This is a list of countries by urbanization .
There are two measures of the degree of urbanization of a population. The first, urban population, describes the percentage of the total population living in urban areas, as defined by the country.
The second measure, rate of urbanization, describes the projected average rate of change of the size of the urban population over the given period of time.
As of 2022, countries with more than 80% of people living in urban areas include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Finland, Denmark, Israel, Spain and South Korea.
193 United Nations member states plus the Vatican are given a number, other entries are italicized and unnumbered.[ original research? ]
Country or territory | Urban population (2022) [1] | % of total population (2023) [2] | Urbanization rate (%) (2020–25 est.) [2] |
---|---|---|---|
Kuwait | 4,268,870 | 100.0 | 1.35 |
Monaco | 36,470 | 100.0 | 0.50 |
Nauru | 12,670 | 100.0 | 0.18 |
Singapore | 5,637,020 | 100.0 | 0.74 |
Vatican City | - | 100.0 | 0.00 |
Anguilla (UK) | - | 100.0 | 0.47 |
Bermuda (UK) | 63,530 | 100.0 | –0.20 |
Cayman Islands (UK) | 68,710 | 100.0 | 1.13 |
Gibraltar (UK) | 32,650 | 100.0 | 0.45 |
Hong Kong (China) | 7,346,100 | 100.0 | 0.58 |
Macau (China) | 695,170 | 100.0 | 1.46 |
Sint Maarten (Netherlands) | 42,850 | 100.0 | 1.16 |
Qatar | 2,676,740 | 99.4 | 1.66 |
Belgium | 11,469,980 | 98.2 | 0.38 |
San Marino | 32,900 | 97.8 | 0.41 |
U.S. Virgin Islands (US) | 101,340 | 96.2 | –0.11 |
Uruguay | 3,275,200 | 95.8 | 0.40 |
Guam (US) | 163,340 | 95.2 | 0.84 |
Malta | 503,890 | 94.9 | 0.28 |
Turks and Caicos Islands (UK) | 42,980 | 94.2 | 1.46 |
Iceland | 359,050 | 94.0 | 0.74 |
Puerto Rico (US) | 3,015,920 | 93.6 | −0.12 |
Netherlands | 16,441,730 | 93.2 | 0.59 |
Israel | 8,865,820 | 92.9 | 1.51 |
Argentina | 42,696,480 | 92.5 | 0.97 |
Luxembourg | 600,080 | 92.1 | 1.43 |
Northern Mariana Islands (US) | 45,580 | 92.1 | 0.36 |
Japan | 115,058,680 | 92.0 | −0.25 |
Jordan | 10,363,480 | 92.0 | 0.98 |
Gabon | 2,167,650 | 91.0 | 2.27 |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France) | - | 90.1 | 0.75 |
Bahrain | 1,321,230 | 89.9 | 1.99 |
Lebanon | 4,900,250 | 89.4 | –1.23 |
Curaçao (Netherlands) | 133,530 | 89.0 | 0.57 |
Sweden | 9,280,100 | 88.7 | 0.89 |
Denmark | 5,216,340 | 88.5 | 0.54 |
Oman | 4,015,700 | 88.4 | 2.32 |
Venezuela | 25,012,470 | 88.4 | 1.16 |
Chile | 17,234,030 | 88.0 | 0.78 |
Greenland (Denmark) | 49,710 | 87.9 | 0.41 |
Andorra | 70,090 | 87.8 | 0.11 |
Brazil | 188,517,730 | 87.8 | 0.87 |
United Arab Emirates | 8,265,050 | 87.8 | 1.50 |
American Samoa (US) | 38,600 | 87.2 | 0.26 |
New Zealand | 4,452,020 | 87.0 | 0.92 |
Australia | 22,491,670 | 86.6 | 1.27 |
Finland | 4,760,530 | 85.8 | 0.42 |
Saudi Arabia | 30,848,830 | 85.0 | 1.69 |
United Kingdom | 56,522,520 | 84.6 | 0.80 |
Dominican Republic | 9,415,140 | 84.4 | 1.64 |
Norway | 4,565,650 | 84.0 | 1.32 |
Bahamas | 342,300 | 83.6 | 1.02 |
