Urban population, annual growth rate in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Urban population, annual growth rate was 2.3 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population, annual growth rate in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan recorded 2.3 % change on previous year for urban population, annual growth rate in 2025.
That represents a change of down 4.6% on the previous year and down 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, annual growth rate in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 4.88 % change on previous year in 1962 and was at its lowest, 1.73 % change on previous year, in 2021.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 15th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Urban population, annual growth rate in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.76 % change on previous year | — |
| 1962 | 4.88 % change on previous year | +2.5% |
| 1963 | 4.82 % change on previous year | -1.2% |
| 1964 | 4.73 % change on previous year | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 4.51 % change on previous year | -4.8% |
| 1966 | 4.39 % change on previous year | -2.6% |
| 1967 | 4.71 % change on previous year | +7.3% |
| 1968 | 4.55 % change on previous year | -3.4% |
| 1969 | 4.59 % change on previous year | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 4.6 % change on previous year | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 4.51 % change on previous year | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 4.5 % change on previous year | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 4.55 % change on previous year | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 4.5 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 1975 | 4.55 % change on previous year | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 4.5 % change on previous year | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 4.59 % change on previous year | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 4.51 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 4.59 % change on previous year | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 4.68 % change on previous year | +2.1% |
| 1981 | 4.87 % change on previous year | +4.0% |
| 1982 | 4.75 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 1983 | 4.48 % change on previous year | -5.8% |
| 1984 | 4.45 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 4.38 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 4.27 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 1987 | 4.21 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 1988 | 3.96 % change on previous year | -5.9% |
| 1989 | 3.83 % change on previous year | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 4.17 % change on previous year | +8.8% |
| 1991 | 3.43 % change on previous year | -17.8% |
| 1992 | 3.69 % change on previous year | +7.8% |
| 1993 | 3.27 % change on previous year | -11.4% |
| 1994 | 3.14 % change on previous year | -4.1% |
| 1995 | 3.09 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 2.99 % change on previous year | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 3.11 % change on previous year | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 3.02 % change on previous year | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 3 % change on previous year | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 3.01 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 3.02 % change on previous year | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 2.85 % change on previous year | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 2.85 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 3 % change on previous year | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 3.03 % change on previous year | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 3.02 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 3.04 % change on previous year | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 3.03 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 2.98 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 2.51 % change on previous year | -15.8% |
| 2011 | 2.96 % change on previous year | +18.1% |
| 2012 | 3.21 % change on previous year | +8.4% |
| 2013 | 3.33 % change on previous year | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 2.72 % change on previous year | -18.3% |
| 2015 | 2.59 % change on previous year | -4.8% |
| 2016 | 2.34 % change on previous year | -9.6% |
| 2017 | 2.04 % change on previous year | -13.1% |
| 2018 | 1.88 % change on previous year | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 2.06 % change on previous year | +9.4% |
| 2020 | 2.29 % change on previous year | +11.4% |
| 2021 | 1.73 % change on previous year | -24.5% |
| 2022 | 2.49 % change on previous year | +44.0% |
| 2023 | 2.54 % change on previous year | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 2.41 % change on previous year | -4.9% |
| 2025 | 2.3 % change on previous year | -4.6% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population, annual growth rate in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +44.0% | 1.73 % change on previous year | 2.49 % change on previous year |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.66 % change on previous year | 4.39 % change on previous year | 4.88 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.54 % change on previous year | 4.5 % change on previous year | 4.6 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.39 % change on previous year | 3.83 % change on previous year | 4.87 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.29 % change on previous year | 2.99 % change on previous year | 4.17 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.98 % change on previous year | 2.85 % change on previous year | 3.04 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.57 % change on previous year | 1.88 % change on previous year | 3.33 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3 % change on previous year | 1.73 % change on previous year | 2.54 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- 12 Solomon Islands 4.54 % change on previous year compare
- 13 Malawi 4.53 % change on previous year compare
- 14 Central African Republic 4.43 % change on previous year compare
- 15 Somalia 4.38 % change on previous year compare
- 16 Burkina Faso 4.35 % change on previous year compare
- 17 Mauritania 4.31 % change on previous year compare
- 18 Papua New Guinea 4.23 % change on previous year compare
More climate change data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Urban population growth 2.3% (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.5596 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 56.0% (2025)
- Urban population 463.33 million (2025)
- Population, total 828.02 million (2025)
- Population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 34.99 units per square kilometre (2023)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population, annual growth rate in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Urban population, annual growth rate in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 2.3 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 4.88 % change on previous year in 1962.
- What is the lowest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.73 % change on previous year in 2021.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for urban population, annual growth rate?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 15th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population, annual growth rate rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban population, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.