroupNational Figures: included in Nation layer The United States Census Bureau Demographic and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Census Results 2020 Census Data Quality Geography & 2020 Census Technical Documentation Data Table Guide: includes the final list of tables, lowest level of geography by table and table shells for the Demographic Profile and Demographic and Housing Characteristics.News & Updates This map is ready to be used in ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online and its configurable apps, Story Maps, dashboards, Notebooks, Python, custom apps, and mobile apps. Data can also be exported for offline workflows. Please cite the U.S. Census Bureau when using this data. Data Processing Notes: These 2020 Census boundaries come from the US Census TIGER geodatabases. These are Census boundaries with water and/or coastlines erased for cartographic and mapping purposes. For Census tracts and block groups, the water cutouts are derived from a subset of the 2020 Areal Hydrography boundaries offered by TIGER. Water bodies and rivers which are 50 million square meters or larger (mid to large sized water bodies) are erased from the tract and block group boundaries, as well as additional important features. For state and county boundaries, the water and coastlines are derived from the coastlines of the 2020 500k TIGER Cartographic Boundary Shapefiles. These are erased to more accurately portray the coastlines and Great Lakes. The original AWATER and ALAND fields are unchanged and available as attributes within the data table (units are square meters).  The layer contains all US states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Census tracts with no population that occur in areas of water, such as oceans, are removed from this data service (Census Tracts beginning with 99). Block groups that fall within the same criteria (Block Group denoted as 0 with no area land) have also been removed.Percentages and derived counts, are calculated values (that can be identified by the "_calc_" stub in the field name). Field alias names were created based on the Table Shells file available from the Data Table Guide for the Demographic Profile and Demographic and Housing Characteristics. Not all lines of all tables listed above are included in this layer. Duplicative counts were dropped. For example, P0030001 was dropped, as it is duplicative of P0010001.To protect the privacy and confidentiality of respondents, their data has been protected using differential privacy techniques by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a map consisting of two condensed maps showing the distribution of rural population according to the 1951 census of Canada. The term 'rural population' embraces all persons residing outside the census metropolitan areas and cities, towns and villages of 1000 inhabitants and over, whether such cities, towns and villages were incorporated or not. The distribution is shown according to the two divisions of rural population commonly made, namely, rural farm and rural non-farm. The rural farm population comprises all people residing on a farm regardless of occupation. A farm for such purposes is defined as a land holding of over three acres in size on which agricultural operations are carried out, or a land holding from one to three acres in size, which in 1950 accounted for an agricultural production amounting to $250 or more. All other persons classed as rural population come under the rural non-farm division. The northern parts of Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories are not included on the rural non-farm map although there are some rural non-farm dwellers in these areas. In 1951, Canada's rural population was 52.5% rural farm, and 47.5% rural non-farm.

Burundi BI: Rural Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 85.216 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 85.583 % for 2022. Burundi BI: Rural Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 93.454 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 97.923 % in 1960 and a record low of 85.216 % in 2023. Burundi BI: Rural Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Burundi – Table BI.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. 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.;World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.;Weighted average;

Brazil BR: Rural Population data was reported at 26,429,509.000 Person in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 26,795,765.000 Person for 2022. Brazil BR: Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 38,546,226.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 42,653,748.000 Person in 1973 and a record low of 26,429,509.000 Person in 2023. Brazil BR: Rural Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Brazil – Table BR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. 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.;World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.;Sum;

Belgium BE: Rural Population Growth data was reported at -1.055 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of -1.122 % for 2022. Belgium BE: Rural Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging -1.790 % from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2023, with 63 observations. The data reached an all-time high of -0.720 % in 2011 and a record low of -3.817 % in 1980. Belgium BE: Rural Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Belgium – Table BE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. 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.;World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.;Weighted average;

Rural population (% of total population) in United States was reported at 16.48 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

China rural population for 2023 was 499,814,553, a 2.87% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>China rural population for 2022 was <strong>514,596,570</strong>, a <strong>2.81% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>China rural population for 2021 was <strong>529,465,517</strong>, a <strong>2.72% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>China rural population for 2020 was <strong>544,289,492</strong>, a <strong>2.59% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>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.

Rural population (% of total population) in Costa Rica was reported at 16.83 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Costa Rica - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

2007 marked the first year where more of the world's population lived in an urban setting than a rural setting. In 1960, roughly a third of the world lived in an urban setting; it is expected that this figure will reach two thirds by 2050. Urbanization is a fairly new phenomenon; for the vast majority of human history, fewer than five percent of the world lived in urban areas, due to the dependency on subsistence agriculture. Advancements in agricultural practices and technology then coincided with the beginning of the industrial revolution in Europe in the late 19th century, which resulted in waves of urbanization to meet the demands of emerging manufacturing industries. This trend was replicated across the rest of the world as it industrialized over the following two centuries, and the most significant increase coincided with the industrialization of the most populous countries in Asia. In more developed economies, urbanization remains high even as economies de-industrialize, due to a variety of factors such as housing availability, labor demands in service industries, and social trends.

Belgium BE: Rural Population data was reported at 213,470.000 Person in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 215,733.000 Person for 2022. Belgium BE: Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 350,710.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 690,173.000 Person in 1960 and a record low of 213,470.000 Person in 2023. Belgium BE: Rural Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Belgium – Table BE.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. 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.;World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.;Sum;

Romania: Rural population, percent of total population: The latest value from 2023 is 45.33 percent, a decline from 45.51 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 38.64 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Romania from 1960 to 2023 is 51.3 percent. The minimum value, 45.33 percent, was reached in 2023 while the maximum of 65.79 percent was recorded in 1960.

This bar chart displays rural population (people) by region using the aggregation sum. The data is about countries.

Mexico: Rural population, percent of total population: The latest value from 2023 is 18.42 percent, a decline from 18.7 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 38.64 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Mexico from 1960 to 2023 is 30.26 percent. The minimum value, 18.42 percent, was reached in 2023 while the maximum of 49.25 percent was recorded in 1960.

Rural population (% of total population) in Brazil was reported at 11.98 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Brazil - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

The USA: Rural population, percent of total population: The latest value from 2023 is 16.7 percent, a decline from 16.92 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 38.64 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for the USA from 1960 to 2023 is 23.22 percent. The minimum value, 16.7 percent, was reached in 2023 while the maximum of 30 percent was recorded in 1960.

The average for 2023 based on 47 countries was 26.9 percent. The highest value was in Liechtenstein: 85.38 percent and the lowest value was in Gibraltar: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.