Urban population (% of total population) in OECD members
OECD members: Urban population (% of total population) was 81.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in OECD members, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in OECD members stood at 81.3%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in OECD members peaked at 81.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 61.6%, in 1960.
That places OECD members 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population (% of total population) in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 61.6% | — |
| 1961 | 62.1% | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 62.6% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 63.2% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 63.8% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 64.3% | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 64.9% | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 65.4% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 66.0% | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 66.5% | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 66.9% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 67.3% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 67.7% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 68.1% | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 68.5% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 68.8% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 69.1% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 69.4% | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 69.6% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 69.9% | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 70.1% | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 70.4% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 70.6% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 70.9% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 71.2% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 71.4% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 71.7% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 72.0% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 72.2% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 72.5% | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 72.8% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 73.0% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 73.3% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 73.6% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 73.9% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 74.2% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 74.5% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 74.8% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 75.1% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 75.3% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 75.6% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 75.9% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 76.3% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 76.7% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 77.1% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 77.5% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 77.8% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 78.1% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 78.3% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 78.5% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 78.8% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 78.9% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 79.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 79.5% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 79.9% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 80.2% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 80.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 80.5% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 80.5% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 80.7% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 80.7% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 80.9% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 80.9% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 81.1% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 81.2% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 81.3% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 64.0% | 61.6% | 66.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 68.5% | 66.9% | 69.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 71.3% | 70.1% | 72.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 74.1% | 72.8% | 75.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.2% | 75.6% | 78.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.9% | 78.8% | 80.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.0% | 80.7% | 81.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 1 Bahrain 100.0% compare
- 1 Bermuda 100.0% compare
- 1 Cayman Islands 100.0% compare
- 1 Gibraltar 100.0% compare
- 1 Hong Kong 100.0% compare
- 1 Kuwait 100.0% compare
- 1 Macao 100.0% compare
- 1 Monaco 100.0% compare
- 1 Nauru 100.0% compare
- 1 Singapore 100.0% compare
- 1 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 100.0% compare
- 1 Saint Martin (French Part) 100.0% compare
More climate change data for OECD members
- 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 1.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8132 units per person (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5485 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 39.29 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 31.85 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 38.1% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1,013 billion cubic meters (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in OECD members?
- Urban population in OECD members was 81.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 81.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.6% in 1960.
- How does OECD members rank for urban population?
- OECD members ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members 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.
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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.