Rural population growth in Germany

Germany: Rural population growth was -0.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
-0.7%
Change on year
down 81.1%
World rank
153rd
of 207 countries
All-time high
0.8%
in 1990
All-time low
-2.0%
in 2011
Years of data
65
1961–2025

Rural population growth in Germany, 1961–2025

-2-101196119932025

Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.

Analysis

Germany recorded -0.7% for rural population growth in 2025.

The figure is down 81.1% on the previous year and down 388.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, rural population growth in Germany peaked at 0.8% in 1990 and was at its lowest, -2.0%, in 2011.

That places Germany 153rd out of 207 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s -1.2% -1.6% -0.1% 9
1970s -0.1% -0.5% 0.3% 10
1980s 0.0% -0.4% 0.7% 10
1990s 0.4% -0.0% 0.8% 10
2000s -0.1% -0.4% 0.1% 10
2010s -0.4% -2.0% 0.2% 10
2020s -0.7% -0.9% -0.4% 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 150 Argentina -0.7% compare
  2. 151 Lesotho -0.7% compare
  3. 152 Fiji -0.7% compare
  4. 154 Gabon -0.7% compare
  5. 155 San Marino -0.7% compare
  6. 156 Norway -0.8% compare

See the full ranking of 256 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is rural population growth in Germany?
Rural population growth in Germany was -0.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
What is the highest rural population growth recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 0.8% in 1990.
What is the lowest rural population growth recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was -2.0% in 2011.
How does Germany rank for rural population growth?
Germany ranks 153rd out of 207 countries with data for 2025.
Is rural population growth rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is down 388.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Rural population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Rural population growth (annual %)
Unit
annual %
Source
World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
256 places, 16,517 data points, 1961–2025
Last refreshed

Annual rural population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear rural population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. 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.