Belgium vs Mexico: Share of population living in urban areas

Belgium
78.4%
in 2020
Mexico
77.3%
in 2020
Belgium rank
90th
Mexico rank
93rd

Share of population living in urban areas over time

  • Belgium
  • Mexico
020406080195019852020

How they compare

Belgium currently reports 78.4% against 77.3% in Mexico, a difference of 1.1%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Belgium ahead.

Belgium ranks 90th and Mexico ranks 93rd of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 7 and Mexico in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Belgium Mexico Difference Ahead
1950s 71.8% 50.0% 21.8% Belgium
1960s 73.0% 57.1% 15.9% Belgium
1970s 73.9% 64.4% 9.4% Belgium
1980s 74.5% 69.9% 4.6% Belgium
1990s 75.4% 74.2% 1.1% Belgium
2000s 76.2% 76.1% 0.1% Belgium
2010s 77.5% 77.6% 0.0% Mexico
2020s 78.4% 77.3% 1.1% Belgium

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in urban areas, Belgium or Mexico?
Belgium, at 78.4% against 77.3% in Mexico as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population living in urban areas between Belgium and Mexico?
1.1%, with Belgium ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Mexico?
15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
How do Belgium and Mexico rank globally for share of population living in urban areas?
Belgium ranks 90th and Mexico ranks 93rd of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in urban areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in urban areas
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Estimated share of the population living in urban areas (the sum of cities and towns and suburbs). Urban areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.