Rural population, male in World

World: Rural population, male was 23.4% in 2015. ▼ Falling

Latest (2015)
23.4%
Rank
2nd
of 3 groups
All-time high
30.8%
in 1980
All-time low
23.4%
in 2015
Years of data
8
1980–2015

Rural population, male in World, 1980–2015

01020301980199720151980: 30.8 % of total1985: 29.9 % of total1990: 28.9 % of total1995: 28.1 % of total2000: 27.2 % of total2005: 25.9 % of total2010: 24.7 % of total2015: 23.4 % of total

Source: The United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects. Measured in % of total.

Analysis

The most recent figure for rural population, male in World is 23.4%, measured in 2015. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rural population, male in World peaked at 30.8% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 23.4%, in 2015.

Rural population, male in World, year by year

Annual values for Rural population, male (% of total) in World, 1980 to 2015.
Year % of total Change
1980 30.8%
1985 29.9% -3.0%
1990 28.9% -3.1%
1995 28.1% -2.9%
2000 27.2% -3.3%
2005 25.9% -4.5%
2010 24.7% -4.9%
2015 23.4% -5.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 30.3% 29.9% 30.8% 2
1990s 28.5% 28.1% 28.9% 2
2000s 26.5% 25.9% 27.2% 2
2010s 24.0% 23.4% 24.7% 2

Countries ranked near World

  1. 1 Trinidad and Tobago 45.3% compare
  2. 2 Papua New Guinea 44.0% compare
  3. 3 Burundi 42.8% compare
  4. 4 Uganda 42.1% compare
  5. 5 Samoa 41.8% compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More gender data for World

All data for World →

Frequently asked questions

What is rural population, male in World?
Rural population, male in World was 23.4% in 2015, according to The United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects.
What is the highest rural population, male recorded in World?
The highest recorded value was 30.8% in 1980.
What is the lowest rural population, male recorded in World?
The lowest recorded value was 23.4% in 2015.
How does World rank for rural population, male?
World ranks 2nd out of 3 groups with data for 2015.
Is rural population, male rising or falling in World?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this World data come from?
The figures come from The United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects, published as part of Rural population, male (% of total). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Rural population, male in World. Statizoid, drawing on The United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/rural-population-male-percent-of-total/world/

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About this data

Indicator
Rural population, male (% of total)
Unit
% of total
Source
The United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
241 places, 1,928 data points, 1980–2015
Last refreshed

Male rural population is the percentage males who live in rural areas to total population.