In general, arural area or acountryside is a geographic area that is located outsidetowns andcities.[1] Typical rural areas have a lowpopulation density and small settlements.Agricultural areas and areas withforestry are typically described as rural, as well as other areas lacking substantial development. Different countries have varying definitions ofrural for statistical and administrative purposes.
Rural areas have unique economic and social dynamics due to their relationship with land-based industry such asagriculture,forestry, andresource extraction. Ruraleconomics can be subject toboom and bust cycles and vulnerable toextreme weather or natural disasters, such asdroughts. These dynamics alongside larger economic forces encouragingurbanization have led to significant demographic declines, calledrural flight, where economic incentives encourage younger populations to go to cities for education and access to jobs, leaving older, less educated, and lesswealthy populations in the rural areas. Slower economic development results in poorer services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure.This cycle of poverty contributes to why three quarters of the global impoverished live in rural areas according to theFood and Agricultural Organization.
In Canada, theOrganization for Economic Co-operation and Development defines a "predominantly rural region" as having more than 50% of the population living in rural communities where a "rural community" has a population density less than 150 people per square kilometre. In Canada, the census division has been used to represent "regions" and census consolidated sub-divisions have been used to represent "communities". Intermediate regions have 15 to 49 percent of their population living in a rural community. Predominantlyurban regions have less than 15 percent of their population living in a rural community. Predominantly rural regions are classified as rural metro-adjacent, rural non-metro-adjacent and rural northern, following Philip Ehrensaft and Jennifer Beeman (1992). Rural metro-adjacent regions are predominantly ruralcensus divisions which are adjacent to metropolitan centres while rural non-metro-adjacent regions are those predominantly rural census divisions which are not adjacent to metropolitan centres. Rural northern regions are predominantly rural census divisions that are found either entirely or mostly above the following lines of latitude in each province:Newfoundland and Labrador, 50th;Manitoba, 53rd;Alberta,British Columbia,Ontario,Quebec, andSaskatchewan, 54th. As well, rural northern regions encompass all of theYukon,Northwest Territories andNunavut.
Statistics Canada defines rural areas by their population counts. This has referred to the population living outside settlements of 1,000 or fewer inhabitants. The current definition states that census rural is the population outside settlements with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants and a population density below 400 people per square kilometre.
Rural areas in the United States, often referred to as rural America,[2] consist of approximately 97% of theUnited States' land area. An estimated 60 million people, or one in five residents (17.9% of the totalU.S. population), live in rural America. Definitions vary from different parts of the United States government as to what constitutes those areas.
Rural areas tend to be poorer and their populations are older than in other parts of the United States because ofrural flight, declining infrastructure, and fewer economic prospects. The declining population also results in less access to services, such as high-quality medical and education systems.
In Brazil, there are different notions of "rural area" and "countryside". Rural areas are any place outside a municipality's urban development (buildings, streets) and it is carried by informal usage. Otherwise, countryside (interior inPortuguese) are officially defined as all municipalities outside the state/territory capital's metropolitan region. Some states asMato Grosso do Sul do not have any metropolitan regions, thus all of the state, except its capital is officially countryside.Rio de Janeiro is singular in Brazil and it is de facto a metropolitan state, as circa 70% of its population are located inGreater Rio. In theFederal District it is not applicable and there is no countryside as all of it is treated as the federal capital. Brasília is nominally the capital, but the capitality is shared through all Federal District, because Brazil de facto defines its capital as a municipality, and in municipal matters, the Federal District is treated and governs as a single municipality,city-state-like (Brasília, DF).
