Urban population, per square kilometre in OECD members
OECD members: Urban population, per square kilometre was 31.85 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Urban population, per square kilometre in OECD members, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population, per square kilometre in OECD members is 31.85 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, per square kilometre in OECD members peaked at 31.85 units per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 14.5 units per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places OECD members 22nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Urban population, per square kilometre in OECD members, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 14.5 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 14.83 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 15.16 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 15.51 units per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 15.85 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 16.19 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1967 | 16.52 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 16.85 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1969 | 17.17 units per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1970 | 17.48 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1971 | 17.83 units per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 18.14 units per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 18.45 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 18.75 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 19.03 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 19.29 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 19.55 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 19.81 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 20.07 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 20.34 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 20.6 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 20.85 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 21.1 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 21.34 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 21.59 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 21.84 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 22.11 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 22.37 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 22.65 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 22.94 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 23.24 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 23.42 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 23.64 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 23.94 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 24.23 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 24.52 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 24.81 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 25.08 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 25.36 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 25.6 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 25.9 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 26.22 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 26.56 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 26.9 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 27.21 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 27.52 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 27.81 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 28.13 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 28.42 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 28.69 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 28.9 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 29.17 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 29.48 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 29.8 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 30.1 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 30.35 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 30.55 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 30.77 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 30.99 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 31.14 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 31.4 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 31.59 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 31.85 units per square kilometre | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.84 units per square kilometre | 14.5 units per square kilometre | 17.17 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 18.84 units per square kilometre | 17.48 units per square kilometre | 20.07 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 21.48 units per square kilometre | 20.34 units per square kilometre | 22.65 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.12 units per square kilometre | 22.94 units per square kilometre | 25.36 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.03 units per square kilometre | 25.6 units per square kilometre | 28.42 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.88 units per square kilometre | 28.69 units per square kilometre | 30.99 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.5 units per square kilometre | 31.14 units per square kilometre | 31.85 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 19 Israel 416.48 units per square kilometre compare
- 20 Barbados 390.17 units per square kilometre compare
- 21 Aruba 368.81 units per square kilometre compare
- 22 Puerto Rico 340.16 units per square kilometre compare
- 23 Belgium 338.21 units per square kilometre compare
- 24 Curaçao 318.39 units per square kilometre compare
- 25 Japan 314.5 units per square kilometre compare
More climate change data for OECD members
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- 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)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5485 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8132 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 81.3% (2025)
- Urban population 1.14 billion (2025)
- Population, total 1.40 billion (2025)
- Population growth 0.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population, per square kilometre in OECD members?
- Urban population, per square kilometre in OECD members was 31.85 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 31.85 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest urban population, per square kilometre recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.5 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does OECD members rank for urban population, per square kilometre?
- OECD members ranks 22nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is urban population, per square kilometre rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Urban population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Urban population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Urban population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.