In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities . Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically described as rural, as well as other areas lacking substantial development. Different countries have varying definitions of rural for statistical and administrative purposes.
59-743: Eketāhuna is a small rural settlement, in the south of the Tararua District and the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island . The town is located at eastern foot of the Tararua Ranges , 35 kilometres north of Masterton and a similar distance south of Palmerston North . It is situated on State Highway 2 , on the eastern bank of the Mākākahi River . Eketāhuna has become synonymous with stereotypes of remote rural New Zealand towns, with New Zealanders colloquially referring to
118-857: A car, 3.2% rode in a car and 2.9% walked or jogged. No one commuted by public transport or cycled. Eketāhuna School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of 104 as of August 2024. Rural Rural areas have unique economic and social dynamics due to their relationship with land-based industry such as agriculture , forestry , and resource extraction . Rural economics can be subject to boom and bust cycles and vulnerable to extreme weather or natural disasters, such as droughts . These dynamics alongside larger economic forces encouraging urbanization have led to significant demographic declines, called rural flight , where economic incentives encourage younger populations to go to cities for education and access to jobs, leaving older, less educated and less wealthy populations in
177-547: A database to target Māori voters in the general election held later in 2023. Takutai Moana Kemp was the chief executive of the marae at the time and was also a candidate for Te Pāti Māori, later narrowly winning a seat at the 2023 general election. Results of the 2013 census were released over an 18-month period, beginning 15 October 2013. It recorded 4,242,048 people who were resident in New Zealand on 5 March 2013. This represents an increase of 214,101 people (5.3 percent) since
236-426: A delay due to the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle ), and it implemented measures that aimed to increase the census' effectiveness in response to the issues faced with the 2018 census, including supporting Māori to complete the census. It also included new questions on topics such as gender, sexual identity, and disabilities/health conditions. A few people object to the census and attempt to evade it. As early as 1859,
295-406: A different census form in previous years and separate censuses in the nineteenth century. Results for those censuses before 1966 have been destroyed with a few exceptions and those since will not be available before 2066. The 2006 census was held on Tuesday, 7 March. For the first time, respondents had the option of completing their census form online rather than by a printed form. The 2011 census
354-558: A different interpretation and defines a Rural area as " ... a road or a geographical area that is not an urban traffic area, to which the rural speed limit generally applies. " Rural economics is the study of rural economies . Rural economies include both agricultural and non-agricultural industries, so rural economics has broader concerns than agricultural economics which focus more on food systems . Rural development and finance attempt to solve larger challenges within rural economics. These economic issues are often connected to
413-428: A famine or resource depletion. These are examples of push factors . The same phenomenon can also be brought about simply because of higher wages and educational access available in urban areas; examples of pull factors . Once rural populations fall below a critical mass , the population is too small to support certain businesses, which then also leave or close, in a vicious circle . Even in non-market sectors of
472-507: 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. In Britain, there are various definitions of a rural area. "Rural" is defined by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), using population data from
531-452: 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 with spatial inequality , which in this context refers to
590-584: 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 President Emmanuel Macron launched an action plan in 2019 amid the yellow vests movement in favor of rural areas named the "Agenda Rural". Among many initiatives recommended to redynamize rural areas, energy transition
649-744: A population density of 129 people per km. It is part of the wider Nireaha-Eketahuna statistical area. Eketāhuna had a population of 504 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 60 people (13.5%) since the 2013 census , and an increase of 48 people (10.5%) since the 2006 census . There were 222 households, comprising 255 males and 249 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.02 males per female, with 81 people (16.1%) aged under 15 years, 87 (17.3%) aged 15 to 29, 234 (46.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 102 (20.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 85.1% European/ Pākehā , 31.5% Māori , 2.4% Pasifika , 1.8% Asian , and 1.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer
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#1732855599294708-426: A resident was prosecuted for not completing his census form. The most famous of these census evaders is The Wizard of New Zealand , Ian Brackenbury Channell, who has avoided the census on numerous occasions. He spent the night of the 1981 census in a boat beyond New Zealand's 20 kilometres (12 mi) territorial limit in order to avoid enumeration in the country. He has also publicly burnt census forms. Following
767-651: A rural community. Predominantly urban 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 rural census 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
826-478: 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. In Japan, rural areas are referred to as "Inaka" which translates literally to "the countryside" or "one's native village". According to
