Urban population

215 countries, 2025. Unit: % of population.

First in the ranking
100.0 %
Bahrain
Median country
64.2 %
half above, half below
World
57.8 %
World Bank aggregate
Range
14.6 to 100.0
Liechtenstein - Bahrain

How to read it

Across 215 countries worldwide, the highest value is in Bahrain (100.0 %) and the lowest in Liechtenstein (14.6 %).

The median country is at 64.2 %: half are above, half below.

For the world as a whole, the value rose from 44.8 % in 1996 to 57.8 % in 2025.

Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.

Compare selected countries · on the world map

Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), uri: https://population.un.org/wup/, note: United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization… · via World Bank WDI (SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS) · licence

Urban population over time

%

Add to chart:

Ranking of countries

2025
In chart Continent Share of the highest value
1Bahrain100.0Asia
2Bermuda100.0North America
3Cayman Islands100.0North America
4Hong Kong100.0Asia
5Kuwait100.0Asia
6Macao100.0Asia
7Saint-Martin100.0North America
8Monaco100.0Europe
9Nauru100.0Oceania
10Singapore100.0Asia
11Sint Maarten100.0North America
12Qatar99.4Asia
13San Marino97.2Europe
14Netherlands95.9Europe
15Malta95.7Europe
16Uruguay95.7South America
17United States Virgin Islands95.4North America
18Luxembourg94.9Europe
19Turks and Caicos Islands94.4North America
20Puerto Rico94.3North America
21Guam94.2Oceania
22Iceland94.2Europe
23Jordan93.2Asia
24Argentina92.4South America
25Japan92.3Asia
26Northern Mariana Islands92.2Oceania
27Gabon92.1Africa
28Israel91.6Asia
29Curaçao91.5North America
30Lebanon91.0Asia
31Türkiye89.5Asia
32Venezuela89.3South America
33Chile89.2South America
34Sweden89.1Europe
35Andorra88.9Europe
36Denmark88.8Europe
37Greenland88.6North America
38Brazil88.2South America
39Libya87.9Africa
40Australia87.7Oceania
41Belgium87.7Europe
42Palestine87.4Asia
43United Arab Emirates86.0Asia
44Switzerland85.7Europe
45Peru85.6South America
46Saudi Arabia84.6Asia
47New Zealand84.0Oceania
48Norway83.6Europe
49United Kingdom83.3Europe
50Canada82.9North America
51Germany82.1Europe
52Bahamas81.3North America
53South Korea81.2Asia
54Spain80.5Europe
55American Samoa80.5Oceania
56United States80.2North America
57Mexico80.0North America
58Costa Rica79.7North America
59Belarus79.5Europe
60Oman79.5Asia
61Palau79.3Oceania
62Greece79.2Europe
63Marshall Islands79.1Oceania
64France78.8Europe
65Colombia78.8South America
66Cabo Verde77.6Africa
67Malaysia77.4Asia
68Iran77.4Asia
69Cuba77.2North America
70Algeria75.8Africa
71El Salvador75.5North America
72Russia75.3Europe
73Brunei75.0Asia
74Finland74.5Europe
75Bulgaria74.2Europe
76Dominica74.0North America
77Djibouti73.0Africa
78Czechia72.9Europe
79Dominican Republic72.5North America
80Syria72.1Asia
81Equatorial Guinea71.6Africa
82Bolivia71.6South America
83Angola71.5Africa
84Mongolia71.1Asia
85Estonia70.7Europe
86Tunisia70.7Africa
87Hungary70.7Europe
88Paraguay70.4South America
89Iraq69.9Asia
90Austria69.7Europe
91Italy69.7Europe
