Urban population growth in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Urban population growth was 1.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population growth in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) stood at 1.2%.
The figure is up 48.2% on the previous year and down 55.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) peaked at 4.0% in 1961 and was at its lowest, -0.7%, in 2023.
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 26th of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.0% | — |
| 1962 | 3.4% | -14.7% |
| 1963 | 3.5% | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 3.5% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 3.5% | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 3.5% | +0.1% |
| 1967 | 3.5% | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 3.6% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 3.5% | -3.2% |
| 1970 | 3.2% | -9.1% |
| 1971 | 3.1% | -0.6% |
| 1972 | 3.3% | +4.2% |
| 1973 | 3.1% | -4.6% |
| 1974 | 3.0% | -5.1% |
| 1975 | 2.9% | -1.4% |
| 1976 | 2.8% | -2.9% |
| 1977 | 2.7% | -4.1% |
| 1978 | 2.8% | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 2.4% | -11.9% |
| 1980 | 2.4% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 2.4% | -3.5% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 2.5% | +4.7% |
| 1984 | 2.5% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 2.4% | -4.2% |
| 1986 | 2.4% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 2.4% | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 2.3% | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 2.1% | -10.1% |
| 1990 | 1.8% | -14.3% |
| 1991 | 1.5% | -16.7% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | -8.5% |
| 1993 | 1.1% | -20.8% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | -25.6% |
| 1995 | 0.7% | -15.9% |
| 1996 | 0.7% | +3.7% |
| 1997 | 0.7% | -2.3% |
| 1998 | 0.6% | -18.0% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | +33.7% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | +34.6% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 1.1% | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | +8.0% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | -18.0% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | +48.2% |
| 2009 | 1.5% | +8.7% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | +7.5% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | +9.2% |
| 2012 | 2.3% | +30.6% |
| 2013 | 3.4% | +44.2% |
| 2014 | 3.5% | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 2.8% | -22.0% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | -46.7% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | -32.8% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | +9.7% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | +22.8% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | -24.1% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | -11.8% |
| 2022 | -0.5% | -158.4% |
| 2023 | -0.7% | +38.4% |
| 2024 | 0.8% | -215.1% |
| 2025 | 1.2% | +48.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.5% | 3.4% | 4.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.4% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.0% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5% | -0.7% | 1.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- 23 Benin 3.9% compare
- 24 Madagascar 3.8% compare
- 25 Syrian Arab Republic 3.8% compare
- 26 Zambia 3.7% compare
- 27 Afghanistan 3.7% compare
- 28 Yemen 3.5% compare
- 29 Togo 3.5% compare
More climate change data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- Population growth 1.1% (2025)
- Population, total 253.28 million (2025)
- Urban population 173.06 million (2025)
- Urban population 68.3% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 24.7% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 211.98 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 31.7% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 11.1% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 11.4% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 14.3% (2025)
All data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Urban population growth in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) was 1.2% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 1961.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.7% in 2023.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank for urban population growth?
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 26th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 55.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.