885-473: 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. Rural electrification is the process of bringing electrical power to rural and remote areas. Rural communities are suffering from colossal market failures as the national grids fall short of their demand for electricity. As of 2019, 770 million people live without access to electricity – 10.2% of
944-560: Is a field of sociology traditionally associated with the study of social structure and conflict in rural areas. It is an active academic field in much of the world, originating in the United States in the 1910s with close ties to the national Department of Agriculture and land-grant university colleges of agriculture. 2006 New Zealand census The New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings ( Māori : Te Tatauranga o ngā Tāngata Huri Noa i Aotearoa me ō rātou Whare Noho )
1003-406: Is a national population and housing census conducted by Statistics New Zealand , a government department, every five years. There have been 34 censuses since 1851 . In addition to providing detailed information about national demographics , the results of the census play an important part in the calculation of resource allocation to local service providers. The 2023 census held on 7 March 2023
1062-512: Is divided into 402 administrative districts, 295 rural districts and 107 urban districts. As one of the largest agricultural producers in the European Union , more than half of Germany's territory which is almost 19 million hectares, 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
1121-450: Is located to the south of the town. Eketāhuna was settled in 1872, under the name Mellemskov. It was renamed soon after its founding. The population of Eketāhuna and the wider area has plummeted in the 21st century, dropping from 1,920 in 1996 to just 630 in 2013. On 20 January 2014, the town was the epicentre of the 2014 Eketāhuna earthquake . Measuring 6.2 on the Richter magnitude scale,
1180-470: Is often based upon the ownership of agricultural land , which also may provide social 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. Some livestock raised by rural Pakistanis include cattle and goats. In New Zealand census areas are classified based on their degree of rurality. However, traffic law has
1239-402: Is one of them. Research is being carried out to assess the impact of new projects in rural areas. 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. Germany
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#17328555992941298-492: 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, consists of approximately 97% of the United States ' land area. An estimated 60 million people, or one in five residents (17.9% of the total U.S. population ), live in rural America. Definitions vary from different parts of
1357-507: Is the study of rural economies . Rural economies include both agricultural and non-agricultural industries, so rural economics has broader concerns than agricultural economics which focus more on food systems . Rural development and finance 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 and rural poverty . Some interventions have been very successful in some parts of
1416-600: The 2013 census , and an increase of 69 people (4.6%) since the 2006 census . There were 597 households, comprising 816 males and 750 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.09 males per female. The median age was 37.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 366 people (23.4%) aged under 15 years, 261 (16.7%) aged 15 to 29, 726 (46.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 207 (13.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 89.8% European/ Pākehā , 22.6% Māori , 1.1% Pasifika , 1.7% Asian , and 1.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
1475-557: The 2017 census about 64% of Pakistanis live in rural areas. Most rural areas in Pakistan tend to be near cities and are peri-urban areas. This is due to the definition of a rural area in Pakistan being an area that does not come within an urban boundary. Rural areas in Pakistan that are near cities are considered as suburban areas or suburbs . The remote rural villagers of Pakistan commonly live in houses made of bricks, clay or mud. Socioeconomic status among rural Pakistani villagers
1534-541: The Organization 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
1593-425: The exploitation of land-intensive natural resources such as agriculture and forestry . However, changes in global production networks and increased urbanization have changed the character of rural areas. Increasingly rural tourism , niche manufacturers, and recreation have replaced resource extraction and agriculture as dominant economic drivers. The need for rural communities to approach development from
1652-476: The panchayat makes all the decisions. There are five people in the panchayat . The National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) defines 'rural' as follows: RBI defines rural areas as those areas with a population of less than 49,000 (tier -3 to tier-6 cities). 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
1711-548: The 'countryside' or a ' village ' in India. It has a very low population density. In rural areas, agriculture is the chief source of livelihood along with fishing , 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
1770-559: The 2006 census, Statistics New Zealand prosecuted 72 people for failing to return their forms, with 41 convictions. After the 2013 census, they wrote to 450 people in July 2013 who had failed to return the forms, of whom 99 were prosecuted, resulting in 46 convictions. Most of those convicted faced two charges and were fined $ 50 to $ 500 per charge. In June 2024, allegations surfaced that workers and volunteers at Manuwera Marae had collected citizens' private information from 2023 census forms, creating
1829-562: The United States government as to what constitutes those areas. 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 in Portuguese ) are officially defined as all municipalities outside the state/territory capital's metropolitan region. Some states as Mato Grosso do Sul do not have any metropolitan regions, thus all of
