Urban population growth (annual %) in Small states
Small states: Urban population growth (annual %) was 1.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population growth in Small states, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population growth in Small states is 1.1%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 4.4% on the previous year and down 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Small states peaked at 4.0% in 1962 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2005.
Small states ranks 28th 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 Small states, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 3.6% | — |
| 1962 | 4.0% | +11.5% |
| 1963 | 4.0% | -1.3% |
| 1964 | 3.9% | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 3.8% | -3.3% |
| 1966 | 3.5% | -6.4% |
| 1967 | 3.3% | -5.8% |
| 1968 | 3.2% | -2.5% |
| 1969 | 3.1% | -4.6% |
| 1970 | 2.9% | -4.9% |
| 1971 | 2.9% | -2.5% |
| 1972 | 2.9% | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 2.8% | -2.7% |
| 1974 | 3.0% | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 3.1% | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 2.9% | -6.8% |
| 1977 | 2.8% | -4.1% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | -4.2% |
| 1979 | 2.5% | -6.7% |
| 1980 | 2.3% | -6.1% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 2.2% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | -3.5% |
| 1984 | 2.1% | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 2.3% | +7.3% |
| 1986 | 2.3% | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 2.2% | -2.9% |
| 1988 | 2.2% | -2.4% |
| 1989 | 2.2% | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 2.0% | -6.6% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -51.2% |
| 1993 | 0.7% | -23.4% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | +41.9% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | -11.1% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | +22.0% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | +15.7% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | -19.0% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 1.5% | +31.3% |
| 2002 | 1.5% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | -14.2% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | -13.7% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | -35.4% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | +62.5% |
| 2007 | 1.3% | +8.9% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | -7.3% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 1.1% | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | +5.7% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | +5.2% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | +6.6% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | -13.2% |
| 2021 | 1.1% | -6.8% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | +21.8% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | -4.3% |
| 2024 | 1.1% | -14.0% |
| 2025 | 1.1% | -4.4% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban population growth (annual %) in Small states 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +62.5% | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| 1992 | -51.2% | 2.0% | 1.0% |
| 1994 | +41.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.6% | 3.1% | 4.0% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.8% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | 0.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 0.7% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Small states
More climate change data for Small states
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.7611 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population growth 0.8% (2025)
- Population, total 20.35 million (2025)
- Urban population 10.60 million (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.521 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 26.64 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 13.79 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Small states?
- Urban population growth in Small states was 1.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 1962.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2005.
- How does Small states rank for urban population growth?
- Small states ranks 28th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Small states 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.