Data for 1974
Urban Population Share (National Definitions), 1974
1974, as UN DESA Population Division’s 2025 release gives it · stored as published, never rewritten
The share of a country's people living in places its own government classifies as urban. It is the familiar per-cent-urban figure and tracks one of the great shifts of the last century — but each country draws the line between town and countryside in its own way.
Urban Population Share (National Definitions), 1974 covers 222 countries. 10 countries share the highest reading, 100.000; Burundi is lowest, at 3.424. The middle country reads 43.716. Against 1973, 212 values changed (197 up, 15 down), the same countries are covered.
Urban Population Share (National Definitions) · Data for 1974
Highest10 countries share it
100.000LowestBurundi
3.424Shaded by value in five groups of equal size, darkest at the highest end.
01Values only
The table
Every country and every column of Urban Population Share (National Definitions), 1974, as published. The file carries values only, so no position is shown. “=” marks a shared position.
Showing 25 of 222 countries · select a heading to sort
AIACaribbean | 100.000 |
BMUNorthern America | 100.000 |
CYMCaribbean | 100.000 |
GIBSouthern Europe | 100.000 |
MCOWestern Europe | 100.000 |
NRUMicronesia | 100.000 |
MAFCaribbean | 100.000 |
SGPSouth-eastern Asia | 100.000 |
SXMCaribbean | 100.000 |
VATSouthern Europe | 100.000 |
MACEastern Asia | 97.652 |
MLTSouthern Europe | 89.415 |
HKGEastern Asia | 89.110 |
GUMMicronesia | 88.758 |
KWTWestern Asia | 87.786 |
ISLNorthern Europe | 86.497 |
MNPMicronesia | 86.397 |
ISRWestern Asia | 86.319 |
AUSAustralia and New Zealand | 85.909 |
ANDSouthern Europe | 84.899 |
AREWestern Asia | 83.665 |
URYSouth America | 82.777 |
NZLAustralia and New Zealand | 82.516 |
SWENorthern Europe | 82.498 |
DNKNorthern Europe | 81.785 |
ARGSouth America | 80.584 |
CUWCaribbean | 79.824 |
DEUWestern Europe | 79.791 |
QATWestern Asia | 79.457 |
BHRWestern Asia | 78.498 |
CHLSouth America | 78.103 |
GBRNorthern Europe | 77.311 |
LUXWestern Europe | 76.905 |
CANNorthern America | 75.715 |
JPNEastern Asia | 75.411 |
VENSouth America | 75.151 |
GRLNorthern America | 74.123 |
USANorthern America | 73.604 |
FRAWestern Europe | 72.897 |
BELWestern Europe | 72.295 |
SMRSouthern Europe | 68.883 |
ESPSouthern Europe | 68.539 |
NORNorthern Europe | 68.328 |
BHSCaribbean | 67.953 |
DJIEastern Africa | 67.929 |
ESTNorthern Europe | 67.188 |
CZEEastern Europe | 67.000 |
GRCSouthern Europe | 66.763 |
RUSEastern Europe | 66.054 |
SURSouth America | 65.975 |
ITASouthern Europe | 65.663 |
LBNWestern Asia | 65.597 |
LVANorthern Europe | 65.311 |
ABWCaribbean | 64.393 |
NLDWestern Europe | 64.220 |
ARMWestern Asia | 63.019 |
CUBCaribbean | 62.956 |
BRNSouth-eastern Asia | 62.782 |
MEXCentral America | 62.139 |
FINNorthern Europe | 62.052 |
MHLMicronesia | 61.462 |
COLSouth America | 61.461 |
PERSouth America | 61.069 |
IRQWestern Asia | 60.911 |
PRICaribbean | 60.842 |
PLWMicronesia | 60.819 |
LBYNorthern Africa | 59.573 |
CHEWestern Europe | 59.057 |
PSEWestern Asia | 58.908 |
TWNEastern Asia | 58.888 |
BRASouth America | 58.709 |
ASMPolynesia | 58.424 |
BGREastern Europe | 58.086 |
UKREastern Europe | 58.079 |