United States | 276,908,630 | 83.3 | 0.96 |
Costa Rica | 4,250,460 | 82.6 | 1.50 |
Colombia | 42,562,640 | 82.4 | 1.01 |
Palau | 14,800 | 82.4 | 1.59 |
Canada | 31,825,970 | 81.9 | 0.95 |
France | 55,402,740 | 81.8 | 0.67 |
Libya | 5,538,570 | 81.6 | 1.45 |
Mexico | 103,660,850 | 81.6 | 1.40 |
Spain | 38,845,700 | 81.6 | 0.24 |
South Korea | 42,039,230 | 81.5 | 0.31 |
Belarus | 7,412,540 | 80.7 | 0.28 |
Greece | 8,378,760 | 80.7 | 0.11 |
Taiwan | - | 80.1 | 0.65 |
Falkland Islands (UK) | - | 79.7 | 0.53 |
Brunei | 354,060 | 79.1 | 1.44 |
Marshall Islands | 32,640 | 78.9 | 0.61 |
Peru | 26,799,750 | 78.9 | 1.33 |
Malaysia | 26,544,440 | 78.7 | 1.87 |
Djibouti | 878,520 | 78.6 | 1.56 |
Germany | 65,067,460 | 77.8 | 0.13 |
Palestine | 3,898,260 | 77.6 | 2.85 |
Cuba | 8,678,350 | 77.5 | 0.19 |
Turkey | 65,453,230 | 77.5 | 1.11 |
Iran | 68,013,040 | 77.3 | 1.32 |
Bulgaria | 4,936,940 | 76.7 | −0.28 |
São Tomé and Príncipe | 172,250 | 76.4 | 2.96 |
Cook Islands (New Zealand) | - | 76.2 | 0.52 |
El Salvador | 4,737,530 | 75.4 | 1.33 |
Algeria | 33,575,040 | 75.3 | 1.99 |
Russia | 108,359,440 | 75.3 | 0.11 |
Czech Republic | 7,937,600 | 74.6 | 0.20 |
Equatorial Guinea | 1,239,600 | 74.4 | 3.62 |
Switzerland | 6,502,140 | 74.2 | 0.79 |
Botswana | 1,899,700 | 72.9 | 2.47 |
Hungary | 6,996,220 | 72.9 | 0.05 |
New Caledonia (France) | 194,710 | 72.7 | 1.72 |
Dominica | 52,150 | 72.0 | 0.84 |
Italy | 42,234,940 | 72.0 | 0.27 |
Iraq | 31,749,760 | 71.6 | 2.91 |
Bolivia | 8,658,340 | 71.2 | 1.87 |
Tunisia | 8,675,720 | 70.5 | 1.34 |
Ukraine | 26,569,220 | 70.1 | −0.27 |
Estonia | 938,910 | 69.8 | -0.03 |
Panama | 3,048,140 | 69.5 | 1.92 |
Congo | 4,103,830 | 69.2 | 3.19 |
Mongolia | 2,342,490 | 69.1 | 1.40 |
South Africa | 40,928,490 | 68.8 | 1.72 |
Angola | 24,229,340 | 68.7 | 4.04 |
Latvia | 1,288,130 | 68.7 | −0.68 |
Lithuania | 1,938,680 | 68.7 | −0.12 |
Montenegro | 420,720 | 68.5 | 0.45 |
Cape Verde | 400,640 | 68.0 | 1.83 |
Portugal | 7,014,160 | 67.9 | 0.44 |
Cyprus | 837,380 | 67.0 | 0.76 |
Suriname | 409,800 | 66.4 | 0.88 |
Tuvalu | 7,410 | 66.2 | 2.08 |
Morocco | 24,196,350 | 65.1 | 1.88 |
Ecuador | 11,623,250 | 64.8 | 1.62 |
Albania | 1,772,140 | 64.6 | 1.29 |
China | 897,578,430 | 64.6 | 1.78 |
Gambia | 1,727,830 | 64.5 | 3.75 |
Ireland | 3,290,770 | 64.5 | 1.15 |
Armenia | 1,767,630 | 63.7 | 0.23 |
North Korea | 16,401,830 | 63.2 | 0.85 |
Paraguay | 4,259,530 | 63.1 | 1.64 |
French Polynesia (France) | 190,410 | 62.3 | 0.65 |
Georgia | 2,238,530 | 60.7 | 0.35 |
Honduras | 6,217,980 | 60.2 | 2.48 |
Poland | 22,142,390 | 60.2 | −0.16 |
Nicaragua | 4,138,180 | 59.8 | 1.45 |
Haiti | 6,814,300 | 59.7 | 2.47 |
Austria | 5,357,840 | 59.5 | 0.68 |
North Macedonia | 1,216,460 | 59.5 | 0.61 |
Cameroon | 16,395,040 | 59.3 | 3.43 |
Ghana | 19,621,880 | 59.2 | 3.06 |
Seychelles | 70,000 | 58.8 | 0.99 |
Fiji | 541,390 | 58.7 | 1.37 |
Croatia | 2,244,690 | 58.6 | 0.05 |
Indonesia | 159,608,950 | 58.6 | 1.99 |
