Share of population living in urban and rural areas by country
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.
Countries reporting
230
Highest
100.0%
Gibraltar
Lowest
0.0%
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Median
74.5%
Years covered
71
1950–2020
Data points
3,540
What the numbers show
Share of population living in urban and rural areas is currently reported for 230 countries. The highest value is 100.0% in Gibraltar; the lowest is 0.0% in Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
The median across all reporting countries is 74.5%, and the mean is 71.7%.
Over the past decade 166 countries rose and 59 fell. The largest increase was in Turks and Caicos Islands (up 282.8%), and the largest decrease in Cook Islands (down 100.0%).
Share of population living in urban and rural areas: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gibraltar | 100.0% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Monaco | 100.0% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Vatican | 100.0% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 4 | Singapore | 99.9% | 2020 | down 0.0% | flat |
| 5 | Macao | 99.8% | 2020 | down 0.1% | flat |
| 6 | Hong Kong | 99.5% | 2020 | up 0.0% | flat |
| 7 | Bermuda | 98.4% | 2020 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 8 | Bangladesh | 98.0% | 2020 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 9 | Bahrain | 97.9% | 2020 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 10 | Egypt | 96.9% | 2020 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 11 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 96.8% | 2020 | up 2.1% | volatile |
| 12 | Kuwait | 96.2% | 2020 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 13 | Aruba | 95.3% | 2020 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 14 | Malta | 95.1% | 2020 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 15 | Curacao | 94.6% | 2020 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 16 | Taiwan | 94.6% | 2020 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 17 | Palestine, State of | 94.1% | 2020 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 18 | Israel | 93.6% | 2020 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 19 | Jordan | 93.5% | 2020 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 20 | Qatar | 93.3% | 2020 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 21 | Naoero | 92.4% | 2020 | up 4.6% | volatile |
| 22 | Cayman Islands | 92.3% | 2020 | up 4.3% | volatile |
| 23 | Rwanda | 92.1% | 2020 | up 7.9% | rising |
| 24 | Congo | 91.7% | 2020 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 25 | Japan | 91.1% | 2020 | down 0.0% | rising |
| 26 | Mayotte | 91.0% | 2020 | up 13.4% | rising |
| 27 | Guernsey | 90.9% | 2020 | down 0.0% | flat |
| 28 | Mauritius | 90.9% | 2020 | down 0.7% | rising |
| 29 | Jersey | 90.8% | 2020 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 30 | United Arab Emirates | 90.3% | 2020 | down 0.0% | rising |
| 31 | Western Sahara | 90.1% | 2020 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 32 | Republic of Korea | 90.1% | 2020 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 33 | Djibouti | 89.9% | 2020 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 34 | Saint Martin (French part) | 89.7% | 2020 | down 5.0% | volatile |
| 35 | Lebanon | 89.6% | 2020 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 36 | Equatorial Guinea | 89.5% | 2020 | up 27.1% | rising |
| 37 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 88.5% | 2020 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 38 | Reunion | 88.3% | 2020 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 39 | Pakistan | 88.0% | 2020 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 40 | Iraq | 87.5% | 2020 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 41 | Trinidad and Tobago | 87.4% | 2020 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 42 | Saint Barthelemy | 87.2% | 2020 | up 4.3% | volatile |
| 43 | Viet Nam | 86.9% | 2020 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 44 | North Korea | 86.6% | 2020 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 45 | Barbados | 86.4% | 2020 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 46 | Comoros | 86.3% | 2020 | up 8.4% | rising |
| 47 | Uruguay | 86.2% | 2020 | up 0.6% | rising |
| 48 | Argentina | 86.0% | 2020 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 49 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 86.0% | 2020 | up 0.7% | flat |
| 50 | Indonesia | 85.9% | 2020 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 51 | Yemen | 85.7% | 2020 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 52 | Dominican Republic | 85.5% | 2020 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 53 | Uzbekistan | 85.4% | 2020 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 54 | Philippines | 84.8% | 2020 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 55 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 84.7% | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 56 | Sri Lanka | 84.7% | 2020 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 57 | Burundi | 84.6% | 2020 | up 16.4% | rising |
| 58 | Guam | 84.5% | 2020 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 59 | Afghanistan | 84.4% | 2020 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 60 | Netherlands | 84.3% | 2020 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 61 | Saudi Arabia | 83.6% | 2020 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 62 | China | 83.6% | 2020 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 63 | Sao Tome and Principe | 83.4% | 2020 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 64 | India | 83.4% | 2020 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 65 | Gabon | 83.1% | 2020 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 66 | Tajikistan | 82.8% | 2020 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 67 | Somalia | 82.7% | 2020 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 68 | Haiti | 82.6% | 2020 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 69 | Bahamas | 82.3% | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 70 | Türkiye | 82.3% | 2020 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 71 | Malaysia | 82.3% | 2020 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 72 | Australia | 82.2% | 2020 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 73 | Cuba | 82.1% | 2020 | down 1.6% | flat |