15% of the French population lives in rural areas, spread over 90% of the country. The government under PresidentEmmanuel Macron launched an action plan in 2019 amid theyellow vests movement in favor of rural areas named the "Agenda Rural".[3] Among many initiatives recommended to redynamize rural areas,energy transition is one of them. Research is being carried out to assess the impact of new projects in rural areas.[4]
In 2018, the government had launched the "Action Cœur de Ville" program to revitalize town centers across the country. 222 towns were selected as part of the five-year program. One of the program's aims is to make the towns attractive so the areas nearby can also benefit from investments.[5]
Germany is divided into 402 administrative districts, 295rural districts and 107 urban districts. As one of the largest agricultural producers in theEuropean Union, more than half of Germany's territory which is almost 19 million hectares,[6] is used for farming, and located in the rural areas. Almost 10% of people in Germany have jobs related to the agricultural, forest and fisheries sectors; approximately a fifth of them are employed in the primary production. Since there is a policy of equal living conditions, people see rural areas as equivalent as urban areas. Village renewal is an approach to develop countryside and supports the challenges faced in the process of it.[7]
In Britain, there are various definitions of a rural area.[8] "Rural" is defined by the UKDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), using population data from the latestcensus, such as theUnited Kingdom Census 2001.[9] These definitions have various grades, but the upper point is any local government area with more than 26% of its population living in a rural settlement ormarket town ("market town" being defined as any settlement which has permission to hold astreet market). A number of measures are in place to protect the British countryside, includinggreen belts.
Fish farmer at peasant market in Danshan,Sichuan in September 2005Rural society in the People's Republic of China encompasses less than half ofChina's population (roughly 45%) and has a varied range ofstandard of living and means of living. Life in rural China differs from that of urban China. Insouthern and coastal China, rural areas are developing and, in some cases, statistically approachingurban economies. Innorthwest and western regions, rural society is still perceived as lowly and primitive. Basic needs such asrunning water and accessibletransportation are a problem in these areas.
In India avillage tends to mean a small rural area, including both a settlement and its surrounding agricultural land, rather than just the settlement itself, the typical meaning elsewhere. There are said to be up to 500,000 villages in India. In rural areas,agriculture is the chief source of livelihood along withfishing,[10]cottage industries,pottery etc.
Almost every Indian economic agency today has its own definition of rural India, some of which follow:According to the Planning Commission, a town with a maximum population of 15,000 is considered rural in nature. In these areas thepanchayat makes all the decisions. There are five people in thepanchayat.The National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) defines 'rural' as follows:
An area with a population density of up to 400 per square kilometer,
Villages with clear surveyed boundaries but no municipal board,
A minimum of 75% of male working population involved in agriculture and allied activities.[11]
RBI defines rural areas as those areas with a population of less than 49,000 (tier -3 to tier-6 cities).[11]
It is generally said that the rural areas house up to 70% of India's population. Rural India contributes a large chunk to India's GDP by way of agriculture, self-employment, services, construction etc. As per a strict measure used by the National Sample Survey in its 63rd round, called monthly per capita expenditure, rural expenditure accounts for 55% of total national monthly expenditure. The rural population currently accounts for one-third of the total Indian FMCG sales.[11]
According to the2017 census about 64% of Pakistanis live in rural areas. Most rural areas in Pakistan tend to be near cities and areperi-urban areas. This is due to the definition of a rural area in Pakistan being an area that does not come within anurban boundary.[14] Rural areas in Pakistan that are near cities are considered assuburban areas orsuburbs.
The remote rural villagers of Pakistan commonly live in houses made of bricks, clay or mud.Socioeconomic status among rural Pakistani villagers is often based upon the ownership ofagricultural land, which also may providesocial prestige in village cultures. The majority of rural Pakistani inhabitants livelihoods is based upon the rearing of livestock, which also comprises a significant part of Pakistan's gross domestic product. Somelivestock raised by rural Pakistanis include cattle and goats.
