Venezuela's Rural Population: 14.7% (2021 World Bank)

According to the World Bank's 2021 estimates (based on UN Population Division data), 14.7% of Venezuela's population lives in rural areas.

Context

• Urbanization: 85.3% urban—among the highest in Latin America.
• Trend: Steady decline from ~40% rural (1960) → 14.7% (2021). Accelerated by oil-driven urban migration, then crisis-driven emigration (7M+ left 2015–2023).
• Rural definition: Settlements <2,500 inhabitants (national stat office INE).
• Key rural states: Apure, Barinas, Portuguesa, Amazonas, Delta Amacuro—agricultural, Indigenous, low density.

Implications

• Services: Rural healthcare, education, connectivity lag severely.
• Agriculture: Smallholders produce ~60% of food but lack credit, tech, market access.
• Politics: Rural vote historically pro-government; urban opposition strong.

Venezuela's extreme urbanization reflects both its oil-rentier history and the recent collapse that hollowed out the countryside.