Kazakhstan | 11,378,780 | 58.2 | 1.19 |
Kiribati | 74,880 | 57.8 | 2.77 |
Mauritania | 2,695,950 | 57.7 | 3.84 |
Azerbaijan | 5,798,040 | 57.6 | 1.38 |
World | 4,522,994,900 | 57.5 | 1.73 |
Jamaica | 1,611,830 | 57.4 | 0.79 |
Syria | 12,560,280 | 57.4 | 5.38 |
Serbia | 3,790,270 | 57.1 | 0.04 |
Slovenia | 1,177,450 | 56.1 | 0.54 |
Namibia | 1,385,060 | 54.9 | 3.64 |
Romania | 10,378,520 | 54.7 | –0.15 |
Nigeria | 116,965,440 | 54.3 | 3.92 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 56,000 | 54.3 | 0.94 |
Slovakia | 2,928,200 | 54.0 | 0.17 |
Turkmenistan | 3,440,080 | 54.0 | 2.23 |
Liberia | 2,813,870 | 53.6 | 3.41 |
Thailand | 37,919,840 | 53.6 | 1.43 |
Isle of Man (UK) | 45,020 | 53.5 | 0.97 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 816,660 | 53.4 | 0.23 |
Ivory Coast | 14,829,620 | 53.1 | 3.38 |
Guatemala | 9,141,700 | 53.1 | 2.59 |
Uzbekistan | 17,990,170 | 50.5 | 1.25 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1,611,620 | 50.3 | 0.61 |
Benin | 6,614,210 | 50.1 | 3.74 |
British Virgin Islands (UK) | 15,440 | 49.7 | 1.73 |
Senegal | 8,499,950 | 49.6 | 3.59 |
Philippines | 55,441,750 | 48.3 | 2.04 |
Niue (New Zealand) | - | 48.2 | 1.43 |
Somalia | 8,327,850 | 47.9 | 4.20 |
DR Congo | 46,373,410 | 47.4 | 4.33 |
Belize | 188,030 | 46.6 | 2.30 |
Zambia | 9,160,290 | 46.3 | 4.15 |
Mali | 10,265,850 | 46.2 | 4.57 |
Guinea-Bissau | 948,370 | 45.5 | 3.22 |
Togo | 3,886,440 | 44.5 | 3.60 |
Bhutan | 341,820 | 44.4 | 2.52 |
Aruba (Netherlands) | 46,890 | 44.3 | 0.77 |
Sierra Leone | 3,771,970 | 44.3 | 3.02 |
Central African Republic | 2,405,730 | 43.6 | 3.32 |
Moldova | 1,096,120 | 43.4 | 0.09 |
Eritrea | 1,570,320 | 43.3 | 3.67 |
Egypt | 47,689,120 | 43.1 | 1.90 |
Faroe Islands (Denmark) | 22,710 | 43.0 | 0.89 |
Maldives | 217,560 | 42.0 | 2.34 |
Mauritius | 515,240 | 40.9 | 0.28 |
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (UK) | - | 40.7 | 0.98 |
Madagascar | 11,809,740 | 40.6 | 4.26 |
Bangladesh | 67,979,820 | 40.5 | 2.88 |
Yemen | 13,205,030 | 39.8 | 3.71 |
Vietnam | 38,063,120 | 39.5 | 2.70 |
Mozambique | 12,590,070 | 38.8 | 4.24 |
Laos | 2,830,480 | 38.2 | 2.99 |
Guinea | 5,220,540 | 38.1 | 3.64 |
Pakistan | 88,979,080 | 38.0 | 2.10 |
Kyrgyzstan | 2,612,870 | 37.8 | 2.05 |
Tanzania | 24,025,880 | 37.4 | 4.89 |
Grenada | 46,250 | 37.1 | 0.86 |
India | 508,368,360 | 36.4 | 2.33 |
Sudan | 16,854,090 | 36.3 | 3.43 |
Zimbabwe | 5,287,040 | 32.5 | 2.41 |
Burkina Faso | 7,227,720 | 32.5 | 4.75 |
Timor-Leste | 430,210 | 32.5 | 3.31 |
Myanmar | 17,213,310 | 32.1 | 1.85 |
Barbados | 88,220 | 31.4 | 0.46 |
Guernsey (UK) | - | 31.2 | 0.68 |
Jersey (UK) | - | 31.2 | 0.68 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 14,770 | 31.1 | 1.06 |
Lesotho | 690,430 | 30.4 | 2.77 |
Comoros | 249,890 | 30.1 | 2.97 |
Kenya | 15,669,050 | 29.5 | 4.09 |
Tajikistan | 2,783,590 | 28.2 | 2.73 |
Guyana | 218,530 | 27.2 | 1.01 |
Afghanistan | 10,946,830 | 26.9 | 3.34 |
