At the time of the 2006 National Census, the rural district's population was 16,940 in 3,441 households.[5] There were 16,895 inhabitants in 3,699 households at the following census of 2011.[6] The 2016 census measured the population of the rural district as 17,577 in 4,430 households. The most populous of its 106 villages was Esmailabad (now a city),[7] with 4,868 people.[2]