Statistics

Epistemology

Empirical research

Rural area

Philosophy

Regional science

Economics

Political science

Systematic review

Geography

Rurality

MEDLINE

Mathematics

Urbanization

Descriptive statistics

Economic growth

Operationalization

Journal of Rural Studies

Definitions and measures of rurality are important to researchers and policymakers as they have implications for policy and practice. By conducting a systematic review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the various ways in which rurality has been defined and operationalized in empirical and quantitative analyses. We describe how descriptive definitions and measures of rurality have changed over time, particularly due to global and regional urbanization and advances in statistical techniques and data availability. We also provide a comprehensive breakdown of the dimensions and components of rurality measures, an overview of the techniques used in constructing rurality measures, and discuss the uses of rurality measures in research and policy. Finally, we discuss current limitations of descriptive rurality research, future directions, and implications for policy and practice.

Definitions, measures, and uses of rurality: A systematic review of the empirical and quantitative literature