| 74 | Montenegro | 81.8% | 2020 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 75 | Chile | 81.8% | 2020 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 76 | Colombia | 81.5% | 2020 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 77 | Puerto Rico | 80.9% | 2020 | down 3.2% | rising |
| 78 | Brunei Darussalam | 80.8% | 2020 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 79 | Nigeria | 80.6% | 2020 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 80 | San Marino | 80.5% | 2020 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 81 | Algeria | 79.8% | 2020 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 82 | Brazil | 79.2% | 2020 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 83 | Syria | 79.0% | 2020 | down 1.8% | rising |
| 84 | Azerbaijan | 78.9% | 2020 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 85 | Russian Federation | 78.8% | 2020 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 86 | Seychelles | 78.7% | 2020 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 87 | American Samoa | 78.7% | 2020 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 88 | Spain | 78.6% | 2020 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 89 | South Africa | 78.6% | 2020 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 90 | Belgium | 78.4% | 2020 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 91 | Morocco | 78.1% | 2020 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 92 | Ecuador | 77.5% | 2020 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 93 | Mexico | 77.3% | 2020 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 94 | Oman | 77.1% | 2020 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 95 | Armenia | 77.0% | 2020 | up 0.4% | rising |
| 96 | Ghana | 76.8% | 2020 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 97 | Italy | 76.8% | 2020 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 98 | Kazakhstan | 76.7% | 2020 | up 4.5% | rising |
| 99 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 76.6% | 2020 | up 282.8% | volatile |
| 100 | Turkmenistan | 76.5% | 2020 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 101 | New Zealand | 76.3% | 2020 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 102 | Canada | 76.2% | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 103 | El Salvador | 76.1% | 2020 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 104 | Switzerland | 76.0% | 2020 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 105 | Iceland | 75.9% | 2020 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 106 | Cyprus | 75.7% | 2020 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 107 | Liechtenstein | 75.5% | 2020 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 108 | Kyrgyzstan | 75.5% | 2020 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 109 | Antigua and Barbuda | 75.5% | 2020 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 110 | Libya | 75.4% | 2020 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 111 | Kenya | 75.3% | 2020 | up 9.5% | rising |
| 112 | Angola | 75.2% | 2020 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 113 | Guadeloupe | 75.0% | 2020 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 114 | Gambia | 74.9% | 2020 | up 8.6% | rising |
| 115 | Sudan | 74.8% | 2020 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 116 | Cameroon | 74.2% | 2020 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 117 | Ukraine | 74.0% | 2020 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 118 | United States of America | 74.0% | 2020 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 119 | Belarus | 73.8% | 2020 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 120 | Costa Rica | 73.7% | 2020 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 121 | Guyana | 73.6% | 2020 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 122 | United States Virgin Islands | 73.6% | 2020 | down 5.6% | rising |
| 123 | Andorra | 73.4% | 2020 | down 6.5% | rising |
| 124 | Germany | 73.0% | 2020 | up 1.2% | flat |
| 125 | Peru | 73.0% | 2020 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 126 | Guatemala | 72.9% | 2020 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 127 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 72.9% | 2020 | up 5.7% | rising |
| 128 | Saint Lucia | 72.7% | 2020 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 129 | Nepal | 72.6% | 2020 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 130 | Benin | 72.6% | 2020 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 131 | Grenada | 72.5% | 2020 | up 4.5% | rising |
| 132 | Tuvalu | 72.4% | 2020 | up 34.7% | volatile |
| 133 | Jamaica | 72.4% | 2020 | down 3.5% | rising |
| 134 | Cape Verde | 71.6% | 2020 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 135 | Martinique | 71.4% | 2020 | down 5.6% | rising |
| 136 | Togo | 71.3% | 2020 | down 1.3% | rising |
| 137 | Tunisia | 71.3% | 2020 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 138 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 71.2% | 2020 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 139 | Suriname | 70.8% | 2020 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 140 | North Macedonia | 70.5% | 2020 | down 0.9% | rising |
| 141 | Portugal | 70.5% | 2020 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 142 | Mongolia | 70.5% | 2020 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 143 | French Guiana | 70.1% | 2020 | up 6.9% | rising |
| 144 | Senegal | 69.9% | 2020 | up 1.0% | rising |
| 145 | Uganda | 69.6% | 2020 | up 25.2% | rising |
