Low 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
Low income
Records
63
Source
Low income | Urban population (% of total population)
13.44972091 1960
13.7889187 1961
14.13600566 1962
14.501368 1963
14.87715614 1964
15.2627927 1965
15.66392939 1966
16.08331721 1967
16.57475371 1968
17.12925997 1969
17.67616511 1970
18.02292417 1971
18.38463381 1972
18.73451 1973
19.0415329 1974
19.34310331 1975
19.59696392 1976
19.8600246 1977
20.12982145 1978
20.40244887 1979
20.71059168 1980
21.02875126 1981
21.31930096 1982
21.64897273 1983
22.039968 1984
22.46839493 1985
22.89942799 1986
23.32098707 1987
23.73739568 1988
24.13344936 1989
24.50547336 1990
24.81771843 1991
25.13022494 1992
25.46216962 1993
25.7970982 1994
26.09022238 1995
26.27754434 1996
26.49882509 1997
26.7417323 1998
26.98259197 1999
27.23228574 2000
27.48829892 2001
27.72675775 2002
27.95034376 2003
28.19022945 2004
28.45949481 2005
28.75416852 2006
28.99646891 2007
29.35272286 2008
29.68724414 2009
30.04065155 2010
30.33553873 2011
30.59179866 2012
30.82766794 2013
31.0816613 2014
31.43992475 2015
31.83823508 2016
32.25651366 2017
32.68806984 2018
33.13434046 2019
33.58540737 2020
34.04404474 2021
34.52217573 2022

Low 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
Low income
Records
63
Source