Do more people live in urban or rural areas? by country

Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modelled historical data.

Countries reporting
231
Highest
100.0%
Bahrain
Lowest
0.0%
Wallis and Futuna
Median
65.6%
Years covered
1026
1000–2025
Data points
24,444

What the numbers show

Do more people live in urban or rural areas? is currently reported for 231 countries. The highest value is 100.0% in Bahrain; the lowest is 0.0% in Wallis and Futuna.

The median across all reporting countries is 65.6%, and the mean is 63.3%.

Over the past decade 184 countries rose and 30 fell. The largest increase was in Burundi (up 75.1%), and the largest decrease in Vanuatu (down 10.2%).

Do more people live in urban or rural areas?: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Bahrain 100.0% 2025 unchanged volatile
1 Bermuda 100.0% 2025 unchanged rising
1 Cayman Islands 100.0% 2025 unchanged flat
1 Gibraltar 100.0% 2025 unchanged flat
1 Hong Kong 100.0% 2025 unchanged rising
1 Kuwait 100.0% 2025 unchanged volatile
1 Macao 100.0% 2025 unchanged rising
1 Saint Martin (French part) 100.0% 2025 unchanged flat
1 Monaco 100.0% 2025 unchanged flat
1 Nauru 100.0% 2025 unchanged flat
1 Singapore 100.0% 2025 unchanged volatile
1 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 100.0% 2025 unchanged flat
1 Anguilla 100.0% 2025 unchanged rising
1 Saint Barthelemy 100.0% 2025 unchanged flat
1 Vatican 100.0% 2025 unchanged flat
16 Qatar 99.4% 2025 up 0.4% volatile
17 Reunion 97.3% 2025 down 1.3% volatile
18 San Marino 97.2% 2025 up 0.1% rising
21 Netherlands 95.9% 2025 up 6.3% rising
23 Uruguay 95.7% 2025 up 0.6% rising
24 United States Virgin Islands 95.4% 2025 up 0.5% volatile
27 Turks and Caicos Islands 94.4% 2025 up 2.7% volatile
28 Puerto Rico 94.3% 2025 up 0.6% volatile
29 Guam 94.2% 2025 up 0.1% rising
30 Iceland 94.2% 2025 up 0.5% rising
31 Jordan 93.2% 2025 up 3.7% volatile
32 Argentina 92.4% 2025 up 0.9% rising
33 Japan 92.3% 2025 up 1.0% volatile
34 Northern Mariana Islands 92.2% 2025 up 0.9% rising
35 Gabon 92.1% 2025 up 4.5% volatile
36 Israel 91.6% 2025 down 0.1% volatile
37 Curacao 91.5% 2025 up 0.2% rising
38 Lebanon 91.0% 2025 up 2.6% volatile
39 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 90.2% 2025 up 0.3% rising
40 Turkey 89.5% 2025 up 2.6% volatile
41 Venezuela 89.3% 2025 up 0.4% volatile
42 Chile 89.2% 2025 up 2.0% volatile
43 Sweden 89.1% 2025 up 2.8% rising
44 Andorra 88.9% 2025 up 0.5% volatile
45 Denmark 88.8% 2025 up 1.3% rising
46 Greenland 88.6% 2025 up 2.9% volatile
47 Brazil 88.2% 2025 up 2.9% volatile
48 Libya 87.9% 2025 up 0.1% volatile
49 Australia 87.7% 2025 up 1.0% volatile
50 Belgium 87.7% 2025 up 1.7% rising
51 Palestine 87.4% 2025 up 2.5% rising