92Ukraine69.6Europe
93São Tomé and Principe69.2Africa
94Lithuania69.1Europe
95Latvia68.6Europe
96New Caledonia68.2Oceania
97Botswana68.0Africa
98Nepal67.0Asia
99Cyprus66.7Asia
100China66.3Asia
101Panama66.2North America
102Armenia65.9Asia
103Suriname65.8South America
104Montenegro65.6Europe
105Tuvalu65.4Oceania
106The Gambia65.0Africa
107Ireland64.6Europe
108North Korea64.2Asia
109Republic of the Congo64.1Africa
110South Africa63.8Africa
111Nigeria63.8Africa
112Ecuador63.4South America
113Kiribati63.4Oceania
114Morocco63.1Africa
115North Macedonia62.9Europe
116Thailand62.8Asia
117Serbia62.6Europe
118Kazakhstan62.4Asia
119French Polynesia61.8Oceania
120Aruba61.7North America
121Portugal61.5Europe
122Mauritania61.5Africa
123Georgia61.2Asia
124Poland60.1Europe
125Barbados59.7North America
126Fiji59.5Oceania
127Nicaragua59.4North America
128Jamaica59.4North America
129Indonesia59.4Asia
130Honduras59.3North America
131Ghana58.9Africa
132Albania58.9Europe
133Azerbaijan58.6Asia
134Croatia57.8Europe
135British Virgin Islands57.4North America
136Guatemala56.3North America
137Liberia56.1Africa
138Slovenia56.0Europe
139Philippines55.8Asia
140Senegal55.8Africa
141Cameroon55.7Africa
142Haiti55.6North America
143Somalia55.1Africa
144Côte d'Ivoire54.5Africa
145Trinidad and Tobago54.0North America
146Benin53.4Africa
147Slovakia53.2Europe
148Bosnia and Herzegovina52.7Europe
149Romania52.2Europe
150Isle of Man52.1Europe
151Uzbekistan51.0Asia
152Kosovo50.9Europe
153Namibia50.9Africa
154Saint Vincent and the Grenadines48.0North America
155Turkmenistan47.1Asia
156Guinea-Bissau46.7Africa
157Sierra Leone45.9Africa
158Zambia45.9Africa
159Seychelles45.5Africa
160Democratic Republic of the Congo45.1Africa
161Lesotho44.7Africa
162Central African Republic44.6Africa
163Togo44.4Africa
164Moldova43.7Europe
165Bhutan43.4Asia
166Egypt42.9Africa
167Maldives42.5Asia
168Belize41.6North America
169Cambodia41.1Asia
170Zimbabwe40.5Africa
171Laos40.3Asia
172Faroe Islands39.6Europe
173Pakistan39.5Asia
174Mauritius39.0Africa
175Vietnam38.8Asia
176Guinea38.5Africa
177Mozambique37.2Africa
178Yemen37.0Asia
179Tanzania36.9Africa
180Grenada36.7North America
181India35.7Asia
182Sudan34.9Africa
183Kyrgyzstan34.7Asia
184Eritrea34.5Africa
185Comoros33.9Africa
186Bangladesh33.2Asia
187Madagascar32.9Africa
188Mali32.2Africa
189Kenya32.2Africa
190Uganda31.9Africa
191Saint Kitts and Nevis31.9North America
192Solomon Islands31.3Oceania
193Rwanda30.9Africa
194Myanmar30.6Asia
195Saint Lucia29.1North America
196Burkina Faso28.9Africa
197Timor-Leste28.8Asia
198Chad27.6Africa
199Eswatini26.7Africa
200Guyana26.5South America
201Tajikistan26.2Asia
202Afghanistan25.9Asia
203Burundi25.7Africa
204Antigua and Barbuda24.3North America
205Ethiopia24.1Africa
206Federated States of Micronesia22.5Oceania
207Vanuatu22.3Oceania
208South Sudan21.7Africa
209Tonga21.2Oceania
210Sri Lanka20.5Asia
211Niger18.4Africa
212Malawi17.6Africa
213Samoa17.5Oceania
214Papua New Guinea15.8Oceania
215Liechtenstein14.6Europe
World Bank, WDI · SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS · 2025 · CC BY 4.0 Source and licence