PYFPolynesia | 57.563 |
SAUWestern Asia | 56.778 |
PRKEastern Asia | 56.509 |
HUNEastern Europe | 56.272 |
LTUNorthern Europe | 55.011 |
NCLMelanesia | 54.734 |
POLEastern Europe | 54.574 |
JORWestern Asia | 54.095 |
COKPolynesia | 54.014 |
BLZCentral America | 53.605 |
IRLNorthern Europe | 53.570 |
IMNNorthern Europe | 53.133 |
BRBCaribbean | 53.117 |
AUTWestern Europe | 52.629 |
TCACaribbean | 52.380 |
KAZCentral Asia | 51.950 |
AZEWestern Asia | 51.620 |
MKDSouthern Europe | 50.395 |
GEOWestern Asia | 49.448 |
BLREastern Europe | 49.387 |
TUNNorthern Africa | 49.271 |
NICCentral America | 49.090 |
PANCentral America | 48.552 |
ZAFSouthern Africa | 48.017 |
MNGEastern Asia | 47.955 |
TKMCentral Asia | 47.744 |
KOREastern Asia | 46.509 |
CYPWestern Asia | 46.087 |
SYCEastern Africa | 45.763 |
ROUEastern Europe | 45.671 |
TTOCaribbean | 45.665 |
SVKEastern Europe | 45.334 |
IRNSouthern Asia | 45.171 |
DOMCaribbean | 45.033 |
SYRWestern Asia | 44.815 |
JAMCaribbean | 44.152 |
MUSEastern Africa | 43.890 |
EGYNorthern Africa | 43.541 |
HRVSouthern Europe | 43.422 |
VCTCaribbean | 43.276 |
SRBSouthern Europe | 42.883 |
OMNWestern Asia | 42.078 |
SVNSouthern Europe | 41.622 |
ECUSouth America | 41.420 |
GABMiddle Africa | 41.383 |
CRICentral America | 41.069 |
DMACaribbean | 40.528 |
BOLSouth America | 40.451 |
SLVCentral America | 40.249 |
DZANorthern Africa | 40.063 |
COGMiddle Africa | 39.601 |
UZBCentral Asia | 38.183 |
PRYSouth America | 38.068 |
MNESouthern Europe | 38.048 |
KGZCentral Asia | 38.014 |
PRTSouthern Europe | 37.499 |
MARNorthern Africa | 36.961 |
FJIMelanesia | 36.620 |
GTMCentral America | 36.151 |
TJKCentral Asia | 36.138 |
ZMBEastern Africa | 35.648 |
MDAEastern Europe | 35.519 |
KNACaribbean | 35.200 |
TURWestern Asia | 34.407 |
ATGCaribbean | 33.858 |
CAFMiddle Africa | 33.527 |
SENWestern Africa | 33.498 |
PHLSouth-eastern Asia | 32.690 |
GRDCaribbean | 32.558 |
ALBSouthern Europe | 32.417 |
HNDCentral America | 31.551 |
STPMiddle Africa | 31.509 |
CIVWestern Africa | 31.174 |
MYSSouth-eastern Asia | 30.942 |
BIHSouthern Europe | 30.855 |
FRONorthern Europe | 30.433 |
GHAWestern Africa | 29.964 |
GUYSouth America | 29.882 |
LBRWestern Africa | 29.524 |
XKXSouthern Europe | 28.877 |
VIRCaribbean | 28.184 |
SLEWestern Africa | 27.244 |
GNQMiddle Africa | 26.218 |
KIRMicronesia | 26.139 |
PAKSouthern Asia | 25.976 |
FSMMicronesia | 25.805 |
CMRMiddle Africa | 25.762 |
NAMSouthern Africa | 25.244 |
SOMEastern Africa | 25.182 |
CODMiddle Africa | 25.074 |
MMRSouth-eastern Asia | 24.057 |
NIUPolynesia | 23.840 |
LCACaribbean | 23.659 |
NGAWestern Africa | 22.978 |
TGOWestern Africa | 22.940 |
LKASouthern Asia | 22.335 |
BENWestern Africa | 21.875 |
CPVWestern Africa | 21.158 |
COMEastern Africa | 21.134 |
INDSouthern Asia | 21.044 |
WSMPolynesia | 20.962 |
VNMSouth-eastern Asia | 20.506 |
HTICaribbean | 20.469 |
GINWestern Africa | 20.451 |
TONPolynesia | 20.257 |
MRTWestern Africa | 19.632 |
ZWEEastern Africa | 19.352 |
KHMSouth-eastern Asia | 18.946 |
SDNNorthern Africa | 18.810 |
VGBCaribbean | 18.548 |
IDNSouth-eastern Asia | 18.368 |
LIEWestern Europe | 18.328 |
AGOMiddle Africa | 17.416 |
GMBWestern Africa | 17.287 |
CHNEastern Asia | 17.164 |
MDVSouthern Asia | 16.178 |