52 Western Sahara 86.9% 2025 up 0.4% volatile
53 French Guiana 86.6% 2025 up 0.2% volatile
54 United Arab Emirates 86.0% 2025 up 1.9% volatile
55 Switzerland 85.7% 2025 up 13.4% volatile
56 Peru 85.6% 2025 up 6.1% volatile
57 Saudi Arabia 84.6% 2025 up 2.0% volatile
58 New Zealand 84.0% 2025 down 1.4% rising
59 Norway 83.6% 2025 up 2.9% rising
60 United Kingdom 83.3% 2025 up 1.8% rising
61 Canada 82.9% 2025 up 2.0% volatile
62 Germany 82.1% 2025 up 1.8% volatile
63 Falkland Islands 81.5% 2025 up 8.7% volatile
64 Bahamas 81.3% 2025 down 1.1% volatile
65 South Korea 81.2% 2025 down 0.6% volatile
66 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 81.1% 2025 up 6.4% flat
67 Spain 80.5% 2025 up 1.6% rising
68 American Samoa 80.5% 2025 down 4.9% volatile
69 United States 80.2% 2025 down 0.5% volatile
70 Mexico 80.0% 2025 up 3.7% volatile
71 Costa Rica 79.7% 2025 up 6.3% volatile
72 Belarus 79.5% 2025 up 3.7% volatile
73 Oman 79.5% 2025 up 2.8% volatile
74 Svalbard and Jan Mayen 79.3% 1940 up 25.0% volatile
75 Palau 79.3% 2025 down 1.4% rising
76 Greece 79.2% 2025 up 2.2% volatile
77 Marshall Islands 79.1% 2025 up 4.8% rising
78 Taiwan 78.9% 2025 down 1.2% volatile
79 France 78.8% 2025 up 1.4% rising
80 Colombia 78.8% 2025 up 2.1% volatile
81 Cape Verde 77.6% 2025 up 16.0% volatile
82 Malaysia 77.4% 2025 up 5.4% volatile
83 Iran 77.4% 2025 up 5.5% volatile
84 Cuba 77.2% 2025 up 0.5% rising
85 Cook Islands 76.9% 2025 up 3.3% rising
86 Algeria 75.8% 2025 up 8.1% volatile
87 El Salvador 75.5% 2025 up 8.4% volatile
88 Russia 75.3% 2025 up 1.3% volatile
89 Brunei 75.0% 2025 up 0.1% volatile
90 Finland 74.5% 2025 up 4.5% rising
91 Bulgaria 74.2% 2025 up 1.5% volatile
92 Dominica 74.0% 2025 up 5.9% volatile
93 Netherlands Antilles 73.5% 1940 up 9.5% volatile
94 Djibouti 73.0% 2025 up 2.8% volatile
95 Czechia 72.9% 2025 down 0.2% volatile
96 Dominican Republic 72.5% 2025 down 2.2% volatile
97 Syria 72.1% 2025 down 4.8% volatile
98 Equatorial Guinea 71.6% 2025 up 3.8% volatile
99 Bolivia 71.6% 2025 up 4.6% volatile
100 Angola 71.5% 2025 up 12.5% volatile
101 Mongolia 71.1% 2025 up 4.6% volatile
102 Estonia 70.7% 2025 up 3.3% rising
103 Tunisia 70.7% 2025 up 4.2% volatile
104 Hungary 70.7% 2025 up 0.3% volatile
105 Paraguay 70.4% 2025 up 14.8% volatile
106 Iraq 69.9% 2025 up 0.0% volatile
107 Austria 69.7% 2025 up 3.2% rising
108 Italy 69.7% 2025 up 0.1% rising
109 Ukraine 69.6% 2025 up 0.6% volatile
110 Sao Tome and Principe 69.2% 2025 up 2.6% volatile
111 Lithuania 69.1% 2025 up 2.8% volatile
112 Latvia 68.6% 2025 up 1.1% rising
113 New Caledonia 68.2% 2025 up 2.0% volatile
114 Botswana 68.0% 2025 up 3.9% volatile
115 Nepal 67.0% 2025 up 3.2% volatile
