Urban population growth (annual %) in High income
High income: Urban population growth (annual %) was 0.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population growth in High income, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population growth in High income is 0.6%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 33.7% on the previous year and down 26.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in High income peaked at 2.2% in 1964 and was at its lowest, -0.0%, in 2021.
That places High income 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Urban population growth (annual %) in High income, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.2% | — |
| 1962 | 2.2% | -1.1% |
| 1963 | 2.2% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 2.2% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 2.1% | -3.6% |
| 1966 | 2.0% | -7.8% |
| 1967 | 1.9% | -4.8% |
| 1968 | 1.8% | -3.6% |
| 1969 | 1.8% | -1.1% |
| 1970 | 1.7% | -5.5% |
| 1971 | 1.8% | +5.2% |
| 1972 | 1.7% | -6.9% |
| 1973 | 1.6% | -1.6% |
| 1974 | 1.6% | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 1.4% | -12.2% |
| 1976 | 1.3% | -6.6% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 1.2% | -4.9% |
| 1979 | 1.3% | +3.8% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | -1.0% |
| 1981 | 1.2% | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | -5.5% |
| 1983 | 1.1% | -6.0% |
| 1984 | 1.0% | -2.7% |
| 1985 | 1.0% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 1.1% | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 1.1% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 1.1% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 0.9% | -13.9% |
| 1991 | 1.0% | +8.5% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | -6.2% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 0.9% | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 0.9% | -4.4% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | -6.4% |
| 1999 | 0.7% | -10.6% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | +7.5% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | +5.9% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | +9.9% |
| 2003 | 1.0% | +5.6% |
| 2004 | 1.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | -6.8% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 1.0% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | -15.1% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | -23.4% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -7.6% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | +18.7% |
| 2013 | 0.7% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | +14.0% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | -30.2% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -22.3% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | +6.8% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -22.2% |
| 2021 | -0.0% | -110.8% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | -1666.3% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | +52.3% |
| 2024 | 0.8% | -3.0% |
| 2025 | 0.6% | -33.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in High income 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 | +1666.3% | -0.0% | 0.6% |
| 2021 | -110.8% | 0.3% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | +52.3% | 0.6% | 0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5% | -0.0% | 0.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near High income
More climate change data for High income
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.4098 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5562 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Population, total 1.42 billion (2025)
- Urban population 1.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8025 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 27.2 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 21.76 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in High income?
- Urban population growth in High income was 0.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in High income?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 1964.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in High income?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.0% in 2021.
- How does High income rank for urban population growth?
- High income ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in High income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this 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
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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.