Urban population in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Urban population was 68.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) recorded 68.3% for urban population in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) peaked at 68.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 36.9%, in 1960.
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 12th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 36.9% | — |
| 1961 | 37.6% | +1.9% |
| 1962 | 38.1% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 38.7% | +1.4% |
| 1964 | 39.2% | +1.5% |
| 1965 | 39.8% | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 40.5% | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 41.2% | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 41.9% | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 42.6% | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 43.3% | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 44.0% | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 44.7% | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 45.4% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 46.0% | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 46.7% | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 47.3% | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 47.9% | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 48.5% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 49.0% | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 49.6% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 50.1% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 50.6% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 51.1% | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 51.6% | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 52.1% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 52.6% | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 53.1% | +0.9% |
| 1988 | 53.6% | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 54.0% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 54.3% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 54.6% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 54.9% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 55.1% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 55.3% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 55.5% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 55.7% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 55.9% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 56.1% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 56.4% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 56.7% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 57.0% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 57.4% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 57.8% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 58.1% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 58.5% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 58.9% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 59.3% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 59.8% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 60.2% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 60.7% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 61.3% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 62.3% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 63.9% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 65.6% | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 66.8% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 67.2% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 67.3% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 67.4% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 67.8% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 68.0% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 68.2% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 68.2% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 68.2% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 68.3% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 68.3% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 39.7% | 36.9% | 42.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 46.3% | 43.3% | 49.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.8% | 49.6% | 54.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.4% | 54.3% | 56.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.4% | 56.7% | 60.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.0% | 60.7% | 67.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 68.2% | 68.0% | 68.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- 13 Qatar 99.4% compare
- 14 San Marino 97.2% compare
- 15 Netherlands 95.9% compare
More climate change data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- Population growth 1.1% (2025)
- Population, total 253.28 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.2% (2025)
- Urban population 173.06 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 24.7% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 211.98 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 31.7% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 11.1% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 11.4% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 14.3% (2025)
All data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Urban population in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) was 68.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 68.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.9% in 1960.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank for urban population?
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.