InNew Zealand census areas are classified based on their degree of rurality. However, traffic law has a different interpretation and defines aRural area as "... a road or a geographical area that is not an urban traffic area, to which the rural speed limit generally applies."[15]
Rural economics is the study of ruraleconomies. Rural economies include bothagricultural and non-agricultural industries, so rural economics has broader concerns thanagricultural economics which focus more onfood systems.[16]Rural development[17] and finance[18] attempt to solve larger challenges within rural economics. These economic issues are often connected to the migration from rural areas due to lack of economic activities[19] andrural poverty. Some interventions have been very successful in some parts of the world, withrural electrification andrural tourism providing anchors for transforming economies in some rural areas. These challenges often create rural-urban income disparities.[20]
Rural spaces add new challenges for economic analysis that require an understanding ofeconomic geography: for example understanding of size and spatial distribution of production and household units and interregional trade,[21]land use,[22] and how low population density effects government policies as to development, investment, regulation, and transportation.[23]
A rural development academy inBogra, Bangladesh. Many government and non-governmental agencies invest in capacity building and opportunities for rural communities to gain greater access to economic opportunities.
Rural development is the process of improving thequalityof life and economicwell-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas.[24] Often, rural regions have experiencedrural poverty, poverty greater than urban or suburban economic regions due to lack of access to economic activities, and lack of investments in key infrastructure such as education.
Rural development has traditionally centered on theexploitation of land-intensivenatural resources such asagriculture andforestry. However, changes inglobal production networks and increasedurbanization have changed the character of rural areas. Increasinglyrural tourism, niche manufacturers, andrecreation have replaced resource extraction and agriculture as dominant economic drivers.[25] The need for rural communities to approach development from a wider perspective has created more focus on a broad range of development goals rather than merely creating incentive for agricultural or resource-based businesses.
Education,entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social infrastructure all play an important role in developing rural regions.[26] Rural development is also characterized by its emphasis on locally produced economic development strategies.[27] In contrast to urban regions, which have many similarities, rural areas are highly distinctive from one another. For this reason there are a large variety of rural development approaches used globally.[28]
Rural electrification is the process of bringingelectrical power to rural and remote areas. Rural communities are suffering from colossalmarket failures as thenational grids fall short of their demand for electricity. As of 2019, 770 million people live without access to electricity – 10.2% of the global population.[29]Electrification typically begins in cities and towns and gradually extends to rural areas, however, this process often runs into obstacles in developing nations. Expanding the national grid is expensive and countries consistently lack the capital to grow their current infrastructure. Additionally,amortizingcapital costs to reduce theunit cost of each hook-up is harder to do in lightly populated areas (yielding higherper capita share of the expense). If countries are able to overcome these obstacles and reach nationwide electrification, rural communities will be able to reap considerable amounts of economic and social development.
This graph shows the world rural electrification rate along with the electrification growth rate 1990–2016 and synthesizes data from the World Bank.[30]
Rural flight (also known as rural-to-urban migration, rural depopulation, or rural exodus) is themigratory pattern of people from rural areas intourban areas. It isurbanization seen from the rural perspective.
Once rural populations fall below acritical mass, the population is too small to support certain businesses, which then also leave or close, in avicious circle. Services to smaller and more dispersed populations may beproportionately more expensive, which can lead to closures of offices and services, which further harm the rural economy. Schools are the archetypal example because they influence the decisions of parents of young children: a village or region without a school will typically lose families to larger towns that have one. But the concept (urban hierarchy) can be applied more generally to many services and is explained bycentral place theory.
Government policies to combat rural flight include campaigns to expand services to the countryside, such aselectrification ordistance education. Governments can also use restrictions likeinternal passports to make rural flight illegal. Economic conditions that can counter rural depopulation includecommodities booms, the expansion ofoutdoor-focused tourism, and a shift toremote work, orexurbanization. To some extent, governments generally seek only to manage rural flight and channel it into certain cities, rather than stop it outright as this would imply taking on the expensive task of building airports, railways, hospitals, and universities in places with few users to support them, while neglecting growing urban and suburban areas.
Gustave Courbet depicted nineteenth century rural poverty in this painting.
Rural poverty refers to situations where people living in non-urban regions are in astate or condition of lacking the financial resources and essentials for living. It takes account of factors ofrural society,rural economy, andpolitical systems that give rise to the marginalization and economic disadvantage found there.[32] Rural areas, because of their small, spread-out populations, typically have less well maintained infrastructure and a harder time accessing markets, which tend to be concentrated in population centers.