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1888-539: The census for population data is the mesh block . There are 53,589 mesh blocks, with an average of 88 people in each. The 2018 census collected data on the following topics: * Required to be included under the Statistics Act 1975 or the Electoral Act 1993 The first full census in New Zealand was conducted in 1851, and the census was triennial until 1881, at which time it became five-yearly. The 1931 census
1947-430: The census's question about religious affiliation, 52.4% had no religion, 30.4% were Christian , 1.8% had Māori religious beliefs , 1.2% were Hindu and 3.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 33 (7.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 126 (29.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 21 people (5.0%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15
2006-401: The concept ( urban hierarchy ) can be applied more generally to many services and is explained by central place theory . Rural poverty refers to situations where people living in non-urban regions are in a state or condition of lacking the financial resources and essentials for living. It takes account of factors of rural society , rural economy , and political systems that give rise to
2065-438: The economy, providing services to smaller and more dispersed populations becomes proportionately more expensive for governments, which can lead to closures of state-funded 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
2124-427: The eighteenth century or East Asia in the twentieth century , it can occur following the industrialization of primary industries such as agriculture , mining , fishing , and forestry —when fewer people are needed to bring the same amount of output to market—and related secondary industries (refining and processing) are consolidated. Rural exodus can also follow an ecological or human-caused catastrophe such as
2183-470: 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. Rural flight (also known as rural-to-urban migration, rural depopulation, or rural exodus) is the migratory pattern of people from rural areas into urban areas . It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective. In industrializing economies like Britain in
2242-538: The following lines of latitude in each province: Newfoundland and Labrador , 50th; Manitoba , 53rd; Alberta , British Columbia , Ontario , Quebec , and Saskatchewan , 54th. As well, rural northern regions encompass all of the Yukon , Northwest Territories and Nunavut . 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
2301-477: The global population. 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, amortizing capital costs to reduce the unit cost of each hook-up is harder to do in lightly populated areas (yielding higher per capita share of
2360-556: The inequality between urban and rural areas. Both rural poverty and spatial inequality are global phenomena, but like poverty in general, there are higher rates of rural poverty in developing countries than in developed countries . Eradicating rural poverty through effective policies and economic growth is a continuing difficulty for the international community, as it invests in rural development . According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development , 70 percent of
2419-570: The latest census , such as the United Kingdom Census 2001 . 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 or market town ("market town" being defined as any settlement which has permission to hold a street market ). A number of measures are in place to protect the British countryside, including green belts . Rural areas are also known as
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2478-757: The lead-in to the census, with one form per person and a special form with questions about the dwelling. In addition, teams of census workers attempt to cover all hospitals, camp grounds, workplaces and transport systems where people might be found at midnight. In 2018 , the process was different. The majority of households received an access code in the post and were encouraged to complete their census online. If preferred, households could request paper census forms. The 2023 census could be completed online or on paper forms. Forms with an access code were mailed out to householders from 20 February, but paper forms could be requested online or by telephone (free call 0800 CENSUS (0800 236–787)). The smallest geographic unit used in
2537-406: The marginalization and economic disadvantage found there. 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
2596-801: The migration from rural areas due to lack of economic activities and rural poverty . Some interventions have been very successful in some parts of the world, with rural electrification and rural tourism providing anchors for transforming economies in some rural areas. These challenges often create rural-urban income disparities. Rural development is the process of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas. Often, rural regions have experienced rural 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
2655-1225: The people in extreme poverty are in rural areas, most of whom are smallholders or agricultural workers whose livelihoods are heavily dependent on agriculture. These food systems are vulnerable to extreme weather, which is expected to affect agricultural systems the world over more as climate change increases . In medicine , rural health or rural medicine is the interdisciplinary study of health and health care delivery in rural environments. The concept of rural health incorporates many fields, including wilderness medicine , geography , midwifery , nursing , sociology , economics , and telehealth or telemedicine . Rural populations often experience health disparities and greater barriers in access to healthcare compared to urban populations. Globally, rural populations face increased burdens of noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, contributing to worse health outcomes and higher mortality rates. Factors contributing to these health disparities include remote geography , increased rates of health risk behaviors, lower population density , decreased health insurance coverage among
