World Urban Population

Table of Contents

World Urban Population List:

In 2021, 56.61% of the world’s populace will certainly live in city locations, a percentage anticipated to rise to 68% by 2050. The most urbanized areas consist of Northern America (82.75%), Latin America as well as the Caribbean (81.5%), Europe (75%), as well as Oceania (68%). The greatest adjustment has been in Latin America as well as the Caribbean, with 81.4% living in metropolitan locations, up from 41.3% in 1950.

The world’s metropolitan populace has expanded quickly from 751 million in 1950 to 4.46 billion in 2021 and also will certainly expand to 6.68 billion by 2050, including concerning 2.22 billion individuals to metropolitan locations. 90% of the forecasted development of the globe’s city populace in between 2021 and also 2050 will certainly happen in Asia and also Africa.

The distribution of the world’s urban population

Percent of the world’s urban population in:	1960	1980	2000	2020	Projected for 2040
More developed regions	54.7%	43.4%	30.8%	22.9%	18.4%
Less developed regions	45.3%	56.6%	69.2%	77.1%	81.6%
Least developed countries	2.3%	3.8%	5.8%	8.5%	12.6%
Sub-Saharan Africa	3.2%	4.8%	7.1%	10.5%	15.7%
AFRICA	5.2%	7.3%	10.0%	13.4%	18.9%
Eastern Africa	0.6%	1.2%	1.9%	3.0%	5.0%
Middle Africa	0.6%	0.9%	1.3%	2.1%	3.2%
Northern Africa	2.0%	2.5%	2.9%	2.9%	3.2%
Southern Africa	0.8%	0.9%	1.0%	1.0%	1.0%
Western Africa	1.2%	1.9%	2.8%	4.4%	6.5%
ASIA	35.2%	40.9%	48.8%	53.9%	53.5%
Eastern Asia	18.0%	18.7%	22.2%	24.6%	21.7%
South-Central Asia	11.0%	13.6%	15.6%	17.0%	19.1%
Central Asia	0.9%	1.1%	0.9%	0.8%	0.8%
Southern Asia	10.1%	12.5%	14.7%	16.2%	18.3%
Southeastern Asia	3.9%	5.2%	6.9%	7.6%	7.9%
Western Asia	2.3%	3.4%	4.1%	4.6%	4.8%
EUROPE	34.0%	26.7%	18.0%	12.7%	9.9%
Eastern Europe	12.1%	10.7%	7.2%	4.6%	3.4%
Northern Europe	5.7%	3.9%	2.6%	2.0%	1.7%
Southern Europe	5.9%	5.0%	3.4%	2.5%	1.9%
Western Europe	10.2%	7.1%	4.8%	3.6%	2.9%
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN	10.7%	13.4%	13.8%	12.3%	10.9%
Caribbean	0.8%	0.9%	0.8%	0.7%	0.6%
Central America	2.3%	3.2%	3.3%	3.2%	3.0%
South America	7.5%	9.3%	9.7%	8.4%	7.3%
NORTHERN AMERICA	14.0%	10.7%	8.6%	7.0%	6.1%
OCEANIA	1.0%	0.9%	0.7%	0.7%	0.6%

World Urban Population

One of the most urbanized areas consists of Northern America (82.75%), Latin America as well as the Caribbean (81.5%), Europe (75%), and also Oceania (68%). The degree of urbanization in Asia is currently estimating 52%. On the other hand, Africa continues to be primarily a country, with 44% of its populace residing in city locations.

The greatest modification has actually remained in Latin America and also the Caribbean, with 81.4% living in metropolitan locations, up from 41.3% in 1950. The most affordable adjustment has actually remained in Oceania, from 62.5% in 1950 to 68.3% in 2021. In 1950, much less than 20 percent of Africans and also Asians resided in cities.

Africa has the fastest populace development price of 3.56% in 2021, complied with by Asia (1.98%). Europe has the lowest populace development price of 0.32%.

Urbanization by regions

Region	Population (1950)		Population (2021)		Population (2050)			Urban (%)		growth rate (%)
	Rural	Urban	*Rural*	Urban	Rural	*Urban*	*1950*	2021	2050
Asia	246,192,916	1,157,868,674	2,408,318,385	2,252,719,984	3,479,058,559	1,777,868,940	17.53	51.67	66.18	1.98
Africa	32,658,962	196,011,057	608,654,401	777,000,214	1,488,920,045	1,038,636,716	14.28	43.93	58.91	3.56
Europe	284,085,263	265,289,756	558,453,858	185,042,265	598,857,027	116,863,987	51.71	75.11	83.67	0.32
Latin America and the Caribbean	69,759,111	99,158,582	545,983,737	124,527,251	685,070,437	94,770,764	41.30	81.43	87.85	1.22
Northern America	110,300,439	62,302,185	307,697,259	64,133,908	386,689,862	47,964,961	63.90	82.75	88.96	0.96
Oceania	7,906,247	4,741,529	29,309,513	13,623,859	41,160,232	15,961,223	62.51	68.27	72.06	1.35

