Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Australia
Australia: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 87.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Australia, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Australia is 87.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Australia peaked at 87.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Australia 49th out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1700s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1710s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 1720s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 1730s | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1 |
| 1740s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1750s | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1 |
| 1760s | 4.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 1 |
| 1770s | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1 |
| 1780s | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 1 |
| 1790s | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1 |
| 1800s | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 1 |
| 1810s | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 1 |
| 1820s | 10.4% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 1 |
| 1830s | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 1 |
| 1840s | 14.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 1 |
| 1850s | 16.6% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 1 |
| 1860s | 19.3% | 19.3% | 19.3% | 1 |
| 1870s | 22.5% | 22.5% | 22.5% | 1 |
| 1880s | 26.3% | 26.3% | 26.3% | 1 |
| 1890s | 30.7% | 30.7% | 30.7% | 1 |
| 1900s | 35.8% | 35.8% | 35.8% | 1 |
| 1910s | 41.8% | 41.8% | 41.8% | 1 |
| 1920s | 48.7% | 48.7% | 48.7% | 1 |
| 1930s | 56.9% | 56.9% | 56.9% | 1 |
| 1940s | 66.3% | 66.3% | 66.3% | 1 |
| 1950s | 78.8% | 75.8% | 81.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 83.0% | 81.6% | 84.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 85.8% | 85.3% | 86.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 85.5% | 85.4% | 85.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 85.3% | 85.1% | 85.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 85.6% | 85.1% | 86.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.8% | 86.2% | 87.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 87.4% | 87.2% | 87.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More reference data data for Australia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.4864 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8615 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.13 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0026 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4713 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 148.46 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Australia?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Australia was 87.7% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 87.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Australia rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Australia ranks 49th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modelled historical data.