Urban population growth in Portugal
Portugal: Urban population growth was 1.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in Portugal, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population growth in Portugal is 1.3%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 410.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Portugal peaked at 5.4% in 1975 and was at its lowest, -0.5%, in 2013.
That places Portugal 106th out of 217 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth in Portugal, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.9% | — |
| 1962 | 1.9% | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 1.6% | -13.4% |
| 1964 | 1.3% | -17.7% |
| 1965 | 0.9% | -30.7% |
| 1966 | 0.6% | -32.2% |
| 1967 | 0.8% | +26.7% |
| 1968 | 1.0% | +31.4% |
| 1969 | 0.6% | -42.2% |
| 1970 | 0.6% | +6.7% |
| 1971 | 1.1% | +76.4% |
| 1972 | 1.4% | +25.7% |
| 1973 | 1.6% | +14.1% |
| 1974 | 3.0% | +85.3% |
| 1975 | 5.4% | +80.8% |
| 1976 | 4.4% | -17.7% |
| 1977 | 2.7% | -40.1% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 2.7% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 2.7% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 2.4% | -8.6% |
| 1982 | 2.2% | -11.2% |
| 1983 | 2.0% | -7.7% |
| 1984 | 1.9% | -5.1% |
| 1985 | 1.8% | -7.1% |
| 1986 | 1.5% | -11.9% |
| 1987 | 1.4% | -9.4% |
| 1988 | 1.3% | -7.6% |
| 1989 | 1.2% | -5.6% |
| 1990 | 1.1% | -8.5% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 1.2% | +14.5% |
| 1993 | 1.5% | +18.0% |
| 1994 | 1.6% | +10.8% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | +4.9% |
| 1996 | 1.7% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 1.8% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 1.8% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 1.9% | +5.5% |
| 2001 | 1.9% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 1.8% | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 1.7% | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | -4.7% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | -8.3% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | -17.9% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | -26.2% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -41.9% |
| 2011 | -0.0% | -109.2% |
| 2012 | -0.4% | +794.6% |
| 2013 | -0.5% | +35.5% |
| 2014 | -0.5% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | -0.4% | -22.8% |
| 2016 | -0.3% | -23.2% |
| 2017 | -0.3% | -21.6% |
| 2018 | -0.2% | -32.2% |
| 2019 | 0.0% | -105.9% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | +774.6% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | +598.1% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | +22.2% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | +100.4% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | -13.5% |
| 2025 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.2% | 0.6% | 1.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.6% | 0.6% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.8% | 1.2% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 0.8% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.2% | -0.5% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.1% | 1.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
- 103 Colombia 1.3% compare
- 104 South Africa 1.3% compare
- 105 Sint Maarten 1.3% compare
- 107 Spain 1.3% compare
- 108 Switzerland 1.3% compare
- 109 Fiji 1.3% compare
More climate change data for Portugal
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 5,543 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1,218 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 4,325 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 4.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 154.46 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 950.54 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 585.76 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 364.79 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.21 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 13.03 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Portugal?
- Urban population growth in Portugal was 1.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 1975.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.5% in 2013.
- How does Portugal rank for urban population growth?
- Portugal ranks 106th out of 217 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 410.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Portugal 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.