Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Canada
Canada: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 82.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Canada, 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
In 2025, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Canada stood at 82.9%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Canada peaked at 82.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
Canada ranks 61st of 238 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1700s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1720s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1730s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 1740s | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1 |
| 1750s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 1 |
| 1760s | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 1 |
| 1770s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
| 1780s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 1 |
| 1790s | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 1 |
| 1800s | 7.9% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 1 |
| 1810s | 9.3% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 1 |
| 1820s | 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 1 |
| 1830s | 12.6% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 1 |
| 1840s | 14.7% | 14.7% | 14.7% | 1 |
| 1850s | 17.2% | 17.2% | 17.2% | 1 |
| 1860s | 20.0% | 20.0% | 20.0% | 1 |
| 1870s | 23.4% | 23.4% | 23.4% | 1 |
| 1880s | 27.3% | 27.3% | 27.3% | 1 |
| 1890s | 31.8% | 31.8% | 31.8% | 1 |
| 1900s | 37.5% | 37.5% | 37.5% | 1 |
| 1910s | 45.4% | 45.4% | 45.4% | 1 |
| 1920s | 49.5% | 49.5% | 49.5% | 1 |
| 1930s | 56.0% | 56.0% | 56.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 60.0% | 60.0% | 60.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 65.5% | 62.2% | 68.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 72.4% | 69.0% | 75.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 75.8% | 75.5% | 76.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 76.2% | 75.7% | 76.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 77.5% | 76.6% | 78.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 79.8% | 78.6% | 80.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.3% | 81.0% | 81.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.4% | 82.0% | 82.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 58 New Zealand 84.0% compare
- 59 Norway 83.6% compare
- 60 United Kingdom 83.3% compare
- 62 Germany 82.1% compare
- 63 Falkland Islands 81.5% compare
- 64 Bahamas 81.3% compare
More reference data data for Canada
- Spring temperature anomalies -4.58 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.7 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 2.12 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.47 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -2.57 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 140.97 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 Canada?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Canada was 82.9% 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 82.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Canada rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Canada ranks 61st out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada 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.