Urbanization by regions

World Urbanization Estimates

Year	Population		Urbanization
	*Urban*	*Rural*	growth rate (%)	*Urban (%)*
2020	4,378,993,944	3,416,488,365	1.85	56.17
2019	4,299,438,618	3,415,138,305	1.89	55.73
2018	4,219,817,318	3,413,002,007	1.92	55.29
2017	4,140,188,594	3,410,073,507	1.96	54.84
2016	4,060,652,683	3,406,311,597	1.99	54.38
2015	3,981,497,663	3,401,511,157	2.02	53.93
2014	3,902,831,934	3,395,621,099	2.04	53.48
2013	3,824,990,329	3,388,436,123	2.06	53.03
2012	3,747,842,586	3,380,334,349	2.08	52.58
2011	3,671,423,872	3,371,584,714	2.13	52.13
2010	3,594,868,146	3,363,301,013	2.22	51.66
2009	3,516,830,263	3,356,910,791	2.24	51.16
2008	3,439,719,128	3,350,052,125	2.26	50.66
2007	3,363,609,560	3,342,809,033	2.25	50.16
2006	3,289,446,226	3,334,401,687	2.29	49.66
2005	3,215,905,863	3,326,253,520	2.32	49.16
2004	3,143,044,892	3,318,325,973	2.32	48.64
2003	3,071,743,997	3,309,664,990	2.33	48.14
2002	3,001,808,223	3,300,341,416	2.34	47.63
2001	2,933,078,510	3,290,333,648	2.26	47.13
2000	2,868,307,513	3,276,699,476	2.14	46.68
1999	2,808,231,655	3,258,635,736	2.15	46.29
1998	2,749,213,598	3,239,632,505	2.17	45.91
1997	2,690,813,541	3,219,752,754	2.20	45.53
1996	2,632,941,583	3,198,623,437	2.23	45.15
1995	2,575,505,235	3,175,969,181	2.27	44.78
1994	2,518,254,111	3,152,065,592	2.32	44.41
1993	2,461,223,528	3,126,871,309	2.37	44.04
1992	2,404,337,297	3,100,063,852	2.42	43.68
1991	2,347,462,336	3,071,296,467	2.50	43.32
1990	2,290,228,096	3,040,715,364	2.56	42.96
1989	2,233,140,502	3,007,594,615	2.62	42.61
1988	2,176,126,537	2,972,430,419	2.70	42.27
1987	2,118,882,551	2,936,753,581	2.73	41.91
1986	2,062,604,394	2,901,028,834	2.72	41.55
1985	2,007,939,063	2,865,842,733	2.70	41.20
1984	1,955,106,433	2,831,377,429	2.69	40.85
1983	1,903,822,436	2,797,708,407	2.68	40.49
1982	1,854,134,229	2,764,641,939	2.77	40.14
1981	1,804,215,203	2,733,630,574	2.85	39.76
1980	1,754,201,029	2,704,210,505	2.82	39.35
1979	1,706,021,638	2,674,564,117	2.82	38.95
1978	1,659,306,117	2,645,070,995	2.65	38.55
1977	1,616,419,308	2,612,781,949	2.48	38.22
1976	1,577,376,141	2,576,911,453	2.52	37.97
1975	1,538,624,994	2,540,462,204	2.50	37.72
1974	1,501,134,655	2,502,313,496	2.66	37.50
1973	1,462,178,370	2,465,360,325	2.63	37.23
1972	1,424,734,781	2,426,810,400	2.58	36.99
1971	1,388,834,099	2,386,956,801	2.56	36.78
1970	1,354,215,496	2,346,362,154	2.61	36.60
1969	1,319,833,474	2,306,072,040	2.64	36.40
1968	1,285,933,432	2,265,947,268	2.66	36.20
1967	1,252,566,565	2,226,487,256	2.67	36.00
1966	1,219,993,032	2,188,128,373	2.65	35.80
1965	1,188,469,224	2,151,123,464	2.65	35.59
1964	1,157,813,355	2,115,857,417	3.14	35.37
1963	1,122,561,940	2,087,709,412	3.14	34.97
1962	1,088,376,703	2,060,867,542	3.12	34.56
1961	1,055,435,648	2,034,869,631	3.09	34.15
1960	1,023,845,517	2,009,367,010	3.12	33.75
1959	992,820,546	1,985,004,140	3.15	33.34
1958	962,537,113	1,961,544,130	3.15	32.92
1957	933,113,168	1,938,839,110	3.14	32.49
1956	904,685,164	1,916,698,280	3.16	32.07
1955	877,008,842	1,895,233,693	3.16	31.64
1954	850,179,106	1,874,123,362	3.14	31.21
1953	824,289,989	1,852,940,369	3.13	30.79
1952	799,282,533	1,831,301,851	3.12	30.38
1951	775,067,697	1,808,749,089	3.22	30.00
1950	750,902,938	1,785,371,783	–	29.61