116 Cyprus 66.7% 2025 down 0.5% volatile
117 China 66.3% 2025 up 15.7% volatile
118 Panama 66.2% 2025 up 0.9% volatile
119 Armenia 65.9% 2025 up 2.2% volatile
120 Suriname 65.8% 2025 down 0.6% volatile
121 Montenegro 65.6% 2025 up 1.2% rising
122 Tuvalu 65.4% 2025 up 11.1% volatile
123 Gambia 65.0% 2025 up 9.7% volatile
125 North Korea 64.2% 2025 up 4.7% volatile
126 Congo 64.1% 2025 up 1.6% volatile
127 South Africa 63.8% 2025 up 1.0% volatile
128 Nigeria 63.8% 2025 up 14.4% volatile
129 Ecuador 63.4% 2025 up 0.7% volatile
130 Kiribati 63.4% 2025 up 24.4% rising
131 Morocco 63.1% 2025 up 4.1% volatile
132 North Macedonia 62.9% 2025 up 6.5% volatile
133 Thailand 62.8% 2025 up 33.8% volatile
134 Serbia 62.6% 2025 up 4.2% rising
135 Kazakhstan 62.4% 2025 up 11.2% volatile
136 French Polynesia 61.8% 2025 up 0.0% rising
137 Aruba 61.7% 2025 down 2.3% volatile
138 Portugal 61.5% 2025 up 0.6% rising
139 Mauritania 61.5% 2025 up 19.0% volatile
140 Georgia 61.2% 2025 up 6.6% volatile
141 Poland 60.1% 2025 down 0.4% volatile
142 Barbados 59.7% 2025 up 0.8% volatile
143 Fiji 59.5% 2025 up 9.0% volatile
144 Nicaragua 59.4% 2025 up 2.8% volatile
145 Jamaica 59.4% 2025 up 7.7% volatile
146 Indonesia 59.4% 2025 up 11.7% volatile
147 Honduras 59.3% 2025 up 9.0% volatile
148 Ghana 58.9% 2025 up 9.9% volatile
149 Albania 58.9% 2025 up 6.7% volatile
150 Azerbaijan 58.6% 2025 up 6.3% volatile
151 Croatia 57.8% 2025 up 4.0% volatile
152 British Virgin Islands 57.4% 2025 up 16.0% rising
153 Guatemala 56.3% 2025 up 5.3% volatile
154 Liberia 56.1% 2025 up 10.5% volatile
155 Slovenia 56.0% 2025 up 4.3% volatile
156 Philippines 55.8% 2025 up 9.0% volatile
157 Senegal 55.8% 2025 up 20.5% volatile
158 Cameroon 55.7% 2025 up 5.7% volatile
159 Haiti 55.6% 2025 up 12.5% volatile
160 Somalia 55.1% 2025 up 25.7% volatile
161 Cote d'Ivoire 54.5% 2025 up 10.3% volatile
162 Trinidad and Tobago 54.0% 2025 up 0.1% volatile
163 Benin 53.4% 2025 up 16.2% volatile
164 Slovakia 53.2% 2025 down 1.3% volatile
165 Bosnia and Herzegovina 52.7% 2025 up 10.8% volatile
166 Romania 52.2% 2025 down 2.9% volatile
167 Isle of Man 52.1% 2025 up 0.0% falling
168 Uzbekistan 51.0% 2025 up 0.7% volatile
169 Namibia 50.9% 2025 up 11.8% volatile
170 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 48.0% 2025 up 2.8% volatile
171 Turkmenistan 47.1% 2025 up 0.2% volatile
172 Guinea-Bissau 46.7% 2025 up 10.7% volatile
173 Sierra Leone 45.9% 2025 up 12.7% volatile
174 Zambia 45.9% 2025 up 9.4% volatile
175 Seychelles 45.5% 2025 up 5.5% rising
176 Democratic Republic of Congo 45.1% 2025 up 9.1% volatile
177 Lesotho 44.7% 2025 up 31.0% volatile
178 Central African Republic 44.6% 2025 up 11.4% volatile
179 Togo 44.4% 2025 up 11.8% volatile
