Urban population (% of total population) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Urban population (% of total population) was 83.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in United Kingdom, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 83.3% 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 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in United Kingdom peaked at 83.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 76.9%, in 1971.
That places United Kingdom 50th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Urban population (% of total population) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 78.6% | — |
| 1961 | 78.4% | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 78.2% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 78.0% | -0.2% |
| 1964 | 77.8% | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 77.6% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 77.4% | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 77.2% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 77.1% | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 77.0% | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 76.9% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 76.9% | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 77.0% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 77.1% | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 77.3% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 77.5% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 77.8% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 78.1% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 78.3% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 78.5% | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 78.6% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 78.6% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 78.6% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 78.5% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 78.5% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 78.4% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 78.3% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 78.3% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 78.2% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 78.1% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 78.1% | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 78.1% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 78.2% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 78.3% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 78.4% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 78.7% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 78.9% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 79.1% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 79.4% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 79.6% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 79.8% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 80.0% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 80.1% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 80.2% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 80.3% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 80.4% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 80.5% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 80.6% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 80.8% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 80.9% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 81.0% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 81.1% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 81.3% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 81.5% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 81.6% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 81.8% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 82.0% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 82.2% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 82.4% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 82.7% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 82.9% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 83.0% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 83.1% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 83.2% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 83.2% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 83.3% | +0.1% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 83.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 83.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.6%, 1.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 77.7% | 77.0% | 78.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 77.5% | 76.9% | 78.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 78.4% | 78.1% | 78.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 78.7% | 78.1% | 79.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.4% | 79.8% | 80.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 81.8% | 81.0% | 82.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.1% | 82.9% | 83.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More climate change data for United Kingdom
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 37,706 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 8,697 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 29,008 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 32.82 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,036 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 7,083 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 7,027 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 55.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 26.52 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in United Kingdom?
- Urban population in United Kingdom was 83.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 83.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.9% in 1971.
- How does United Kingdom rank for urban population?
- United Kingdom ranks 50th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.