UN DESA Population Division · Population Living in Cities (Degree of Urbanisation)
Population living in cities by country
What share of people live in cities, measured the same way in every country?
Of the 222 countries compared in 2025, 3 countries shared the highest reading, 100.000%, and 36 countries shared the lowest reading, 0.000%. In the middle country the figure was 36.651%. Among the 222 countries measured in every edition since 1950, the middle one moved from 9.148% to 36.651%.
Part ofPeople & Population
Population living in cities · 2025
Context statistic
3 countries share the highest value, 100.000% — no single country is named first.
012025 · values only
The highest and the lowest
The three countries with the highest values of 222 compared, the three with the lowest, and the highest on each continent. This statistic has no better end, so no country is shown as leading.
Highest in 2025 · shared
3 countries share the highest reading, 100.000%
No single country is named first: picking one from a shared value would be a choice the data does not make.
Lowest in 2025
Samoa0.000%
United States Virgin Islands0.000%
British Virgin Islands0.000%
This statistic has no better end: the two ends describe size, not success.
Highest on each continent
- Africa
Republic of the Congo84.953% - Americas
Chile65.343% - Asia
Singapore99.520% - Europe
3 countries share 100.000%
- Oceania
Australia49.862% - Every region
02Every measured country
Population living in cities on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value. This statistic has no better end, so the shades describe size, not success.
- 0.000–15.527%
- 15.638–32.470%
- 32.714–43.074%
- 43.288–54.148%
- 54.641–100.000%
- No reading in 2025
- Asia
46.898%
the middle country, of 51 measured · 52 members
Singapore99.520%
Laos4.914%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Africa
39.051%
the middle country, of 54 measured · 55 members
Republic of the Congo84.953%
Seychelles0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Americas
36.163%
the middle country, of 48 measured · 48 members
Chile65.343%17 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Europe
32.451%
the middle country, of 48 measured · 49 members
3 share 100.000%
5 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Oceania
0.000%
the middle country, of 21 measured · 21 members
Australia49.862%13 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
22 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Eastern Asia
72.239%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Macau99.177%
China44.243%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Western Asia
65.636%
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Bahrain93.643%
Georgia35.178%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Middle Africa
61.195%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Republic of the Congo84.953%
Central African Republic24.841%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- South America
54.941%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 12 members
Chile65.343%
Guyana28.406%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Northern Africa
45.904%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 6 members
Egypt70.195%
Algeria42.808%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Central America
41.058%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 8 members
Mexico53.248%
Belize17.874%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Southern Asia
40.266%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Iran60.803%
Bhutan17.921%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Western Africa
38.969%
the middle country, of 16 measured · 16 members
Gambia52.522%
Niger23.294%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- South-eastern Asia
38.165%
the middle country, of 11 measured · 11 members
Singapore99.520%Laos4.914%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Central Asia
35.512%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Kazakhstan45.342%
Turkmenistan32.450%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Southern Europe
34.452%
the middle country, of 17 measured · 17 members
2 share 100.000%
2 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Western Europe
33.331%
the middle country, of 9 measured · 9 members
Monaco100.000%
Liechtenstein0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Europe
30.139%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Belarus55.552%
Slovakia14.902%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Northern Europe
29.971%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 13 members
United Kingdom58.032%2 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Eastern Africa
24.995%
the middle country, of 18 measured · 19 members
Djibouti79.967%Seychelles0.000%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Southern Africa
20.995%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
South Africa50.483%
Eswatini7.495%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
- Melanesia
17.222%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
New Caledonia42.007%
Papua New Guinea11.946%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Caribbean
0.000%
the middle country, of 24 measured · 24 members
Bahamas61.910%15 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Micronesia
0.000%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 7 members
7 share 0.000%
7 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Polynesia
0.000%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 7 members
French Polynesia32.714%6 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia49.862%
New Zealand45.482%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Northern America
4 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, United States.
Canada52.699%2 share 0.000%
Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
03The whole field at once
The spread
222 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 36.651%; a quarter are above 50.386%, and a quarter below 21.480%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 222 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. A reading of zero is real: small island states and microstates often have no settlement large and dense enough to count as a city, however built-up they are. The shares living in towns and semi-dense areas and in rural areas are stored beside this one and add up to 100 with it.