Biggest changes, 2015-2025

change in percentage points · 215 countries

Largest increase

  1. Thailand 47.0 → 62.8 +15.9 pp
  2. Rwanda 18.2 → 30.9 +12.7 pp
  3. Kiribati 51.0 → 63.4 +12.4 pp
  4. Somalia 43.9 → 55.1 +11.3 pp
  5. Cambodia 30.1 → 41.1 +11.0 pp

Largest decrease

  1. American Samoa 84.7 → 80.5 −4.2 pp
  2. Syria 75.8 → 72.1 −3.7 pp
  3. Vanuatu 24.9 → 22.3 −2.5 pp
  4. Belize 43.9 → 41.6 −2.4 pp
  5. Tonga 23.2 → 21.2 −2.1 pp

Continents over time

median country of each continent

Urban population - continent medians

%

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Oceania

0 20 40 60 80 100 1960 Africa: 12.53 Asia: 34.15 Europe: 50.46 North America: 40.86 South America: 47.41 Oceania: 34.83 1961 Africa: 12.95 Asia: 34.7 Europe: 50.85 North America: 41.17 South America: 48.26 Oceania: 36.04 1962 Africa: 13.49 Asia: 35.17 Europe: 51.43 North America: 41.59 South America: 49.16 Oceania: 37.38 1963 Africa: 14.02 Asia: 35.58 Europe: 52.33 North America: 42.1 South America: 50.13 Oceania: 38.84 1964 Africa: 14.74 Asia: 36.29 Europe: 53.67 North America: 42.47 South America: 51.17 Oceania: 40.41 1965 Africa: 15.52 Asia: 36.72 Europe: 54.33 North America: 42.34 South America: 52.26 Oceania: 42.07 1966 Africa: 16.18 Asia: 37.16 Europe: 54.78 North America: 43.11 South America: 53.4 Oceania: 43.8 1967 Africa: 16.86 Asia: 37.88 Europe: 55.7 North America: 43.92 South America: 54.57 Oceania: 45.6 1968 Africa: 17.7 Asia: 38.19 Europe: 56.34 North America: 44.74 South America: 55.73 Oceania: 47.93 1969 Africa: 18.84 Asia: 39.16 Europe: 56.52 North America: 45.54 South America: 56.86 Oceania: 50.53 1970 Africa: 19.56 Asia: 40.4 Europe: 56.66 North America: 46.3 South America: 57.93 Oceania: 51.53 1971 Africa: 20.07 Asia: 41.52 Europe: 56.81 North America: 47.19 South America: 58.92 Oceania: 52.45 1972 Africa: 20.48 Asia: 42.42 Europe: 57.47 North America: 48.21 South America: 59.79 Oceania: 53.29 1973 Africa: 20.85 Asia: 43.48 Europe: 58.04 North America: 48.53 South America: 60.56 Oceania: 54.05 1974 Africa: 21.52 Asia: 44.99 Europe: 58.57 North America: 48.82 South America: 61.26 Oceania: 54.73 1975 Africa: 22.17 Asia: 45.63 Europe: 59.11 North America: 49.1 South America: 61.92 Oceania: 55.35 1976 Africa: 22.8 Asia: 46.69 Europe: 59.65 North America: 49.37 South America: 62.54 Oceania: 55.89 1977 Africa: 23.6 Asia: 47.63 Europe: 60.16 North America: 50.09 South America: 63.37 Oceania: 56.4 1978 Africa: 24.52 Asia: 47.95 Europe: 60.75 North America: 50.78 South America: 64.37 Oceania: 56.87 1979 Africa: 25.56 Asia: 48.26 Europe: 61.55 North America: 51.33 South America: 65.15 Oceania: 57.31 1980 Africa: 25.95 Asia: 48.55 Europe: 62.16 North America: 51.57 South America: 65.4 Oceania: 57.71 1981 Africa: 26 Asia: 48.83 Europe: 62.87 North America: 51.77 South America: 65.64 Oceania: 58.06 1982 Africa: 26.53 Asia: 49.32 Europe: 63.29 North America: 52.16 South America: 65.9 Oceania: 58.35 1983 Africa: 27.64 Asia: 49.8 Europe: 63.95 North America: 52.5 South America: 66.14 Oceania: 58.58 1984 Africa: 27.91 Asia: 50.27 Europe: 64.61 North America: 53.22 South America: 66.59 Oceania: 58.76 1985 Africa: 28.19 Asia: 50.56 Europe: 64.99 North America: 53.78 South America: 67.04 Oceania: 58.67 1986 Africa: 29.38 Asia: 50.75 Europe: 65.59 North America: 55.27 South America: 67.49 Oceania: 58.57 1987 Africa: 31.39 Asia: 50.9 Europe: 66.28 North America: 57 South America: 67.93 Oceania: 58.45 1988 Africa: 32.34 Asia: 51.34 Europe: 66.73 North America: 58.06 South America: 68.36 Oceania: 58.32 1989 Africa: 33.31 Asia: 52.08 Europe: 67.2 North America: 58.92 South America: 68.79 Oceania: 58.15 1990 Africa: 34.14 Asia: 52.36 Europe: 67.23 North America: 59.28 South America: 69.21 Oceania: 57.91 1991 Africa: 34.51 Asia: 52.6 Europe: 67.35 North America: 59.4 South America: 