Urban population growth (annual %) in Italy
Italy: Urban population growth (annual %) was 0.0% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in Italy, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Italy recorded 0.0% for urban population growth in 2025.
The figure is up 9.8% on the previous year and up 142.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Italy peaked at 1.8% in 1965 and was at its lowest, -0.6%, in 2021.
That places Italy 181st out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth (annual %) in Italy, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.5% | — |
| 1962 | 1.5% | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 1.6% | +5.7% |
| 1964 | 1.7% | +7.2% |
| 1965 | 1.8% | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 1.7% | -4.6% |
| 1967 | 1.6% | -5.3% |
| 1968 | 1.4% | -9.2% |
| 1969 | 1.3% | -9.6% |
| 1970 | 1.2% | -9.7% |
| 1971 | 1.0% | -15.0% |
| 1972 | 1.0% | +2.4% |
| 1973 | 1.1% | +9.5% |
| 1974 | 1.1% | -3.0% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | -7.2% |
| 1976 | 0.9% | -12.8% |
| 1977 | 0.8% | -13.1% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | -15.7% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | -19.9% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | -29.9% |
| 1981 | 0.2% | -46.8% |
| 1982 | 0.1% | -60.1% |
| 1983 | 0.0% | -76.8% |
| 1984 | -0.0% | -146.1% |
| 1985 | -0.0% | +22.1% |
| 1986 | -0.0% | +283.0% |
| 1987 | -0.0% | -9.4% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | -117.4% |
| 1989 | 0.0% | +544.3% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | +47.4% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | +31.3% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | +27.7% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -17.9% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | +54.6% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | +30.9% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | -9.3% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | +22.0% |
| 2001 | 0.2% | +8.4% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | +71.9% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | +107.6% |
| 2004 | 0.9% | +31.5% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | -17.9% |
| 2006 | 0.5% | -24.1% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | +42.5% |
| 2008 | 1.0% | +24.6% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | -17.0% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | -12.9% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -10.2% |
| 2012 | 0.8% | +29.2% |
| 2013 | 1.0% | +24.3% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | -58.8% |
| 2015 | -0.1% | -126.7% |
| 2016 | -0.2% | +91.4% |
| 2017 | -0.3% | +44.3% |
| 2018 | -0.3% | -12.6% |
| 2019 | -0.2% | -19.6% |
| 2020 | -0.5% | +120.7% |
| 2021 | -0.6% | +21.9% |
| 2022 | -0.2% | -65.2% |
| 2023 | 0.0% | -114.1% |
| 2024 | 0.0% | +50.9% |
| 2025 | 0.0% | +9.8% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 0.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.6%, 7% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Italy's 0.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.5%, 9% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in Italy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +544.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1986 | -283.0% | -0.0% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 0.9% | 0.5% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.2% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | -0.3% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.2% | -0.6% | 0.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 178 Kosovo 0.1% compare
- 178 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 0.1% compare
- 180 Russia 0.1% compare
- 182 Montenegro 0.0% compare
- 183 Channel Islands 0.0% compare
- 184 Sri Lanka 0.0% compare
More climate change data for Italy
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 791.33 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 23,645 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,171 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 18,474 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 19.51 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 659.79 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 9,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 5,740 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3,357 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 21.66 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Italy?
- Urban population growth in Italy was 0.0% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 1.8% in 1965.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.6% in 2021.
- How does Italy rank for urban population growth?
- Italy ranks 181st out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is up 142.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Italy 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.