Rural communities also face disadvantages in terms of legal and social protections, with women and marginalized communities frequently having a harder time accessing land, education and other support systems that help with economic development. Several policies have been tested in both developing and developed economies, including rural electrification and access to other technologies such as internet,gender parity, and improved access to credit and income.
In academic studies, rural poverty is often discussed in conjunction withspatial inequality, which in this context refers to the inequality between urban and rural areas.[33] Both rural poverty and spatial inequality are global phenomena, but like poverty in general, there are higher rates of rural poverty indeveloping countries than indeveloped countries.[34]
Many parts of rural Africa, such as this community in Mozambique, experience rural poverty. This woman was given access to a bicycle through a rural development program through aBicycle poverty reduction program. Access to affordable transportation has been a key part of gaining access to greater economic mobility in many parts of the world. For example, distributing bicycles was one of the key strategies used by China to reduce rural poverty in the 20th century.[35]
Rural populations often experiencehealth disparities and greater barriers in access to healthcare compared to urban populations.[43][44] Globally, rural populations face increased burdens ofnoncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, contributing to worse health outcomes and higher mortality rates.[45] Factors contributing to these health disparities include remotegeography, increased rates of health risk behaviors, lowerpopulation density, decreased health insurance coverage among the population, lack of health infrastructure, and work force demographics.[44][46][47] People living in rural areas also tend to have less education, lowersocioeconomic status, and higher rates of alcohol and smoking when compared to their urban counterparts.[48] Additionally, the rate of poverty is higher in rural populations globally, contributing to health disparities due to an inability to access healthy foods, healthcare, and housing.[49][50]
Many countries have made it a priority to increase funding for research on rural health.[51][52] These research efforts are designed to help identify the healthcare needs of rural communities and provide policy solutions to ensure those needs are met.
Rural economics is the study of ruraleconomies. Rural economies include bothagricultural and non-agricultural industries, so rural economics has broader concerns thanagricultural economics which focus more onfood systems.[53]Rural development[54] and finance[55] attempt to solve larger challenges within rural economics. These economic issues are often connected to the migration from rural areas due to lack of economic activities[56] andrural poverty. Some interventions have been very successful in some parts of the world, withrural electrification andrural tourism providing anchors for transforming economies in some rural areas. These challenges often create rural-urban income disparities.[57]
Rural spaces add new challenges for economic analysis that require an understanding ofeconomic geography: for example understanding of size and spatial distribution of production and household units and interregional trade,[58]land use,[59] and how low population density effects government policies as to development, investment, regulation, and transportation.[60]
Rural planning is an academic discipline that existswithin oralongside the field ofurban planning,regional planning orurbanism. The definition of these fields differs between languages and contexts. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably.
Specific interventions and solutions will depend entirely on the needs of each region in each country, but generally speaking, regional planning at the macro level will seek to:[61]
Resist development inflood plains or alongearthquake faults. These areas may be utilised as parks, or unimproved farmland.
Designate transportation corridors usinghubs and spokes and considering major new infrastructure
Some thought into the various 'role's settlements in the region may play, for example some may be administrative, with others based upon manufacturing or transport.
Consider designating essential nuisance land uses locations, including waste disposal.
DesignateGreen belt land or similar to resist settlement amalgamation and protect the environment.
Set regional level 'policy' and zoning which encourages a mix of housing values and communities.
Consider building codes,zoning laws and policies that encourage the best use of the land.
^"A Beginners Guide to UK Geography (2023)".Open Geography Portal. Office for National Statistics. 24 August 2023. Retrieved9 December 2023.There is no single definition of a rural area, as there are many different approaches to classifying what is 'rural' (or 'non-urban'). These include approaches based on population, population density, land use and socio-economic characteristics, all of which have different advantages and disadvantages depending on the purpose of the classification. The 2011 rural urban area classification for England and Wales classifies Output Areas (OA) and wards as either urban or rural depending on whether the bulk of their population falls in a settlement of greater than 10,000 residents. It also offers sub-classifications of urban and rural areas, based on population density. A 2021 rural urban classification is under development.