Uganda | 12,360,020 | 26.8 | 5.41 |
Solomon Islands | 185,300 | 26.0 | 3.57 |
Vanuatu | 84,350 | 26.0 | 2.55 |
Cambodia | 4,211,080 | 25.6 | 3.06 |
Eswatini | 295,320 | 24.8 | 2.42 |
Chad | 4,264,760 | 24.4 | 4.10 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 22,830 | 24.3 | 0.87 |
Micronesia | 26,500 | 23.4 | 1.52 |
Ethiopia | 27,959,130 | 23.2 | 4.40 |
Tonga | 24,710 | 23.2 | 0.99 |
Nepal | 6,552,760 | 21.9 | 3.09 |
South Sudan | 2,274,960 | 21.2 | 4.12 |
Saint Lucia | 34,260 | 19.2 | 0.98 |
Sri Lanka | 4,220,160 | 19.2 | 1.22 |
Malawi | 3,668,880 | 18.3 | 4.41 |
Rwanda | 2,441,370 | 17.9 | 3.07 |
Samoa | 39,170 | 17.5 | −0.03 |
Niger | 4,427,580 | 17.1 | 4.72 |
Burundi | 1,858,290 | 14.8 | 5.43 |
Liechtenstein | 5,720 | 14.6 | 1.15 |
Papua New Guinea | 1,377,570 | 13.7 | 2.91 |
Montserrat (UK) | - | 9.3 | 0.94 |
Tokelau (New Zealand) | - | 0.0 | 0.00 |
Wallis and Futuna (France) | - | 0.0 | 0.00 |
The demographic profile of Cameroon is complex for a country of its population. Cameroon comprises an estimated 250 distinct ethnic groups, which may be formed into five large regional-cultural divisions:
Demographic features of the population of the Central African Republic include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Haiti is the 83rd most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of 11,123,178 as of July 2018. However the last census done in Haiti was in 2003, and the population recorded was 8,812,245. According to population DNA tests, approximately 80% of the population of Haiti is Afro-Haitian. Within Black Haitian DNA according to a study, the composition is approximately 88% African, the rest are European or mixed European. This is evidenced in DNA ancestry read outs where the average Haitian consistently tests at nearly 100 percent SSA DNA. The remaining population of Haiti is primarily composed of Mulattoes, Europeans, Asians, and Arabs. Hispanic residents in Haiti are mostly Cuban and Dominican. About two-thirds of Haitian people live in rural areas.
Demographic features of the population of Rwanda include population density, ethnicity, education higher level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects.
Demographic features of the population of Tanzania include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population.
A megacity is a very large city, typically with a population of more than 10 million people. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its 2018 "World Urbanization Prospects" report defines megacities as urban agglomerations with over 10 million inhabitants. A University of Bonn report holds that they are "usually defined as metropolitan areas with a total population of 10 million or more people". Elsewhere in other sources, from five to eight million is considered the minimum threshold, alongside a population density of at least 2,000 per square kilometre. The terms conurbation, metropolis, and metroplex are also applied to the latter.
