At the time of the 2006 National Census, the rural district's population (as Kelarabad Rural District of the former Abbasabad District of Tonekabon County) was 8,445 in 2,394 households. There were 6,771 inhabitants in 2,196 households at the following census of 2011, by which time the district had been separated from the county in the establishment of Abbasabad County. The rural district was transferred to the new Kelarabad District and renamed Kelarabad-e Gharbi Rural District. The 2016 census measured the population of the rural district as 6,771 in 2,196 households. The most populous of its 10 villages was Karatkuti, with 1,805 people.
^ Davodi, Parviz (c. 2023) [Approved 3 March 1388]. Divisional reforms and changes in Mazandaran province. qavanin.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Board of Ministers. Proposal 154154/42/4/1. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023 – via Laws and Regulations Portal of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
^ Rahimi, Mohammad Reza (c. 2023) [Approved 11 September 2011]. Divisional reforms in Mazandaran province. qavanin.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Defense Political Commission of the Government Board. Proposals 5622/42/1/4, 144980/42/4/1, and 40794/42/1/4. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023 – via Laws and Regulations Portal of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
