Countries in South America Ranked by Rural population (2025)
Rural population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Brazil ranks #1 with 25.16 million people. That is 2.2 times Colombia in second place (11.34 million people). The top five are Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Together the top 10 account for 99.4% of the total across the 12 countries in South America listed. The median across all 12 is 3.28 million people; Uruguay is last at 147,110 people. Brazil's figure has fallen 22% since 2001 (32.45 million people to 25.16 million people in 2025).
- #1
- Brazil · 25.16 million people
- Median
- 3.28 million people
- Coverage
- 12 countries in South America
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Brazil 39.6%Colombia 17.8%Ecuador 10.5%Peru 7.8%Bolivia 5.6%All others 18.5%
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Rural population (people) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 25,160,000 |
| 2 | Colombia | 11,335,000 |
| 3 | Ecuador | 6,695,600 |
| 4 | Peru | 4,980,300 |
| 5 | Bolivia | 3,577,900 |
| 6 | Argentina | 3,506,700 |
| 7 | Venezuela, RB | 3,045,100 |
| 8 | Chile | 2,149,400 |
| 9 | Paraguay | 2,076,600 |
| 10 | Guyana | 614,520 |
| 11 | Suriname | 218,900 |
| 12 | Uruguay | 147,110 |
About the top 10
#1 Brazil
Brazil ranks #1 on this list with 25.16 million people.
- Capital
- Brasília
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 212.81 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.28 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$10,713 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 88.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Greater Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro.
Also ranks #1 in new businesses registered · #2 in forest area · #3 in external debt stocks.
#2 Colombia
Colombia ranks #2 on this list with 11.34 million people.
- Capital
- Bogotá
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 53.43 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$457.41 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,562 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 78.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali.
Also ranks #1 in income share of richest 10% · #1 in gini index · #4 in women in ministerial positions share.
#3 Ecuador
Ecuador ranks #3 on this list with 6.7 million people.
- Capital
- Quito
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 18.29 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$130.32 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,125 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Guayaquil, Quito.
Also ranks #5 in homicide rate · #9 in gini index · #9 in women in ministerial positions share.
#4 Peru
Peru ranks #4 on this list with 4.98 million people.
- Capital
- Lima
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 34.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$334.85 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$9,684 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 85.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lima, Arequipa.
Also ranks #5 in fish production · #6 in firms using banks to finance investment share · #7 in atms per 100,000 adults.
#5 Bolivia
Bolivia ranks #5 on this list with 3.58 million people.
- Capital
- La Paz, Sucre
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 12.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$64.77 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,148 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Also ranks #2 in real effective exchange rate index · #3 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #4 in women in parliament share.
#6 Argentina
Argentina ranks #6 on this list with 3.51 million people.
- Capital
- Buenos Aires
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 45.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$683.1 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,898 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 92.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Greater Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Córdoba.
Also ranks #1 in inflation rate · #2 in access to clean cooking fuels · #2 in deposit interest rate.
#7 Venezuela, RB
Venezuela, RB ranks #7 on this list with 3.05 million people.
- Capital
- Caracas
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 28.52 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$99.66 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,495 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 89.3% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia.
Also ranks #1 in time to start a business (days) · #3 in protected terrestrial area share · #11 in refugee population by origin.
#8 Chile
Chile ranks #8 on this list with 2.15 million people.
- Capital
- Santiago
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 19.86 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$357.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$17,995 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 81.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 89.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santiago, Santo Domingo.
Also ranks #5 in mineral rents share of gdp · #7 in school enrolment (tertiary) · #10 in fish production.
#9 Paraguay
Paraguay ranks #9 on this list with 2.08 million people.
- Capital
- Asunción
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 7.01 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$49.28 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,027 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 70.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in official exchange rate · #11 in income share of richest 10% · #14 in gini index.
#10 Guyana
Guyana ranks #10 on this list with 614,520 people.
- Capital
- Georgetown
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 835,990 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$27.1 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$32,414 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 26.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in gdp growth rate · #1 in industry value added share of gdp · #1 in livestock production index.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Rural population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SP.RUR.TOTL. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Rural population: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospe.
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.