RURAL-POPULATION - RURAL VITALITY

The authors first discuss the problems involved in defining the concept of 'rural population'. They believe that definitions based on such criteria as housing density and economic activity are inadequate. Instead they argue for the development of new statistical instruments based on the specific characteristics of the living space of different population groups. Knowing human presence densities in the countryside may help political administrations to exercise power and to understand the interests at stake. The second part of the paper deals with the recent trend of population moving from urban to rural areas. The authors examine the backgrounds of this trend and argue that it constitutes a fundamental transformation in human living space and population distribution patterns with far-reaching consequences for the administration of land, water and energy resources. They are however cautious with respect to predicting future trends, rejecting any forecast which is based on the prolongation of existing tendencies.