Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Portugal
Portugal: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 61.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Portugal, 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 Portugal stood at 61.5%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Portugal peaked at 61.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 1710.
That places Portugal 138th out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 108 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 13.5% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 1 |
| 1100s | 16.4% | 16.4% | 16.4% | 1 |
| 1200s | 13.2% | 13.2% | 13.2% | 1 |
| 1300s | 36.2% | 36.2% | 36.2% | 1 |
| 1400s | 23.3% | 23.3% | 23.3% | 1 |
| 1500s | 13.8% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 1 |
| 1600s | 12.7% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 1 |
| 1700s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1710s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1720s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1730s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1740s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1750s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1760s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1770s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1780s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1790s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1800s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1810s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1820s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1830s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1840s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1850s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1860s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1870s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1880s | 11.5% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 1 |
| 1890s | 12.0% | 12.0% | 12.0% | 1 |
| 1900s | 14.0% | 14.0% | 14.0% | 1 |
| 1910s | 17.0% | 17.0% | 17.0% | 1 |
| 1920s | 21.0% | 21.0% | 21.0% | 1 |
| 1930s | 24.0% | 24.0% | 24.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 27.0% | 27.0% | 27.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 29.3% | 28.5% | 30.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 32.6% | 30.8% | 34.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 37.8% | 35.2% | 40.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 44.2% | 41.3% | 47.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 50.7% | 47.7% | 53.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 57.7% | 54.4% | 60.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.1% | 61.1% | 61.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.2% | 61.1% | 61.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 135 Kazakhstan 62.4% compare
- 136 French Polynesia 61.8% compare
- 137 Aruba 61.7% compare
- 139 Mauritania 61.5% compare
- 140 Georgia 61.2% compare
- 141 Poland 60.1% compare
More reference data data for Portugal
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.5537 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 2.05 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3824 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.3904 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.0004 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 132.05 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 Portugal?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in Portugal was 61.5% 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 61.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 1710.
- How does Portugal rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- Portugal ranks 138th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal 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
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modelled historical data.