| 146 | Myanmar | 69.4% | 2020 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 147 | Botswana | 69.2% | 2020 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 148 | Sweden | 68.8% | 2020 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 149 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 68.8% | 2020 | down 8.3% | flat |
| 150 | Luxembourg | 68.7% | 2020 | up 11.6% | rising |
| 151 | Panama | 68.3% | 2020 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 152 | Cambodia | 68.1% | 2020 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 153 | Albania | 67.9% | 2020 | up 9.7% | rising |
| 154 | Northern Mariana Islands | 67.7% | 2020 | down 1.3% | volatile |
| 155 | Isle of Man | 67.5% | 2020 | up 9.4% | rising |
| 156 | Côte d'Ivoire | 67.3% | 2020 | up 6.0% | rising |
| 157 | Greece | 67.2% | 2020 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 158 | Kiribati | 66.5% | 2020 | up 29.3% | rising |
| 159 | New Caledonia | 65.6% | 2020 | up 13.0% | rising |
| 160 | South Sudan | 65.2% | 2020 | up 23.2% | rising |
| 161 | Estonia | 65.0% | 2020 | up 2.7% | falling |
| 162 | Serbia | 64.8% | 2020 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 163 | Denmark | 64.8% | 2020 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 164 | Norway | 64.5% | 2020 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 165 | Nicaragua | 64.4% | 2020 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 166 | Malawi | 64.4% | 2020 | up 22.5% | volatile |
| 167 | Ethiopia | 64.4% | 2020 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 168 | Georgia | 64.3% | 2020 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 169 | Eritrea | 63.6% | 2020 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 170 | British Virgin Islands | 62.9% | 2020 | up 0.5% | volatile |
| 171 | Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba | 62.6% | 2020 | down 0.1% | volatile |
| 172 | Hungary | 62.6% | 2020 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 173 | France | 62.1% | 2020 | down 0.1% | flat |
| 174 | French Polynesia | 61.6% | 2020 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 175 | Finland | 60.9% | 2020 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 176 | Thailand | 60.6% | 2020 | up 6.0% | rising |
| 177 | Tonga | 60.6% | 2020 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 178 | Bulgaria | 60.1% | 2020 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 179 | Czechia | 60.1% | 2020 | up 1.3% | flat |
| 180 | Poland | 60.0% | 2020 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 181 | Marshall Islands | 59.4% | 2020 | up 5.4% | volatile |
| 182 | Paraguay | 59.4% | 2020 | down 4.7% | rising |
| 183 | Mauritania | 59.1% | 2020 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 184 | Honduras | 59.1% | 2020 | up 9.2% | rising |
| 185 | Liberia | 59.0% | 2020 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 186 | Austria | 58.7% | 2020 | up 4.8% | rising |
| 187 | Lithuania | 57.9% | 2020 | down 0.5% | rising |
| 188 | Samoa | 57.8% | 2020 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 189 | Sierra Leone | 57.7% | 2020 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 190 | Latvia | 57.1% | 2020 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 191 | Maldives | 56.5% | 2020 | up 18.2% | rising |
| 192 | Belize | 56.1% | 2020 | down 5.9% | rising |
| 193 | Central African Republic | 56.1% | 2020 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 194 | Fiji | 55.6% | 2020 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 195 | Guinea-Bissau | 54.9% | 2020 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 196 | Ireland | 54.8% | 2020 | up 1.5% | flat |
| 197 | Romania | 54.7% | 2020 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 198 | Croatia | 54.4% | 2020 | down 1.4% | rising |
| 199 | Guinea | 53.6% | 2020 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 200 | Slovakia | 53.5% | 2020 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 201 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 53.5% | 2020 | up 12.8% | rising |
| 202 | Republic of Moldova | 53.4% | 2020 | down 7.4% | rising |
| 203 | Zambia | 53.2% | 2020 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 204 | Chad | 51.5% | 2020 | down 2.9% | rising |
| 205 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 51.2% | 2020 | down 1.5% | rising |
| 206 | Slovenia | 50.3% | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 207 | Mozambique | 50.0% | 2020 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 208 | Niger | 49.4% | 2020 | down 4.0% | rising |
| 209 | Burkina Faso | 49.4% | 2020 | up 0.9% | rising |
| 210 | Timor-Leste | 49.4% | 2020 | up 26.6% | rising |
| 211 | Mali | 47.1% | 2020 | up 10.3% | rising |
| 212 | Papua New Guinea | 46.3% | 2020 | up 24.8% | rising |
| 213 | Dominica | 42.9% | 2020 | up 25.8% | falling |
| 214 | Madagascar | 42.9% | 2020 | up 19.1% | rising |
| 215 | Greenland | 42.5% | 2020 | up 14.2% | volatile |
| 216 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 42.2% | 2020 | down 9.1% | falling |
| 217 | Namibia | 41.8% | 2020 | up 11.8% | rising |
| 218 | Palau | 39.3% | 2020 | down 33.2% | rising |
| 219 | Faroe Islands | 37.8% | 2020 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 220 | Lesotho | 37.7% | 2020 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 221 | Zimbabwe | 33.6% | 2020 | down 9.0% | rising |
| 222 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 30.6% | 2020 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 223 | Bhutan | 30.5% | 2020 | down 6.5% | rising |
| 224 | Vanuatu | 30.0% | 2020 | up 9.2% | volatile |
| 225 | Micronesia, Federated States of | 29.4% | 2020 | down 15.0% | rising |
| 226 | Eswatini | 23.5% | 2020 | down 17.9% | rising |
| 227 | Solomon Islands | 21.9% | 2020 | up 29.1% | rising |
| 228 | Cook Islands | 0.0% | 2020 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 228 | Montserrat | 0.0% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 228 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 0.0% | 2020 | — | volatile |
About this data
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.