World Urbanization Estimates

World Urbanization Projections

Year	Population		Urbanization
	*Urban*	*Rural*	growth rate (%)	*Urban (%)*
2021	4,458,417,153	3,417,047,481	1.81	56.61
2022	4,537,671,317	3,416,797,665	1.78	57.05
2023	4,616,769,941	3,415,717,534	1.74	57.48
2024	4,695,752,643	3,413,780,180	1.71	57.90
2025	4,774,646,303	3,410,967,454	1.68	58.33
2026	4,853,440,042	3,407,270,082	1.65	58.75
2027	4,932,106,155	3,402,695,488	1.62	59.18
2028	5,010,636,794	3,397,263,558	1.59	59.59
2029	5,089,023,789	3,391,003,567	1.56	60.01
2030	5,167,257,546	3,383,941,098	1.54	60.43
2031	5,245,333,711	3,376,082,064	1.51	60.84
2032	5,323,244,862	3,367,428,644	1.49	61.25
2033	5,400,979,916	3,357,993,198	1.46	61.66
2034	5,478,518,637	3,347,796,979	1.44	62.07
2035	5,555,833,477	3,336,868,463	1.41	62.48
2036	5,632,877,620	3,325,249,071	1.39	62.88
2037	5,709,649,218	3,312,940,857	1.36	63.28
2038	5,786,163,111	3,299,940,686	1.34	63.68
2039	5,862,368,105	3,286,315,544	1.32	64.08
2040	5,938,249,026	3,272,087,978	1.29	64.47
2041	6,013,773,230	3,257,290,043	1.27	64.87
2042	6,088,940,515	3,241,905,375	1.25	65.26
2043	6,163,655,296	3,226,000,633	1.23	65.64
2044	6,238,212,209	3,209,242,440	1.21	66.03
2045	6,312,544,819	3,191,664,753	1.19	66.42
2046	6,386,625,322	3,173,283,873	1.17	66.81
2047	6,460,427,625	3,154,117,815	1.16	67.19
2048	6,533,911,569	3,134,181,863	1.14	67.58
2049	6,607,033,749	3,113,492,230	1.12	67.97
2050	6,679,756,162	3,092,066,591	1.10	68.36

World Urbanization Projections

World Urban Population

The time needed for one billion additional urban dwellers

World’s total urban population	Time taken
0 to 1 billion urban dwellers	10,000 years (circa 8000 BC to 1960)
1 to 2 billion urban dwellers	25 years (1960 – 1985)
2 to 3 billion urban dwellers	18 years (1985 – 2003)
3 to 4 billion urban dwellers	12 years (2003 – 2015)
4 to 5 billion urban dwellers (projected)	13 years (2015 – 2028)
5 to 6 billion (projected)	12 years (2028 – 2040)

Distribution of urban population by countries’ per capita income

Among the most extensive metropolitan adjustments has been the expanding percentage of the globe’s metropolitan populace in reduced- and also middle-income nations– and also within this in the LDCs. In 1960, high-income nations had 45.3% of the globe’s metropolitan populace; this was up to 22.6% in 2020 (see the table listed below). It is middle-income nations that have the biggest boost in the share of the globe’s city populace.

World Urban Population

Percentage of the world’s urban population by countries’ per capita income and other UN categories

	1960	1980	2000	2020	Projected for 2040
More developed regions	54.7%	43.4%	30.8%	22.9%	18.4%
Less developed regions	45.3%	56.6%	69.2%	77.1%	81.6%
Least developed countries	2.3%	3.8%	5.8%	8.5%	12.6%
High-income countries	47.4%	38.1%	28.7%	22.6%	18.5%
Upper-middle-income countries	32.2%	36.2%	40.4%	41.6%	37.4%
Lower-middle-income countries	18.5%	22.9%	27.0%	30.2%	35.3%
Low-income countries	1.8%	2.7%	3.8%	5.5%	8.7%