Urban population growth (annual %) in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Urban population growth (annual %) was 1.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population growth in Latin America & Caribbean, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 1.0% for urban population growth in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 23.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 4.2% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2021.
Latin America & Caribbean ranks 32nd 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 (annual %) in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.2% | — |
| 1962 | 4.2% | +0.3% |
| 1963 | 4.2% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 4.2% | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 4.2% | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 4.1% | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 4.1% | -1.2% |
| 1968 | 4.0% | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 4.0% | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 3.9% | -1.7% |
| 1971 | 3.9% | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 3.9% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 3.9% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 3.9% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 3.9% | -1.3% |
| 1976 | 3.8% | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 3.7% | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 3.6% | -2.6% |
| 1979 | 3.5% | -3.8% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | -4.7% |
| 1981 | 3.2% | -4.6% |
| 1982 | 3.1% | -2.7% |
| 1983 | 3.0% | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 3.0% | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 2.9% | -2.9% |
| 1986 | 2.8% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | -2.3% |
| 1988 | 2.7% | -2.1% |
| 1989 | 2.6% | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 2.6% | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 2.5% | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 2.4% | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | -3.0% |
| 1994 | 2.3% | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 2.3% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 2.3% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 2.1% | -6.7% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | -7.1% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 1.7% | -5.3% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | -5.2% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | -5.2% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -4.2% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 1.3% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 1.3% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 1.3% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | -9.8% |
| 2021 | 0.8% | -15.0% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | +14.4% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 1.0% | -2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.1% | 4.0% | 4.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.8% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.9% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.4% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
More climate change data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9558 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8151 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 543.31 million (2025)
- Population, total 666.59 million (2025)
- Population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.6655 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 32.79 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 26.57 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Urban population growth in Latin America & Caribbean was 1.0% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 4.2% in 1963.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2021.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for urban population growth?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 32nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.
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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.