Showing 25 of 222 countries
Values for 2025. The change column compares 2025 with 2024 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051950–2025 · 76 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year's estimate, 1950 to 2025, from the 2025 revision of World Urbanization Prospects. Years before 1975 are reconstructed backwards from later grids, and the most recent years build on each country's latest census or estimate.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 222 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 222 | 36.651% | 21.480% – 50.386% | 36.651% |
| 2024 | 222 | 36.611% | 21.380% – 50.112% | 36.611% |
| 2023 | 222 | 36.635% | 21.275% – 49.849% | 36.635% |
| 2022 | 222 | 36.660% | 21.141% – 49.448% | 36.660% |
| 2021 | 222 | 36.484% | 20.982% – 49.140% | 36.484% |
| 2020 | 222 | 36.385% | 20.814% – 48.917% | 36.385% |
| 2019 | 222 | 36.437% | 20.348% – 48.936% | 36.437% |
| 2018 | 222 | 35.884% | 19.836% – 48.621% | 35.884% |
| 2017 | 222 | 35.404% | 19.943% – 48.406% | 35.404% |
| 2016 | 222 | 35.296% | 20.054% – 47.461% | 35.296% |
| 2015 | 222 | 35.064% | 20.168% – 47.480% | 35.064% |
| 2014 | 222 | 34.682% | 20.035% – 47.449% | 34.682% |
| 2013 | 222 | 34.408% | 19.648% – 47.417% | 34.408% |
| 2012 | 222 | 34.198% | 17.850% – 47.394% | 34.198% |
| 2011 | 222 | 33.870% | 17.968% – 47.219% | 33.870% |
| 2010 | 222 | 33.533% | 18.017% – 47.230% | 33.533% |
| 2009 | 222 | 33.262% | 17.836% – 47.195% | 33.262% |
| 2008 | 222 | 33.055% | 17.427% – 47.148% | 33.055% |
| 2007 | 222 | 32.764% | 16.978% – 47.061% | 32.764% |
| 2006 | 222 | 32.617% | 16.685% – 46.891% | 32.617% |
| 2005 | 222 | 32.235% | 16.282% – 46.826% | 32.235% |
| 2004 | 222 | 32.188% | 16.062% – 46.646% | 32.188% |
| 2003 | 222 | 32.029% | 15.859% – 45.644% | 32.029% |
| 2002 | 222 | 31.928% | 15.511% – 45.201% | 31.928% |
| 2001 | 222 | 31.528% | 15.100% – 45.090% | 31.528% |
| 2000 | 222 | 31.475% | 14.498% – 45.073% | 31.475% |
| 1999 | 222 | 31.313% | 14.125% – 44.653% | 31.313% |
| 1998 | 222 | 30.685% | 13.674% – 44.309% | 30.685% |
| 1997 | 222 | 30.577% | 13.201% – 44.091% | 30.577% |
| 1996 | 222 | 29.614% | 12.702% – 43.855% | 29.614% |
| 1995 | 222 | 28.975% | 12.176% – 43.407% | 28.975% |
| 1994 | 222 | 28.793% | 11.813% – 42.579% | 28.793% |
| 1993 | 222 | 28.730% | 11.374% – 41.828% | 28.730% |
| 1992 | 222 | 27.990% | 10.844% – 41.392% | 27.990% |
| 1991 | 222 | 27.824% | 10.218% – 40.962% | 27.824% |
| 1990 | 222 | 27.618% | 9.561% – 40.575% | 27.618% |
| 1989 | 222 | 27.324% | 9.431% – 40.202% | 27.324% |
| 1988 | 222 | 26.999% | 9.279% – 39.975% | 26.999% |
| 1987 | 222 | 26.605% | 8.969% – 39.798% | 26.605% |
| 1986 | 222 | 26.296% | 8.554% – 39.618% | 26.296% |
| 1985 | 222 | 25.525% | 6.865% – 39.081% | 25.525% |
| 1984 | 222 | 24.895% | 6.629% – 38.625% | 24.895% |
| 1983 | 222 | 24.476% | 6.397% – 37.853% | 24.476% |
| 1982 | 222 | 24.200% | 6.372% – 37.405% | 24.200% |
| 1981 | 222 | 23.974% | 5.735% – 36.832% | 23.974% |
| 1980 | 222 | 23.963% | 5.057% – 35.963% | 23.963% |
| 1979 | 222 | 23.737% | 4.740% – 35.349% | 23.737% |
| 1978 | 222 | 23.107% | 4.494% – 34.968% | 23.107% |
| 1977 | 222 | 22.935% | 3.400% – 34.551% | 22.935% |
| 1976 | 222 | 22.694% | 2.123% – 33.966% | 22.694% |
| 1975 | 222 | 22.432% | 0.000% – 33.569% | 22.432% |
| 1974 | 222 | 22.139% | 0.000% – 33.085% | 22.139% |
| 1973 | 222 | 21.650% | 0.000% – 32.707% | 21.650% |
| 1972 | 222 | 20.694% | 0.000% – 32.592% | 20.694% |
| 1971 | 222 | 20.447% | 0.000% – 32.108% | 20.447% |
| 1970 | 222 | 20.057% | 0.000% – 31.819% | 20.057% |
| 1969 | 222 | 18.956% | 0.000% – 30.992% | 18.956% |
| 1968 | 222 | 17.389% | 0.000% – 30.557% | 17.389% |
| 1967 | 222 | 16.688% | 0.000% – 30.287% | 16.688% |
| 1966 | 222 | 16.062% | 0.000% – 29.676% | 16.062% |
| 1965 | 222 | 15.280% | 0.000% – 28.554% | 15.280% |
| 1964 | 222 | 15.079% | 0.000% – 28.133% | 15.079% |
| 1963 | 222 | 14.295% | 0.000% – 27.746% | 14.295% |
| 1962 | 222 | 13.970% | 0.000% – 27.446% | 13.970% |
| 1961 | 222 | 13.691% | 0.000% – 26.226% | 13.691% |
| 1960 | 222 | 13.288% | 0.000% – 25.521% | 13.288% |
| 1959 | 222 | 13.079% | 0.000% – 24.712% | 13.079% |
| 1958 | 222 | 12.932% | 0.000% – 23.837% | 12.932% |
| 1957 | 222 | 12.671% | 0.000% – 23.284% | 12.671% |
| 1956 | 222 | 12.071% | 0.000% – 22.889% | 12.071% |
| 1955 | 222 | 11.443% | 0.000% – 22.420% | 11.443% |
| 1954 | 222 | 10.691% | 0.000% – 21.921% | 10.691% |
| 1953 | 222 | 10.266% | 0.000% – 21.366% | 10.266% |
| 1952 | 222 | 9.882% | 0.000% – 20.824% | 9.882% |
| 1951 | 222 | 9.666% | 0.000% – 20.283% | 9.666% |
| 1950 | 222 | 9.148% | 0.000% – 20.001% | 9.148% |
062024 → 2025
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Rose most
before → after
Vanuatu14.083% → 17.222%+3.139
Montenegro30.723% → 32.432%+1.709- Eswatini6.057% → 7.495%+1.438
Oman43.929% → 45.071%+1.142
Kyrgyzstan34.593% → 35.512%+0.919
