This paper aims to provide an in-depth knowledge of mobility in sparsely populated areas based on a quantitative and statistical approach. First, it analyses mobility practices in sparsely populated areas and compares them with those in urban areas. It then proposes an assessment of car dependency of population living in rural areas. It points out that this dependency results from either a constraint or an asserted choice, depending on existing alternatives of car use. It also analyses the degree of dependency by having a focus on multimodal practices of people living in these areas. It then concludes with the challenge of shifting populations living in sparsely populated areas from constraint mobility to chosen mobility, by offering mobility services adapted to their needs and, above all, by encouraging them to consider new practices that go beyond their routines.