Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Ecuador

Ecuador: Share of population living in urban and rural areas was 77.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
77.5%
World rank
92nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
77.5%
in 2020
All-time low
50.5%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Ecuador, 1950–2020

0204060801950198520201950: 50.5 %1955: 53.3 %1960: 56.2 %1965: 59.3 %1970: 62.5 %1975: 65.5 %1980: 67.2 %1985: 68.4 %1990: 69.2 %1995: 71.5 %2000: 73.7 %2005: 74.9 %2010: 75.9 %2015: 76.8 %2020: 77.5 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2020, share of population living in urban and rural areas in Ecuador stood at 77.5%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is up 2.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in urban and rural areas in Ecuador peaked at 77.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 50.5%, in 1950.

That places Ecuador 92nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Ecuador, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Ecuador, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 50.5%
1955 53.3% +5.5%
1960 56.2% +5.5%
1965 59.3% +5.5%
1970 62.5% +5.4%
1975 65.5% +4.9%
1980 67.2% +2.5%
1985 68.4% +1.7%
1990 69.2% +1.2%
1995 71.5% +3.4%
2000 73.7% +3.0%
2005 74.9% +1.7%
2010 75.9% +1.4%
2015 76.8% +1.2%
2020 77.5% +0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 51.9% 50.5% 53.3% 2
1960s 57.7% 56.2% 59.3% 2
1970s 64.0% 62.5% 65.5% 2
1980s 67.8% 67.2% 68.4% 2
1990s 70.4% 69.2% 71.5% 2
2000s 74.3% 73.7% 74.9% 2
2010s 76.4% 75.9% 76.8% 2
2020s 77.5% 77.5% 77.5% 1

Countries ranked near Ecuador

  1. 89 South Africa 78.6% compare
  2. 90 Belgium 78.4% compare
  3. 91 Morocco 78.1% compare
  4. 93 Mexico 77.3% compare
  5. 94 Oman 77.1% compare
  6. 95 Armenia 77.0% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for Ecuador

All data for Ecuador →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in urban and rural areas in Ecuador?
Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Ecuador was 77.5% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Ecuador?
The highest recorded value was 77.5% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of population living in urban and rural areas recorded in Ecuador?
The lowest recorded value was 50.5% in 1950.
How does Ecuador rank for share of population living in urban and rural areas?
Ecuador ranks 92nd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in urban and rural areas rising or falling in Ecuador?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ecuador data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in urban and rural areas in Ecuador. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-people-living-in-urban-and-rural-areas-degurba/ecuador/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in urban and rural areas
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.