Fell most
before → after
Liberia43.092% → 42.784%−0.308
Guinea-Bissau34.581% → 34.295%−0.286- Gambia52.792% → 52.522%−0.270
Bosnia and Herzegovina15.367% → 15.137%−0.230
Gabon61.381% → 61.195%−0.186
222 countries were measured in both 2024 and 2025.
07Across every edition
Population living in cities in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
Reached 158 times by 3 countries — shared, so no holder is named
100.000%
Share of the population living in cities as the Degree of Urbanisation defines them (%)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 3819 times by 83 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.000%
Share of the population living in cities as the Degree of Urbanisation defines them (%)
Biggest rise between editions
+21.466
0.000% → 21.466%
Biggest fall between editions
−5.034
27.428% → 22.394%
Biggest change since first measured
2 countries moved by exactly the same amount — no holder is named
Shared
Highest most often
15 of 76
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About population living in cities
The share of a country's people living in cities, measured the same way everywhere: a city is a dense, continuous cluster of at least 50,000 people, found on population grids built from census and satellite data rather than on administrative maps. It is the UN's comparable answer to how urban a country is, which national definitions cannot give.
What the number is: Share of the population living in cities as the Degree of Urbanisation defines them (%).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under People & Population, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where population living in cities is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- International MigrantsUN DESA Population Division · 220 countries in commonρ 0.52
- Methane EmissionsEDGAR · 207 countries in commonρ 0.51
- GitHub DevelopersGitHub · 219 countries in commonρ 0.50
Moves against
Where population living in cities is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Net Official Development Assistance ReceivedOECD Development Assistance Committee · 130 countries in commonρ −0.48
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 315 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
11Questions
Population living in cities: questions and answers
Which country has the highest population living in cities?
3 countries share the highest reading, 100.000%, among the 222 compared in 2025, so no single country is named.
Which country has the lowest population living in cities?
36 countries share the lowest reading, 0.000%, among the 222 compared in 2025, so no single country is named.
How many countries does the Population Living in Cities (Degree of Urbanisation) cover?
222 in 2025.
What is the world average population living in cities?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 222 compared in 2025, the figure was 36.651%.
Is this UN DESA Population Division’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. UN DESA Population Division publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the Population Living in Cities (Degree of Urbanisation) published?
This site holds 76 reference years, 1950–2025, all recalculated in UN DESA Population Division’s 2025 report on one method — not 76 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UN DESA Population Division, under CC BY 3.0 IGO. From World Urbanization Prospects 2025, read from the UN Population Division's own workbook of population shares by Degree of Urbanisation, which applies the European Commission's harmonised definition to its Global Human Settlement Layer grids. The workbook continues to 2050; those later years are projections and are excluded. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Population Living in Cities (Degree of Urbanisation) — UN DESA Population Division
From World Urbanization Prospects 2025, read from the UN Population Division's own workbook of population shares by Degree of Urbanisation, which applies the European Commission's harmonised definition to its Global Human Settlement Layer grids. The workbook continues to 2050; those later years are projections and are excluded.
Newest edition
Report year 2025Data year 2025
Cite the source as: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision, Online Edition.
Licence: CC BY 3.0 IGO, checked 2026-09-29.
How this page reads the numbers
- No rank or position is shown: UN DESA Population Division publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- This statistic has no better end, so the page describes higher and lower values and never calls a country a leader.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Population living in cities by country: Population Living in Cities (Degree of Urbanisation), data from UN DESA Population Division. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/population-in-cities