This OECD report provides a roadmap for strengthening rural resilience by promoting people-centred policies that respond to the diverse challenges and opportunities facing different types of rural regions. Building on the OECD Rural Well-being Framework and Principles on Rural Policy, it distinguishes between rural regions near cities and rural remote regions to tailor more effective strategies. Amid global transformations such as the green transition, digitalisation, and demographic change, rural regions show potential in renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital services. Yet, they face persistent issues including population decline, ageing and service gaps. The report outlines four STAR drivers of rural growth: Specific assets, Tradeable specialisation, Access to urban markets, and Resources (natural resources). It highlights enabling factors such as skills, entrepreneurship, and digital connectivity, and stresses the need for improved rural data, cross-government co-ordination, and stronger local voice. The report calls for differentiated policy actions to enhance competitiveness, service delivery, and environmental sustainability across rural types. In ensuring effective implementation of rural policy, the report explores key considerations such as effective communication, scale and co-ordination, and collection of reliable rural evidence.
Reinforcing Rural Resilience
Abstract
Executive summary
Rural economies can be powerful engines of national growth. In an era marked by intensifying global challenges such as climate shocks, economic disruptions, and social unrest, rural development policy must evolve to address these challenges. This report, Reinforcing Rural Resilience, draws on three decades of insight from the OECD Working Party on Rural Policy, a unique international forum that has analysed rural trends and rural development policy since 1994.
Building on the OECD Rural Well-being Framework (2019) and the OECD Principles on Rural Policy (2019), it offers governments practical guidance for navigating long-term transitions while addressing immediate vulnerabilities. It applies a spatial lens to resilience, recognising that rural regions are not monolithic. Their assets differ, their challenges vary, and so too must policy responses. A key theme of this report is resilience. By embracing a place-based, people-centred approach, policy can help unlock the full potential of rural regions to break cycles of decline and inequality that can fuel geographic discontent. Rural regions can leverage opportunities across renewable energy, digital innovation, and advanced manufacturing, ensuring that no community is left behind.
The report highlights emerging opportunities, alongside persistent challenges that require urgent attention:
The green transition and rural natural assets present unique economic opportunities.
Rural regions are shrinking and ageing faster than metro regions.
Rural manufacturing and other specialisations remain a key driver of rural growth and employment.
Demographic decline, service gaps, and perceived neglect can create rural discontent.
It identifies four STAR drivers of rural growth, where policy action should be focused:
Specific assets of rural places
Tradeable specialisation
Access to urban markets and rural-urban linkages
Resources (natural resources)
It emphasises that enabling competitiveness also requires prioritising a focus on:
Fostering skills
Enhancing innovation/entrepreneurship
Improving digital connectivity
Finally, in a period where distrust in governments is increasing, it calls for greater focus on ensuring successful policy implementation by:
Strengthening policy coherence and integrated cross-government action
Working at functional scale and encouraging collaboration
Improving the collection and use of rural evidence to inform policy decisions
Taking action to galvanise the rural voice
Creating more effective rural communication channels.