^•Gustav Ranis andFrances Stewart (1993). "Rural Nonagricultural Activities in Development: Theory and Application",Journal of Development Economics, 40(1), pp. 75-101.Abstract. • Jean O. Lanjouwb and Peter Lanjouw (2001). "The Rural Non-farm Sector: Issues and Evidence from Developing Countries",Agricultural Economics, 26(1), pp. 1-23.Abstract. • Thomas Reardon et al. (2008). "Effects of Non-Farm Employment on Rural Income Inequality in Developing Countries: An Investment Perspective",Journal of Agricultural Economics,51(2), pp. 266-288.Abstract.
^• Thomas P. Tomich, Peter Kilby, and Bruce F. Johnston (1995).Transforming Agrarian Economies.Arrow-page searchable. • Alain de Janvry, Rinku Murgai, andElisabeth Sadoulet (2002). "Rural Development and Rural Policy", inHandbook of Agricultural Economics, v. 2A(scrollable preview), ch. 31.Abstract. • Bruce L. Gardner (2005). "Causes of Rural Economic Development",Agricultural Economics, 32(s1), pp. 21-41.Abstract. • Kiminori Matsuyama (2008). "Structural change",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics 2nd Edition.Abstract. • Steven C. Delleret al. (2001). "The Role of Amenities and Quality of Life in Rural Economic Growth",American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 83(2), pp.352-365Archived 2011-07-21 at theWayback Machine (close Pages tab).
^• Michael R. Carter (2008), "agricultural finance",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • Karla Hoff and Joseph E. Stiglitz (1993). "Imperfect Information and Rural Credit Markets: Puzzles and Policy Perspectives", in Karla Hoff,Avishay Braverman, and Joseph E. Stiglitz, ed.,Economics of Rural Organization: Theory, Practice and Policy, ch. 2, pp.33-52 (press +). • Rodrigo A. Chaves and Claudio Gonzalez-Vega (1996). "The Design of Successful Rural Financial Intermediaries: Evidence from Indonesia",World Development, 24(1), pp. 65-78.Abstract.
^• James Roumasset (2008). "population and agricultural growth",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • David McGranahan (1999).Natural Amenities Drive Rural Population Change. Agricultural Economic Report No. (AER781) 32 pp, Description and chapterlinks.
^• Anthony J. Venables (2008). "New economic geography".The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • France Ivry (1994).Agricultural Household Modelling and Family Economics. Elsevier.Abstract.
^• Alain de Janvry and Elisabeth Sadoulet (2008). "access to land and development",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics 2nd Edition.Abstract. • JunJie Wu (2008). "Land Use Changes: Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts",Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm, and Resource Issues, 23(4), pp.6-10 (press +).
^• John W. Mellor (2008). "agriculture and economic development",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • Christopher B. Barrett and Emelly Mutambatsere (2008). "agricultural markets in developing countries",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • Karla Hoff,Avishay Braverman, andJoseph E. Stiglitz, ed. (1993).Economics of Rural Organization: Theory, Practice and Policy. Oxford University Press for the World Bank. • William A. Galston and Karen Baehler (1995).Rural Development in the United States: Connecting Theory, Practice, and Possibilities. Wash., D.C.: Island Press.Description and TOClink. • Alan Okagaki, Kris Palmer, and Neil S. Mayer (1998).Strengthening Rural Economics. Wash., D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development.DescriptionArchived 2009-05-09 at theWayback Machine andPDF (press +).
^Moseley, Malcolm J. (2003).Rural development : principles and practice (1. publ. ed.). SAGE. p. 5.ISBN9780761947660.
^Janvry, A. de, E. Sadoulet, and R. Murgai. 2002."Rural Development and Rural Policy". In B.GardnerG. Rausser (eds.), Handbook of Agricultural Economics, vol. 2, A, Amsterdam: NorthHolland: 1593–658.
^abJazaïry, Idriss; Alamgir, Mohiuddin; Panuccio, Theresa (1992).The State of World Rural Poverty: An Inquiry into Its Causes and Consequences. New York: University Press.ISBN9789290720034.