Urbanization is the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It can also mean population growth in urban areas instead of rural ones. It is predominantly the process by which towns and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in central areas.
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which are sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metropolitan area usually comprises multiple principal cities, jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships, boroughs, cities, towns, exurbs, suburbs, counties, districts and even states and nations in areas like the eurodistricts. As social, economic and political institutions have changed, metropolitan areas have become key economic and political regions.
Population density is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.
A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inhabited by impoverished people. Although slums are usually located in urban areas, in some countries they can be located in suburban areas where housing quality is low and living conditions are poor. While slums differ in size and other characteristics, most lack reliable sanitation services, supply of clean water, reliable electricity, law enforcement, and other basic services. Slum residences vary from shanty houses to professionally built dwellings which, because of poor-quality construction or lack of basic maintenance, have deteriorated.
The category of newly industrialized country (NIC), newly industrialized economy (NIE) or middle income country is a socioeconomic classification applied to several countries around the world by political scientists and economists. They represent a subset of developing countries whose economic growth is much higher than that of other developing countries; and where the social consequences of industrialization, such as urbanization, are reorganizing society.
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically described as rural, as well as other areas lacking substantial development. Different countries have varying definitions of rural for statistical and administrative purposes.
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. This is the core of a metropolitan statistical area in the United States, if it contains a population of more than 50,000.
A city proper is the geographical area contained within city limits. The term proper is not exclusive to cities; it can describe the geographical area within the boundaries of any given locality. The United Nations defines the term as "is the single political jurisdiction which contains the historical city centre."
Urbanization in China increased in speed following the initiation of the reform and opening policy. By the end of 2023, China had an urbanization rate of 66.2% and is expected to reach 75-80% by 2035.
Earth has a human population of over 8 billion as of 2024, with an overall population density of 50 people per km2. Nearly 60% of the world's population lives in Asia, with almost 2.8 billion in the countries of India and China combined. The percentage shares of China, India and rest of South Asia of the world population have remained at similar levels for the last few thousand years of recorded history. The world's literacy rate has increased dramatically in the last 40 years, from 66.7% in 1979 to 86.3% today. Lower literacy levels are mostly attributable to poverty. Lower literacy rates are found mostly in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Overurbanization is a thesis originally developed by scholars of demography, geography, ecology, economics, political science, and sociology in thrergence of International Nongovernmental Organizations Amid Declining States. The term is intentionally comparative and has been used to differentiate between developed and developing countries. Several causes have been suggested, but the most common is rural-push and urban-pull factors in addition to population growth.
Urbanization in Indonesia increased tremendously following the country's rapid development in the 1970s. Since then, Indonesia has been facing high urbanization rates driven by rural-urban migration. In 1950, 15% of Indonesia's population lived in urban areas. In 1990, 40 years later, this number doubled to 30%. Indonesia took only another 20 years to increase its urban population to 44% as reported in 2010. The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that the average population density of Jakarta, the capital, had reached more than 14,400 people per square kilometer. The BPS also predicted that the population in Jakarta will reach 11 million people in 2020 unless measures are taken to control the population.
Urbanization in India began to accelerate after independence, due to the country's adoption of a mixed economy, which gave rise to the development of the private sector. The population residing in urban areas in India, according to the 1901 census, was 11.4%, increasing to 28.53% by the 2001 census, and is now currently 34% in 2017 according to the World Bank. According to a survey by the United Nations, in 2030 40.76% of country's population is expected to reside in urban areas. As per the World Bank, India, along with China, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the United States, will lead the world's urban population surge by 2050.
Climate change and cities are deeply connected. Cities are one of the greatest contributors and likely best opportunities for addressing climate change. Cities are also one of the most vulnerable parts of the human society to the effects of climate change, and likely one of the most important solutions for reducing the environmental impact of humans. The UN projects that 68% of the world population will live in urban areas by 2050. In the year 2016, 31 mega-cities reported having at least 10 million in their population, 8 of which surpassed 20 million people. However, secondary cities - small to medium size cities are rapidly increasing in number and are some of the fastest growing urbanizing areas in the world further contributing to climate change impacts. Cities have a significant influence on construction and transportation—two of the key contributors to global warming emissions. Moreover, because of processes that create climate conflict and climate refugees, city areas are expected to grow during the next several decades, stressing infrastructure and concentrating more impoverished peoples in cities.