69.63 Oceania: 57.64 1992 Africa: 34.84 Asia: 52.86 Europe: 67.44 North America: 59.56 South America: 70.06 Oceania: 57.35 1993 Africa: 35.14 Asia: 53.41 Europe: 67.51 North America: 59.84 South America: 70.49 Oceania: 57.05 1994 Africa: 35.49 Asia: 54.18 Europe: 67.74 North America: 60.29 South America: 70.92 Oceania: 56.78 1995 Africa: 35.88 Asia: 54.38 Europe: 67.84 North America: 60.74 South America: 71.36 Oceania: 56.54 1996 Africa: 36.25 Asia: 54.59 Europe: 67.71 North America: 61.18 South America: 71.8 Oceania: 56.37 1997 Africa: 36.57 Asia: 54.8 Europe: 67.64 North America: 61.58 South America: 72.25 Oceania: 56.25 1998 Africa: 36.44 Asia: 54.6 Europe: 67.6 North America: 61.93 South America: 72.69 Oceania: 56.14 1999 Africa: 36.34 Asia: 54.43 Europe: 67.46 North America: 62.2 South America: 73.13 Oceania: 56.04 2000 Africa: 36.36 Asia: 54.26 Europe: 67.39 North America: 62.38 South America: 73.56 Oceania: 55.95 2001 Africa: 36.52 Asia: 54.1 Europe: 67.45 North America: 62.47 South America: 73.98 Oceania: 55.89 2002 Africa: 36.77 Asia: 54.1 Europe: 67.6 North America: 63.16 South America: 74.37 Oceania: 55.86 2003 Africa: 37.12 Asia: 54.16 Europe: 67.69 North America: 63.92 South America: 74.75 Oceania: 55.93 2004 Africa: 37.48 Asia: 54.21 Europe: 67.76 North America: 64.42 South America: 75.09 Oceania: 56.27 2005 Africa: 37.72 Asia: 54.24 Europe: 67.85 North America: 64.93 South America: 75.41 Oceania: 56.85 2006 Africa: 37.99 Asia: 54.24 Europe: 67.95 North America: 65.49 South America: 75.72 Oceania: 57.58 2007 Africa: 38.58 Asia: 54.26 Europe: 68.03 North America: 65.77 South America: 76.04 Oceania: 58.41 2008 Africa: 39.15 Asia: 55.75 Europe: 68.24 North America: 66.02 South America: 76.37 Oceania: 59.26 2009 Africa: 39.58 Asia: 57.45 Europe: 68.49 North America: 66.29 South America: 76.71 Oceania: 60.07 2010 Africa: 39.98 Asia: 58 Europe: 69.08 North America: 66.72 South America: 77.06 Oceania: 60.76 2011 Africa: 40.27 Asia: 59.48 Europe: 69.1 North America: 67.37 South America: 77.43 Oceania: 61.27 2012 Africa: 40.52 Asia: 62.17 Europe: 69.2 North America: 67.99 South America: 77.8 Oceania: 61.53 2013 Africa: 41.21 Asia: 62.51 Europe: 69.62 North America: 68.6 South America: 78.17 Oceania: 61.61 2014 Africa: 41.65 Asia: 62.75 Europe: 69.94 North America: 69.2 South America: 78.55 Oceania: 61.68 2015 Africa: 42.06 Asia: 62.91 Europe: 70.05 North America: 69.78 South America: 78.93 Oceania: 61.74 2016 Africa: 42.43 Asia: 63.08 Europe: 70.04 North America: 70.33 South America: 79.31 Oceania: 61.77 2017 Africa: 42.59 Asia: 63.27 Europe: 69.99 North America: 70.86 South America: 79.71 Oceania: 61.79 2018 Africa: 42.8 Asia: 63.47 Europe: 69.98 North America: 71.4 South America: 79.98 Oceania: 61.79 2019 Africa: 43.18 Asia: 63.86 Europe: 70.02 North America: 71.93 South America: 80.28 Oceania: 61.78 2020 Africa: 43.56 Asia: 64.35 Europe: 70.09 North America: 72.45 South America: 80.58 Oceania: 61.92 2021 Africa: 43.99 Asia: 65.04 Europe: 70.19 North America: 72.59 South America: 80.89 Oceania: 62.61 2022 Africa: 44.43 Asia: 65.39 Europe: 70.32 North America: 72.55 South America: 81.21 Oceania: 63.31 2023 Africa: 44.92 Asia: 65.61 Europe: 70.48 North America: 72.73 South America: 81.53 Oceania: 64.01 2024 Africa: 45.33 Asia: 65.85 Europe: 70.6 North America: 72.98 South America: 81.86 Oceania: 64.73 2025 Africa: 45.7 Asia: 66.14 Europe: 70.71 North America: 73.25 South America: 82.19 Oceania: 65.45 1960 1980 1990 2000 2010 2025

By continent

median country
Africa 45.7 %
Asia 66.1 %
Europe 70.7 %
North America 73.3 %
South America 82.2 %
Oceania 65.4 %

Tick a country in the table to add it to the chart above, up to six at a time. The ranking uses the latest year for which at least half of the countries have a value; countries without a value that year are not listed.