High income | Urban population (% of total population)

Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division. Development relevance: Explosive growth of cities globally signifies the demographic transition from rural to urban, and is associated with shifts from an agriculture-based economy to mass industry, technology, and service. In principle, cities offer a more favorable setting for the resolution of social and environmental problems than rural areas. Cities generate jobs and income, and deliver education, health care and other services. Cities also present opportunities for social mobilization and women's empowerment. Limitations and exceptions: Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverage. There is no consistent and universally accepted standard for distinguishing urban from rural areas, in part because of the wide variety of situations across countries. Most countries use an urban classification related to the size or characteristics of settlements. Some define urban areas based on the presence of certain infrastructure and services. And other countries designate urban areas based on administrative arrangements. Because of national differences in the characteristics that distinguish urban from rural areas, the distinction between urban and rural population is not amenable to a single definition that would be applicable to all countries. Estimates of the world's urban population would change significantly if China, India, and a few other populous nations were to change their definition of urban centers. Because the estimates of city and metropolitan area are based on national definitions of what constitutes a city or metropolitan area, cross-country comparisons should be made with caution. Statistical concept and methodology: Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The indicator is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Percentages urban are the numbers of persons residing in an area defined as ''urban'' per 100 total population. They are calculated by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Particular caution should be used in interpreting the figures for percentage urban for different countries. Countries differ in the way they classify population as "urban" or "rural." The population of a city or metropolitan area depends on the boundaries chosen.
Publisher
The World Bank
Origin
High income
Records
63
Source
High income | Urban population (% of total population)
1960 62.78886843
1961 63.28488816
1962 63.78580214
1963 64.30341794
1964 64.82033459
1965 65.33587756
1966 65.83819463
1967 66.35229602
1968 66.85118995
1969 67.32216399
1970 67.7764236
1971 68.17868734
1972 68.54719169
1973 68.90791975
1974 69.26590841
1975 69.60848201
1976 69.89588964
1977 70.18056116
1978 70.47182721
1979 70.76361672
1980 71.0578891
1981 71.37523517
1982 71.65104101
1983 71.90761765
1984 72.15101799
1985 72.38899586
1986 72.65574329
1987 72.94969708
1988 73.23247325
1989 73.48708661
1990 73.74393958
1991 74.02920057
1992 74.29779469
1993 74.54403403
1994 74.79175464
1995 75.03819886
1996 75.27513922
1997 75.49957789
1998 75.72178691
1999 75.94256385
2000 76.15947061
2001 76.49678645
2002 76.8887902
2003 77.25571837
2004 77.6098595
2005 77.95240628
2006 78.27095324
2007 78.57925851
2008 78.87871154
2009 79.16224709
2010 79.43411863
2011 79.63949448
2012 79.81360216
2013 79.98316779
2014 80.15118067
2015 80.3262197
2016 80.50492003
2017 80.68589243
2018 80.86936901
2019 81.06170286
2020 81.24796386
2021 81.43148371
2022 81.63638366

High income | Urban population (% of total population)

Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division. Development relevance: Explosive growth of cities globally signifies the demographic transition from rural to urban, and is associated with shifts from an agriculture-based economy to mass industry, technology, and service. In principle, cities offer a more favorable setting for the resolution of social and environmental problems than rural areas. Cities generate jobs and income, and deliver education, health care and other services. Cities also present opportunities for social mobilization and women's empowerment. Limitations and exceptions: Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverage. There is no consistent and universally accepted standard for distinguishing urban from rural areas, in part because of the wide variety of situations across countries. Most countries use an urban classification related to the size or characteristics of settlements. Some define urban areas based on the presence of certain infrastructure and services. And other countries designate urban areas based on administrative arrangements. Because of national differences in the characteristics that distinguish urban from rural areas, the distinction between urban and rural population is not amenable to a single definition that would be applicable to all countries. Estimates of the world's urban population would change significantly if China, India, and a few other populous nations were to change their definition of urban centers. Because the estimates of city and metropolitan area are based on national definitions of what constitutes a city or metropolitan area, cross-country comparisons should be made with caution. Statistical concept and methodology: Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The indicator is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Percentages urban are the numbers of persons residing in an area defined as ''urban'' per 100 total population. They are calculated by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Particular caution should be used in interpreting the figures for percentage urban for different countries. Countries differ in the way they classify population as "urban" or "rural." The population of a city or metropolitan area depends on the boundaries chosen.
Publisher
The World Bank
Origin
High income
Records
63
Source