^WHO guideline on health workforce development, attraction, recruitment and retention in rural and remote areas. World Health Organization. 2021.hdl:10665/341139.ISBN978-92-4-002422-9.[page needed]
^•Gustav Ranis andFrances Stewart (1993). "Rural Nonagricultural Activities in Development: Theory and Application",Journal of Development Economics, 40(1), pp. 75-101.Abstract. • Jean O. Lanjouwb and Peter Lanjouw (2001). "The Rural Non-farm Sector: Issues and Evidence from Developing Countries",Agricultural Economics, 26(1), pp. 1-23.Abstract. • Thomas Reardon et al. (2008). "Effects of Non-Farm Employment on Rural Income Inequality in Developing Countries: An Investment Perspective",Journal of Agricultural Economics,51(2), pp. 266-288.Abstract.
^• Thomas P. Tomich, Peter Kilby, and Bruce F. Johnston (1995).Transforming Agrarian Economies.Arrow-page searchable. • Alain de Janvry, Rinku Murgai, andElisabeth Sadoulet (2002). "Rural Development and Rural Policy", inHandbook of Agricultural Economics, v. 2A(scrollable preview), ch. 31.Abstract. • Bruce L. Gardner (2005). "Causes of Rural Economic Development",Agricultural Economics, 32(s1), pp. 21-41.Abstract. • Kiminori Matsuyama (2008). "Structural change",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics 2nd Edition.Abstract. • Steven C. Delleret al. (2001). "The Role of Amenities and Quality of Life in Rural Economic Growth",American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 83(2), pp.352-365Archived 2011-07-21 at theWayback Machine (close Pages tab).
^• Michael R. Carter (2008), "agricultural finance",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • Karla Hoff and Joseph E. Stiglitz (1993). "Imperfect Information and Rural Credit Markets: Puzzles and Policy Perspectives", in Karla Hoff,Avishay Braverman, and Joseph E. Stiglitz, ed.,Economics of Rural Organization: Theory, Practice and Policy, ch. 2, pp.33-52 (press +). • Rodrigo A. Chaves and Claudio Gonzalez-Vega (1996). "The Design of Successful Rural Financial Intermediaries: Evidence from Indonesia",World Development, 24(1), pp. 65-78.Abstract.
^• James Roumasset (2008). "population and agricultural growth",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • David McGranahan (1999).Natural Amenities Drive Rural Population Change. Agricultural Economic Report No. (AER781) 32 pp, Description and chapterlinks.
^• Anthony J. Venables (2008). "New economic geography".The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • France Ivry (1994).Agricultural Household Modelling and Family Economics. Elsevier.Abstract.
^• Alain de Janvry and Elisabeth Sadoulet (2008). "access to land and development",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics 2nd Edition.Abstract. • JunJie Wu (2008). "Land Use Changes: Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts",Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm, and Resource Issues, 23(4), pp.6-10 (press +).
^• John W. Mellor (2008). "agriculture and economic development",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • Christopher B. Barrett and Emelly Mutambatsere (2008). "agricultural markets in developing countries",The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition.Abstract. • Karla Hoff,Avishay Braverman, andJoseph E. Stiglitz, ed. (1993).Economics of Rural Organization: Theory, Practice and Policy. Oxford University Press for the World Bank. • William A. Galston and Karen Baehler (1995).Rural Development in the United States: Connecting Theory, Practice, and Possibilities. Wash., D.C.: Island Press.Description and TOClink. • Alan Okagaki, Kris Palmer, and Neil S. Mayer (1998).Strengthening Rural Economics. Wash., D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development.DescriptionArchived 2009-05-09 at theWayback Machine andPDF (press +).
"Definitions of Rural: A Handbook for Health Policy Makers and Researchers"(PDF). (6.12 MB) Thomas C. Ricketts, Karen D. Johnson-Webb, Patricia Taylor. Chapel Hill: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, 1998. 13 p.