180 Moldova 43.7% 2025 up 10.2% volatile
181 Bhutan 43.4% 2025 up 18.3% volatile
182 Egypt 42.9% 2025 up 0.7% rising
183 Maldives 42.5% 2025 up 10.2% rising
184 Belize 41.6% 2025 down 5.4% rising
185 Cambodia 41.1% 2025 up 36.7% volatile
186 Zimbabwe 40.5% 2025 up 20.7% volatile
187 Laos 40.3% 2025 up 21.7% volatile
188 Faroe Islands 39.6% 2025 up 3.9% volatile
189 Pakistan 39.5% 2025 up 10.1% volatile
190 Mauritius 39.0% 2025 down 1.6% volatile
191 Vietnam 38.8% 2025 up 19.9% volatile
192 Guinea 38.5% 2025 up 9.9% volatile
193 Saint Helena 37.2% 2025 down 0.3% falling
194 Mozambique 37.2% 2025 up 15.8% volatile
195 Niue 37.2% 2025 up 3.8% rising
196 Yemen 37.0% 2025 up 14.3% volatile
197 Tanzania 36.9% 2025 up 18.2% volatile
198 Grenada 36.7% 2025 up 2.1% volatile
199 India 35.7% 2025 up 9.7% rising
200 Sudan 34.9% 2025 up 2.5% volatile
201 Kyrgyzstan 34.7% 2025 down 1.0% volatile
202 Eritrea 34.5% 2025 down 3.0% volatile
203 Jersey 34.5% 2025 up 0.0% falling
204 Comoros 33.9% 2025 up 11.7% volatile
205 Bangladesh 33.2% 2025 up 12.5% volatile
206 Madagascar 32.9% 2025 up 12.8% volatile
207 Mali 32.2% 2025 up 24.6% volatile
208 Kenya 32.2% 2025 up 1.5% volatile
209 Uganda 31.9% 2025 up 27.9% volatile
210 Saint Kitts and Nevis 31.9% 2025 up 2.1% volatile
211 Solomon Islands 31.3% 2025 up 32.3% volatile
212 Rwanda 30.9% 2025 up 69.9% volatile
213 Myanmar 30.6% 2025 up 2.9% volatile
214 Guernsey 29.6% 2025 down 0.4% falling
215 Saint Lucia 29.1% 2025 up 45.3% volatile
216 Burkina Faso 28.9% 2025 up 12.9% volatile
217 East Timor 28.8% 2025 down 2.4% volatile
218 Chad 27.6% 2025 up 20.9% volatile
219 Eswatini 26.7% 2025 up 14.9% volatile
220 Guyana 26.5% 2025 up 0.3% volatile
221 Tajikistan 26.2% 2025 down 1.2% volatile
222 Afghanistan 25.9% 2025 up 6.0% volatile
223 Burundi 25.7% 2025 up 75.1% volatile
224 Antigua and Barbuda 24.3% 2025 down 2.7% volatile
225 Ethiopia 24.1% 2025 up 23.9% volatile
226 Micronesia (country) 22.5% 2025 up 0.8% flat
227 Vanuatu 22.3% 2025 down 10.2% volatile
228 South Sudan 21.7% 2025 up 15.3% rising
229 Tonga 21.2% 2025 down 9.0% volatile
230 Sri Lanka 20.5% 2025 up 8.8% rising
231 Niger 18.4% 2025 up 12.7% volatile
232 Malawi 17.6% 2025 up 11.1% volatile
233 Samoa 17.5% 2025 down 9.0% volatile
234 Papua New Guinea 15.8% 2025 up 19.2% volatile
236 Montserrat 9.0% 2025 up 3.4% rising
237 Tokelau 0.0% 2025 flat
237 Wallis and Futuna 0.0% 2025 flat

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

About this data

Indicator
Do more people live in urban or rural areas?
Unit
%
Source
HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
239 places, 24,444 data points, 1000–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modelled historical data.