Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Germany

Germany: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 82.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
82.1%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
62nd
of 238 countries
All-time high
82.1%
in 2025
All-time low
2.2%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025

Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Germany, 1000–2025

020406080100015122025

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 Germany is 82.1%, 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 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Germany peaked at 82.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 1000.

That places Germany 62nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1000s 2.2% 2.2% 2.2% 1
1100s 3.3% 3.3% 3.3% 1
1200s 4.9% 4.9% 4.9% 1
1300s 7.4% 7.4% 7.4% 1
1400s 11.1% 11.1% 11.1% 1
1500s 8.2% 8.2% 8.2% 1
1600s 8.5% 8.5% 8.5% 1
1700s 7.7% 7.7% 7.7% 1
1710s 8.1% 8.1% 8.1% 1
1720s 8.5% 8.5% 8.5% 1
1730s 8.9% 8.9% 8.9% 1
1740s 9.4% 9.4% 9.4% 1
1750s 9.8% 9.8% 9.8% 1
1760s 10.3% 10.3% 10.3% 1
1770s 10.8% 10.8% 10.8% 1
1780s 11.4% 11.4% 11.4% 1
1790s 11.9% 11.9% 11.9% 1
1800s 12.5% 12.5% 12.5% 1
1810s 13.2% 13.2% 13.2% 1
1820s 13.4% 13.4% 13.4% 1
1830s 13.7% 13.7% 13.7% 1
1840s 14.0% 14.0% 14.0% 1
1850s 14.3% 14.3% 14.3% 1
1860s 14.5% 14.5% 14.5% 1
1870s 14.8% 14.8% 14.8% 1
1880s 15.1% 15.1% 15.1% 1
1890s 15.4% 15.4% 15.4% 1
1900s 21.8% 21.8% 21.8% 1
1910s 27.3% 27.3% 27.3% 1
1920s 34.1% 34.1% 34.1% 1
1930s 42.6% 42.6% 42.6% 1
1940s 53.2% 53.2% 53.2% 1
1950s 72.9% 70.4% 75.2% 10
1960s 77.9% 75.7% 79.6% 10
1970s 79.8% 79.7% 79.9% 10
1980s 80.0% 79.9% 80.0% 10
1990s 80.0% 80.0% 80.1% 10
2000s 80.2% 80.1% 80.3% 10
2010s 80.7% 80.3% 81.3% 10
2020s 81.8% 81.5% 82.1% 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 59 Norway 83.6% compare
  2. 60 United Kingdom 83.3% compare
  3. 61 Canada 82.9% compare
  4. 63 Falkland Islands 81.5% compare
  5. 64 Bahamas 81.3% compare
  6. 65 South Korea 81.2% compare

See the full ranking of 239 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Germany?
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Germany was 82.1% 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 Germany?
The highest recorded value was 82.1% in 2025.
What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 1000.
How does Germany rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
Germany ranks 62nd out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Germany 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

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.