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.

Rural population in World was reported at 3445666944 in 2023, 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 June of 2025.

Over the past three decades, the share of the global population living in rural areas has decreased continuously. Since 2007, less than **** of the world's population lived in rural areas, a share that had dropped to ***** percent as of 2023. The urbanization is expected to continue over the coming decades.

Rural population (% of total population) in World was reported at 42.3 % 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.

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;

Historical dataset showing World rural population by year from 1960 to 2023.

Rural population growth (annual %) in World was reported at --0.11846 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Rural population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

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 July of 2025.

World urban population for 2023 was 4,614,425,176, a 1.67% increase from 2022.

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

<li>World urban population for 2022 was <strong>4,538,431,007</strong>, a <strong>1.65% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>World urban population for 2021 was <strong>4,464,635,019</strong>, a <strong>1.57% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>World urban population for 2020 was <strong>4,395,641,624</strong>, a <strong>1.82% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

United States US: Rural Population Growth data was reported at -0.374 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of -0.313 % for 2016. United States US: Rural Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.083 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.223 % in 1971 and a record low of -0.554 % in 1999. United States US: Rural Population Growth 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;

In 2023, approximately ** percent of the population in Papua New Guinea were living in rural areas. In comparison, approximately ***** percent of the population in Japan were living in rural areas that year. Urbanization and development Despite the desirable outcomes that urbanization entails, these rapid demographic shifts have also brought about unintended changes. For instance, in countries like India, rapid urbanization has led to unsustainable and crowded cities, with **** of the urban population in India estimated to live in slums. In China, population shifts from rural to urban areas have aggravated regional economic disparities. For example, the migration of workers into coastal cities has made possible the creation of urban clusters of immense economic magnitude, with the Yangtze River Delta city cluster accounting for about a ******of the country’s gross domestic product. Megacities and their future Home to roughly 60 percent of the world’s population, the Asia-Pacific region also shelters most of the globe’s largest urban agglomerations. Megacities, a term used for cities or urban areas with a population of over ten million people, are characterized by high cultural diversity and advanced infrastructure. As a result, they create better economic opportunities, and they are often hubs of innovation. For instance, many megacities in the Asia-Pacific region offer high local purchasing power to their residents. Despite challenges like pollution, income inequality, or the rising cost of living, megacities in the Asia-Pacific region have relatively high population growth rates and are expected to expand.

Access to electricity, rural (% of rural population) in World was reported at 84.27 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Access to electricity, rural (% of rural population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Rural population (% of total population) in China was reported at 35.43 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

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 July of 2025.

Rural population (% of total population) in Madagascar was reported at 59.44 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Madagascar - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Rural population growth (annual %) in United States was reported at --0.33134 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Rural population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Bermuda BM: Rural Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 0.000 % in 2023. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 % for 2022. Bermuda BM: Rural Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.000 % in 2023 and a record low of 0.000 % in 2023. Bermuda BM: 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 Bermuda – Table BM.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;

The average for 2023 based on 24 countries was 37.14 percent. The highest value was in Saint Lucia: 80.83 percent and the lowest value was in Bermuda: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The share of people living in rural areas decreases with a higher level of income. In 2024, less than ********* of the population in high-income countries lived in rural areas, whereas the figures were around ***percent among people living in the least developed and low-income countries. In 2023, Papua New Guinea was the country where the highest share of the population lived in rural areas.