The article describes the role of leisure activities in the effective development of human capital in rural areas. The article is based on the results of the monitoring study conducted by the survey method to examine the cultural-leisure activities of villagers in the Belgorod district of the Belgorod Region. The culture of leisure in the rural society was assessed according to the three main indicators - institutional, information and sociological. The authors identified the following rural groups depending on cultural-leisure preferences and activities: consumer (50%), spontaneous (18%), limited (17%) and active (15%). According to the features of leisure, seven types of cultural-leisure activities were identified: entertaining (28%), imitative (20%), consumer (19%), conservative (10%), contemplative (9%), cultural-creative (9%) and non-traditional (5%). Despite the declared desire to take an active part in cultural events (83%), only 10% of villagers do participate in them. One of the reasons is the discrepancy between cultural needs and the ability of cultural institutions to satisfy them. The authors note that the effective organization of cultural-leisure activities influences both formation and reproduction of human capital in rural areas. Thus, indicators of the improving quality of life in rural areas are not only modernized production and high wages but also the development of educational and cultural-leisure institutions.