Upper middle 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
Upper middle income
Records
63
Source
Upper middle income | Urban population (% of total population)
26.86692191 1960
27.62871324 1961
28.29245514 1962
28.86573478 1963
29.45284137 1964
29.6191132 1965
29.76624536 1966
29.94275041 1967
30.11235968 1968
30.26753384 1969
30.41699579 1970
30.57829208 1971
30.76799994 1972
31.0292006 1973
31.3636683 1974
31.71733351 1975
32.06078885 1976
32.41859507 1977
32.95522652 1978
33.66369584 1979
34.37366818 1980
35.10449537 1981
35.83939946 1982
36.49933954 1983
37.18306545 1984
37.86420913 1985
38.53541617 1986
39.20048805 1987
39.86510608 1988
40.51408033 1989
41.16839456 1990
41.86453459 1991
42.57451517 1992
43.29940503 1993
44.03728709 1994
44.78344108 1995
45.53645174 1996
46.29892521 1997
47.07621544 1998
47.8647346 1999
48.6727954 2000
49.54985728 2001
50.48968474 2002
51.44337577 2003
52.40771188 2004
53.37548348 2005
54.32140446 2006
55.25627986 2007
56.20055301 2008
57.14536409 2009
58.08713269 2010
58.9712795 2011
59.8285493 2012
60.68308749 2013
61.53527802 2014
62.38379235 2015
63.22756327 2016
64.06229024 2017
64.8842254 2018
65.68753896 2019
66.46748853 2020
67.22798494 2021
67.96674239 2022
Upper middle 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
Upper middle income
Records
63
Source