This depends on amount of traffic, and conditions. I live in Finland where the population decline in some rural areas has lead to it being economical to remove

This depends on amount of traffic, and conditions. I live in Finland where the population decline in some rural areas has lead to it being economical to remove paving from roads. With not much traffic - but the road still being essential for local economy, e.g. timber transport - it's cheaper to maintain a dirt road than a paving. Part of this is due to local climate - in the winter the frost goes a meter deep in the ground, so maintaining paving means an occasional re-build every few decades, putting under the tarmac a deep layer of material that passes water through quickly. With dirt roads, you don't need to, you just level it, which is quick and cheap.