A rural municipality (RM) is a type of incorporated municipality in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Under the province's Municipal Act of 1997, an area must have a minimum population of 1,000 and a density of less than 400 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,000/sq mi) to incorporate as a rural municipality. Manitoba has 98 RMs, which had a cumulative population of 301,438 as of the 2016 Census. This is a decrease from 116 RMs prior to January 1, 2015, when municipalities with less than 1,000 people were directed by the provincial government to amalgamate with adjoining municipalities to comply with the Municipal Act.
