Late-demographic dividend | 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
Late-demographic dividend
Records
63
Source
Late-demographic dividend | Urban population (% of total population)
26.24026401 1960
27.00611551 1961
27.66147034 1962
28.22313754 1963
28.79926793 1964
28.90392651 1965
28.98544916 1966
29.10382067 1967
29.22638126 1968
29.34055419 1969
29.44645391 1970
29.53765396 1971
29.64923519 1972
29.8368327 1973
30.10466317 1974
30.39086054 1975
30.67069338 1976
30.96576991 1977
31.44460049 1978
32.11519594 1979
32.79654643 1980
33.47578331 1981
34.14590896 1982
34.7249557 1983
35.32677992 1984
35.9271428 1985
36.51997624 1986
37.10848816 1987
37.69992496 1988
38.27155042 1989
38.807365 1990
39.43097855 1991
40.08473925 1992
40.7380704 1993
41.40042492 1994
42.06814718 1995
42.75025579 1996
43.4485989 1997
44.16198723 1998
44.88949974 1999
45.63971832 2000
46.51549883 2001
47.46222508 2002
48.42487591 2003
49.40194544 2004
50.39218838 2005
51.37322049 2006
52.35355695 2007
53.34107228 2008
54.32581938 2009
55.30543976 2010
56.22553853 2011
57.1210663 2012
58.01821438 2013
58.91450678 2014
59.80478314 2015
60.69068416 2016
61.56910985 2017
62.43119562 2018
63.27388823 2019
64.08883386 2020
64.87824601 2021
65.65332867 2022
Late-demographic dividend | 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
Late-demographic dividend
Records
63
Source