MDGEastern Africa | 16.076 |
GNBWestern Africa | 15.504 |
TUVPolynesia | 15.237 |
THASouth-eastern Asia | 14.760 |
TCDMiddle Africa | 14.454 |
TLSSouth-eastern Asia | 13.822 |
SWZSouthern Africa | 13.475 |
ERIEastern Africa | 13.437 |
AFGSouthern Asia | 13.235 |
PNGMelanesia | 12.699 |
KENEastern Africa | 12.482 |
VUTMelanesia | 12.478 |
MLIWestern Africa | 12.193 |
BWASouthern Africa | 11.651 |
MSRCaribbean | 11.445 |
NERWestern Africa | 11.442 |
LSOSouthern Africa | 10.936 |
LAOSouth-eastern Asia | 10.783 |
TZAEastern Africa | 10.111 |
MOZEastern Africa | 9.452 |
ETHEastern Africa | 9.245 |
BGDSouthern Asia | 8.956 |
SLBMelanesia | 8.591 |
SSDEastern Africa | 8.499 |
YEMWestern Asia | 8.027 |
MWIEastern Africa | 7.364 |
UGAEastern Africa | 6.377 |
BFAWestern Africa | 6.295 |
NPLSouthern Asia | 6.182 |
BTNSouthern Asia | 5.767 |
RWAEastern Africa | 3.972 |
BDIEastern Africa | 3.424 |
02In 1974
At either end
The 5 countries at each end of the headline.
Highest
Anguillashared100.000
Bermudashared100.000
Cayman Islandsshared100.000
Gibraltarshared100.000
Saint Martinshared100.000
Lowest
Burundi3.424
Rwanda3.972
Bhutan5.767
Nepal6.182
Burkina Faso6.295
Neither end is better. The values describe a shape, not a score. The middle country reads 43.716. “Shared” marks a value another country also holds.
031973 → 1974
Since 1973
- +0 / −0countries joined / left
- 212values changed, of 222 in both
- 197 · 15rose · fell
- 10unchanged
Rose most
Taiwan55.432 → 58.888+3.455
Cyprus42.707 → 46.087+3.380
San Marino66.305 → 68.883+2.578
Barbados50.640 → 53.117+2.477
Gabon38.906 → 41.383+2.476
Fell most
Cambodia33.028 → 18.946−14.082
Isle of Man54.117 → 53.133−0.984
Brunei63.239 → 62.782−0.457
Tajikistan36.486 → 36.138−0.348
Belize53.856 → 53.605−0.251
04Caveats
Read before you use
One year of the 2025 release
Every year in this series comes from UN DESA Population Division’s 2025 release, recalculated on one method, so a change from one year to the next is not a revision. It can differ from what was first published for 1974.
213 distinct values among 222
Values are stored exactly as published, to 14 decimals. 10 countries share 100.000. Countries sharing a value share a position too.
Nothing missing
Every one of the 222 countries has every column.
05The files
Download and cite
- .csv
For a spreadsheet or code
222 rows · 8.5 KB · UTF-8, opens in Excel
Opens with 11 lines of source notes; the table starts on row 13.
Download urban-population-share-1974-nations-inquiry.csv - ↗
The publisher’s original
UN DESA Population Division’s own file, on its own site.
WUP2025-F15-National-Definitions_percPop_by_category.xlsx
What this site changed: Reshaped to one row per country, with its ISO code; no value recalculated, rescaled or rounded. In full
Licence: CC BY 3.0 IGO · what it allows, in plain words
Cite this edition
UN DESA Population Division (1974). Urban Population Share (National Definitions), 1974 [data set], describing 1974. As held by Nations Inquiry, https://nationsinquiry.com/datasets/urban-population-share/1974
0676 held
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Urban Population Share (National Definitions): every year76 held, with the data dictionary, coverage and licence.
How it has moved, charted by country