Urban population (% of total population) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Urban population (% of total population) was 52.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) stood at 52.6%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 52.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 28.7%, in 1960.
That places Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 29th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population (% of total population) in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 28.7% | — |
| 1961 | 29.3% | +2.0% |
| 1962 | 29.9% | +2.1% |
| 1963 | 30.5% | +2.0% |
| 1964 | 31.1% | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 31.6% | +1.7% |
| 1966 | 32.1% | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 32.7% | +1.7% |
| 1968 | 33.2% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 33.7% | +1.6% |
| 1970 | 34.2% | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 34.8% | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 35.3% | +1.5% |
| 1973 | 35.8% | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 36.3% | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 36.9% | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 37.3% | +1.3% |
| 1977 | 37.8% | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 38.3% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 38.8% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 39.3% | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 40.0% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 40.5% | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 41.0% | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 41.5% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 41.9% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 42.3% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 42.7% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 43.1% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 43.4% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 43.7% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 44.0% | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 44.2% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 44.4% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 44.6% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 44.9% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 45.1% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 45.4% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 45.6% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 45.9% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 46.2% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 46.4% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 46.6% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 46.8% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 47.1% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 47.3% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 47.5% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 47.7% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 48.0% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 48.2% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 48.5% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 48.8% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 49.2% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 49.8% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 50.1% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 50.4% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 50.6% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 50.8% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 51.0% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 51.2% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 51.4% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 51.7% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 51.9% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 52.2% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 52.4% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 52.6% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 31.3% | 28.7% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 36.6% | 34.2% | 38.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 41.6% | 39.3% | 43.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.8% | 43.7% | 45.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.2% | 46.2% | 48.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.0% | 48.5% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.0% | 51.4% | 52.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
More climate change data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 1.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 2.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population 393.80 million (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.5261 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 72.02 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 37.58 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 20.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 463.21 billion cubic meters (2022)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Urban population in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 52.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The highest recorded value was 52.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.7% in 1960.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for urban population?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 29th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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.