Abstract: Developments in the sphere of agriculture and rural areas are very closely linked. Countryside and its character are to a large extent influenced by the volume and especially by the structure of its settlement. An important role in shaping the character of the countryside and its settlement structure is undoubtedly, played by agriculture. Agriculture has always been a key factor affecting the settlement, economic, cultural and social fabric of rural areas. As the global, regional and local economies are transforming these days, there is a decline in the importance of agriculture as a key economic area. The decline in the share of agriculture in economy, accompanied by the reduction in the number of jobs in agriculture, subsequently leads to a significant reduction in the proportion of the population living in rural areas. Additionally, this decrease is accelerated by the growth of the attractiveness of urban and suburban areas due to the growing share of secondary and especially tertiary components of the global economy. An important role in this respect is played by the lifestyle changes and also the changing infrastructure and capacity of urban areas. This study analyzes the development of the rural population share of the total world population using selected regions and countries. The research analyzes the development of the rural population (or its share) in the context of the past several decades. The main emphasis is placed on identifying the differences existing between the various regions of the world and then on the influence of the GDP value development (including and after deduction of agricultural GDP), GDP/cap (including after deduction of the agricultural GDP/cap), GDP generated by agriculture, GDP/person working in agriculture, on the number and especially the share of the population living in rural areas. The analysis of the development of the rural population share of the total world population and in selected regions implies the following. The volume and particularly the structure of the world population over the past three decades have changed extremely (there was a significant decrease in the proportion of rural population in the total population and the growth rate dynamics of the rural population has significantly decreased). In particular, restructuring of the global economy which has led to a significant decline in importance of rural areas in terms of rural economic growth has proved to be the main determinant of this development. In this regard, there has been a significant reduction in agriculture which had for a long time constituted a major source of income and employment in rural areas. The results of individual analyses also show that the differences that exist between countries and regions in respect of the development of the rural population share of the total population are based on different economies and economic prosperity of individual countries or regions.