Urban population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Urban population growth was 2.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 2.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 4.6% in 1962 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 2016.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 16th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.6% | — |
| 1962 | 4.6% | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 4.6% | -0.5% |
| 1964 | 4.5% | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 4.3% | -4.8% |
| 1966 | 4.2% | -2.0% |
| 1967 | 4.5% | +6.2% |
| 1968 | 4.4% | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 4.4% | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 4.3% | -0.6% |
| 1971 | 4.2% | -2.2% |
| 1972 | 4.2% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 4.2% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 4.2% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 4.3% | +2.0% |
| 1976 | 4.2% | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 4.3% | +1.8% |
| 1978 | 4.2% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 4.3% | +1.5% |
| 1980 | 4.4% | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 4.6% | +5.3% |
| 1982 | 4.5% | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 4.2% | -6.2% |
| 1984 | 4.3% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 4.2% | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 4.1% | -2.6% |
| 1987 | 4.0% | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 3.8% | -6.1% |
| 1989 | 3.7% | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 4.4% | +19.9% |
| 1991 | 3.4% | -22.5% |
| 1992 | 3.4% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 3.1% | -7.7% |
| 1994 | 3.0% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 3.0% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | -4.5% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 2.9% | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 2.9% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | -6.2% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 2.8% | +6.5% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 2.7% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 2.9% | +7.4% |
| 2013 | 3.0% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 2.6% | -15.2% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | -14.1% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -6.7% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 2.1% | -4.2% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | -3.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.6% | 9 |
| 1970s | 4.3% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.9% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.0% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- 13 Malawi 4.4% compare
- 14 Central African Republic 4.3% compare
- 15 Somalia 4.3% compare
- 16 Burkina Faso 4.3% compare
- 17 Mauritania 4.2% compare
- 18 Papua New Guinea 4.1% compare
- 19 Angola 4.1% compare
More climate change data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Urban population 398.54 million (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 1.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 2.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.5286 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 52.9% (2025)
- Population, total 753.90 million (2025)
- Population growth 1.6% (2025)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 38 units per square kilometre (2023)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Urban population growth in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 2.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 4.6% in 1962.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 2016.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for urban population growth?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 16th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (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
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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.