2714-561: The population, lack of health infrastructure, and work force demographics. People living in rural areas also tend to have less education, lower socioeconomic status , and higher rates of alcohol and smoking when compared to their urban counterparts. 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. Because of their unique dynamics, different academic fields have developed to study rural communities. Rural economics
2773-592: The quake caused moderate damage all over the southern North Island. In July 2020, the name of the town was officially gazetted as Eketāhuna by the New Zealand Geographic Board . The Eketahuna Borough Council existed from 1907 until 1974 where it superseded by Eketahuna County Council which was later merged into Tararua District . Eketāhuna is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, which covers 4.18 km (1.61 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 540 as of June 2024, with
2832-742: 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 the Food and Agricultural Organization . Some communities have successfully encouraged economic development in rural areas , with policies such as increased access to electricity or internet . Historically, development policies have focused on larger extractive industries , such as mining and forestry. However, recent approaches more focused on sustainable development take into account economic diversification in these communities. In Canada,
2891-621: 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 in Greater Rio . In the Federal 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
2950-486: 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: 1800s: Martineau · Tocqueville · Marx · Spencer · Le Bon · Ward · Pareto · Tönnies · Veblen · Simmel · Durkheim · Addams · Mead · Weber · Du Bois · Mannheim · Elias Rural sociology
3009-615: The town in the same way other English speakers refer to Timbuktu . The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "land on the sandbank" for Eketāhuna . When pronounced in the typical Pākehā way, the name sounds like the Afrikaans sentence "I have a chicken" ( Afrikaans : Ek het 'n hoender ), making it amusing to immigrant Afrikaans-speaking South Africans in New Zealand. The corresponding Statistics New Zealand statistical area covers an area of 892.66 km². The Pukaha / Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre
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#17328555992943068-417: The world, with rural electrification and rural tourism providing anchors for transforming economies in some rural areas. These challenges often create rural-urban income disparities. Rural planning is an academic discipline that exists within or alongside the field of urban planning , regional planning or urbanism . The definition of these fields differs between languages and contexts. Sometimes
3127-526: Was $ 27,600, compared with $ 31,800 nationally. 108 people (9.0%) earned over $ 70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 594 (49.5%) people were employed full-time, 246 (20.5%) were part-time, and 60 (5.0%) were unemployed. In 2018, 5.0% of the workforce worked in manufacturing, 6.1% worked in construction, 5.0% worked in hospitality, 1.4% worked in transport, 3.9% worked in education, and 6.4% worked in healthcare. As of 2018, among those who commute to work, 46.4% drove
3186-446: Was 8.8, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 57.7% had no religion, 28.0% were Christian , 1.5% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.4% were Hindu , 0.2% were Buddhist and 1.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 138 (11.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 291 (24.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
3245-486: Was cancelled due to the effects of the Great Depression , as was the 1941 census due to World War II . The 1946 census was brought forward to Tuesday 25 September 1945, so that the results could be used for an electoral redistribution (the first for ten years) before the 1946 election . 1951 was the first year in which Māori and European New Zealanders were treated equally, with European New Zealanders having had
3304-474: Was held on Tuesday 5 March 2013 and the 2018 census was held on Tuesday 6 March 2018. The 2018 census faced wide criticism for low response rates, a poor rollout of the online component of the census and delays. This resulted in an independent review of the census process, and the resignation of the then-Chief Executive of Statistics New Zealand Liz MacPherson. The 2023 census was held on Tuesday, 7 March (despite Statistics New Zealand initially not ruling out
3363-566: Was scheduled for Tuesday, 8 March. However, due to the Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011, it was cancelled. For the first time ever, all 2011 census forms would have been digitally archived. On 27 May 2011 Statistics New Zealand announced that a census would take place in March 2013. The legislation required to change the census date was introduced to Parliament in August 2011. The 2013 census
3422-419: Was that 156 (36.9%) people were employed full-time, 69 (16.3%) were part-time, and 36 (8.5%) were unemployed. Nireaha-Eketāhuna statistical area covers 892.62 km (344.64 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,700 as of June 2024, with a population density of 1.9 people per km. Nireaha-Eketāhuna had a population of 1,566 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 114 people (7.9%) since
3481-459: Was the most recent, with the results being released from 29 May 2024 to August 2025. Since 1926, the census has always been held on a Tuesday and since 1966, the census always occurs in March. These are statistically the month and weekday on which New Zealanders are least likely to be travelling. The census forms have to be returned by midnight on census day for them to be valid. Until 2018, census forms were hand-delivered by census workers during
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