Urban population growth in IBRD only
IBRD only: Urban population growth was 1.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population growth in IBRD only, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population growth in IBRD only is 1.1%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and down 54.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in IBRD only peaked at 5.1% in 1964 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1962.
IBRD only ranks 29th 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 growth in IBRD only, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.9% | — |
| 1962 | 0.4% | -78.3% |
| 1963 | 2.7% | +554.9% |
| 1964 | 5.1% | +89.6% |
| 1965 | 2.9% | -44.1% |
| 1966 | 3.1% | +8.8% |
| 1967 | 3.1% | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 3.1% | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 3.1% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 3.1% | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 3.1% | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 3.1% | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 3.4% | +8.1% |
| 1974 | 3.2% | -4.0% |
| 1975 | 3.4% | +6.1% |
| 1976 | 3.2% | -5.3% |
| 1977 | 3.1% | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 3.4% | +7.0% |
| 1979 | 4.0% | +19.5% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | -18.6% |
| 1981 | 3.6% | +8.7% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | -10.6% |
| 1983 | 3.7% | +17.5% |
| 1984 | 4.0% | +6.6% |
| 1985 | 3.3% | -18.4% |
| 1986 | 3.3% | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 3.3% | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | -10.4% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | -5.9% |
| 1990 | 2.3% | -17.6% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | +24.3% |
| 1992 | 2.5% | -10.6% |
| 1993 | 2.5% | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 2.4% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 3.1% | +29.0% |
| 1997 | 3.1% | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 2.9% | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 3.0% | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -13.5% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 2.5% | -6.8% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 2.5% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 2.5% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | -10.6% |
| 2009 | 2.4% | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -12.6% |
| 2011 | 3.1% | +46.8% |
| 2012 | 2.3% | -24.8% |
| 2013 | 2.5% | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | -4.6% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | -8.7% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | -5.6% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 1.8% | -10.3% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | -19.3% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | -30.8% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | -8.5% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | +10.3% |
| 2025 | 1.1% | +3.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth in IBRD only 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | +554.9% | 0.4% | 2.7% |
| 1964 | +89.6% | 2.7% | 5.1% |
| 1962 | -78.3% | 1.9% | 0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.8% | 0.4% | 5.1% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.3% | 3.1% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.3% | 2.8% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near IBRD only
- 26 Zambia 3.7% compare
- 27 Afghanistan 3.7% compare
- 28 Yemen 3.5% compare
- 29 Togo 3.5% compare
- 30 Guinea 3.5% compare
- 31 Cote d'Ivoire 3.5% compare
- 32 South Sudan 3.5% compare
More climate change data for IBRD only
- Urban population 2.94 billion (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.5474 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 1.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.5865 units per person (2025)
- Population, total 5.01 billion (2025)
- Population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 40.6 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 69.96 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in IBRD only?
- Urban population growth in IBRD only was 1.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in IBRD only?
- The highest recorded value was 5.1% in 1964.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in IBRD only?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1962.
- How does IBRD only rank for urban population growth?
- IBRD only ranks 29th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in IBRD only?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this IBRD only 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.