Share of population living in urban areas in North Macedonia

North Macedonia: Share of population living in urban areas was 70.5% in 2020. β–² Rising

Latest (2020)
70.5%
World rank
140th
of 236 countries
All-time high
71.2%
in 2010
All-time low
59.5%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in urban areas in North Macedonia, 1950–2020

0204060801950198520201950: 59.5 %1955: 61.8 %1960: 63.2 %1965: 64.8 %1970: 66.7 %1975: 68.5 %1980: 69.4 %1985: 69.6 %1990: 70.1 %1995: 70 %2000: 70.9 %2005: 70.9 %2010: 71.2 %2015: 70.9 %2020: 70.5 %

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

Analysis

In 2020, share of population living in urban areas in North Macedonia stood at 70.5%.

The figure is down 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas in North Macedonia peaked at 71.2% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 59.5%, in 1950.

North Macedonia ranks 140th of 236 countries on this measure, 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 60.7% 59.5% 61.8% 2
1960s 64.0% 63.2% 64.8% 2
1970s 67.6% 66.7% 68.5% 2
1980s 69.5% 69.4% 69.6% 2
1990s 70.1% 70.0% 70.1% 2
2000s 70.9% 70.9% 70.9% 2
2010s 71.1% 70.9% 71.2% 2
2020s 70.5% 70.5% 70.5% 1

Countries ranked near North Macedonia

  1. 137 Tunisia 71.3% compare
  2. 138 Bolivia 71.2% compare
  3. 139 Suriname 70.8% compare
  4. 141 Portugal 70.5% compare
  5. 142 Mongolia 70.5% compare
  6. 143 French Guiana 70.1% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places β†’

More reference data data for North Macedonia

All data for North Macedonia β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in urban areas in North Macedonia?
Share of population living in urban areas in North Macedonia was 70.5% 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 North Macedonia?
The highest recorded value was 71.2% in 2010.
What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas recorded in North Macedonia?
The lowest recorded value was 59.5% in 1950.
How does North Macedonia rank for share of population living in urban areas?
North Macedonia ranks 140th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in urban areas rising or falling in North Macedonia?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this North Macedonia 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 Β· JSON β€” 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.