Urban population growth (annual %) in OECD members
OECD members: Urban population growth (annual %) was 0.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population growth in OECD members, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
OECD members recorded 0.5% for urban population growth in 2025.
The figure is down 32.3% on the previous year and down 45.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in OECD members peaked at 2.2% in 1964 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2021.
OECD members ranks 42nd of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Urban population growth (annual %) in OECD members, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.2% | — |
| 1962 | 2.2% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 2.2% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 2.2% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 2.2% | -2.5% |
| 1966 | 2.1% | -4.2% |
| 1967 | 2.0% | -3.2% |
| 1968 | 2.0% | -3.6% |
| 1969 | 1.9% | -2.7% |
| 1970 | 1.8% | -5.6% |
| 1971 | 1.9% | +8.1% |
| 1972 | 1.8% | -9.6% |
| 1973 | 1.7% | -3.6% |
| 1974 | 1.6% | -4.8% |
| 1975 | 1.5% | -8.8% |
| 1976 | 1.4% | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 1.3% | -2.8% |
| 1979 | 1.3% | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 1.3% | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 1.3% | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 1.2% | -5.0% |
| 1983 | 1.2% | -1.6% |
| 1984 | 1.2% | -3.0% |
| 1985 | 1.2% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 1.2% | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 1.2% | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 1.2% | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 1.3% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 1.3% | +5.5% |
| 1992 | 1.3% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 1.3% | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 1.2% | -3.9% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 1.2% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 1.1% | -6.8% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | +7.3% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | +8.9% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.3% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | -6.8% |
| 2006 | 1.1% | -5.3% |
| 2007 | 1.1% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 1.0% | -8.5% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 0.7% | -20.7% |
| 2012 | 0.9% | +22.8% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | +14.4% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | -8.1% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | -16.7% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | -19.0% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | +2.3% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | -32.6% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | -32.9% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | +87.5% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | +30.6% |
| 2024 | 0.8% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 0.5% | -32.3% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in OECD members 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 | +87.5% | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| 2023 | +30.6% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.1% | 1.9% | 2.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More climate change data for OECD members
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.3873 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Population, total 1.40 billion (2025)
- Urban population 1.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5485 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8132 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 39.29 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 31.85 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in OECD members?
- Urban population growth in OECD members was 0.5% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 1964.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2021.
- How does OECD members rank for urban population growth?
- OECD members ranks 42nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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.