Share of population living in urban areas in French Polynesia

French Polynesia: Share of population living in urban areas was 61.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
61.6%
World rank
174th
of 236 countries
All-time high
61.6%
in 2020
All-time low
37.3%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in urban areas in French Polynesia, 1950–2020

02040601950198520201950: 37.3 %1955: 39.3 %1960: 41.2 %1965: 43.2 %1970: 46 %1975: 48.7 %1980: 52.3 %1985: 52.2 %1990: 54.1 %1995: 56.1 %2000: 56.4 %2005: 56.3 %2010: 58.5 %2015: 60.8 %2020: 61.6 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of population living in urban areas in French Polynesia is 61.6%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas in French Polynesia peaked at 61.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 37.3%, in 1950.

That places French Polynesia 174th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 38.3% 37.3% 39.3% 2
1960s 42.2% 41.2% 43.2% 2
1970s 47.3% 46.0% 48.7% 2
1980s 52.2% 52.2% 52.3% 2
1990s 55.1% 54.1% 56.1% 2
2000s 56.3% 56.3% 56.4% 2
2010s 59.6% 58.5% 60.8% 2
2020s 61.6% 61.6% 61.6% 1

Countries ranked near French Polynesia

  1. 171 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 62.6% compare
  2. 172 Hungary 62.6% compare
  3. 173 France 62.1% compare
  4. 175 Finland 60.9% compare
  5. 176 Thailand 60.6% compare
  6. 177 Tonga 60.6% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for French Polynesia

All data for French Polynesia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in urban areas in French Polynesia?
Share of population living in urban areas in French Polynesia was 61.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in urban areas recorded in French Polynesia?
The highest recorded value was 61.6% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas recorded in French Polynesia?
The lowest recorded value was 37.3% in 1950.
How does French Polynesia rank for share of population living in urban areas?
French Polynesia ranks 174th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in urban areas rising or falling in French Polynesia?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this French Polynesia data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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.