This statistic shows the percentage of the total population living in urban areas worldwide from 1950 to 2050, by regional development level. By 2050, more developed regions of the world will have 86.6 percent of their populations living in urban areas.

In 2025, the degree of urbanization worldwide was at 58 percent. North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean were the regions with the highest level of urbanization, with over four-fifths of the population residing in urban areas. The degree of urbanization defines the share of the population living in areas defined as "cities". On the other hand, less than half of Africa's population lives in urban settlements. Globally, China accounts for over one-quarter of the built-up areas of more than 500,000 inhabitants. The definition of a city differs across various world regions - some countries count settlements with 100 houses or more as urban, while others only include the capital of a country or provincial capitals in their count. Largest agglomerations worldwideThough North America is the most urbanized continent, no U.S. city was among the top ten urban agglomerations worldwide in 2023. Tokyo-Yokohama in Japan was the largest urban area in the world that year, with 37.7 million inhabitants. New York ranked 13th, with 21.4 million inhabitants. Eight of the 10 most populous cities are located in Asia. ConnectivityIt may be hard to imagine how the reality will look in 2050, with 70 percent of the global population living in cities, but some statistics illustrate the ways urban living differs from suburban and rural living. American urbanites may lead more “connected” (i.e., internet-connected) lives than their rural and/or suburban counterparts. As of 2021, around 89 percent of people living in urban areas owned a smartphone. Internet usage was also higher in cities than in rural areas. On the other hand, rural areas always have, and always will, attract those who want to escape the rush of the city.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hunan data was reported at 62.070 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 61.160 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hunan data is updated yearly, averaging 17.115 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 76 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62.070 % in 2024 and a record low of 7.780 % in 1953. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hunan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Fujian data was reported at 71.800 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 71.040 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Fujian data is updated yearly, averaging 59.320 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2024, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 71.800 % in 2024 and a record low of 41.960 % in 2000. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Fujian data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

China urban population for 2023 was 910,895,447, a 1.48% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>China urban population for 2022 was <strong>897,578,430</strong>, a <strong>1.66% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>China urban population for 2021 was <strong>882,894,483</strong>, a <strong>1.86% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>China urban population for 2020 was <strong>866,810,508</strong>, a <strong>2.1% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Shandong data was reported at 66.480 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 65.530 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Shandong data is updated yearly, averaging 13.160 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 76 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 66.480 % in 2024 and a record low of 5.630 % in 1950. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Shandong data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

In the year 1500, the share of Western Europe's population living in urban areas was just six percent, but this rose to 31 percent by the end of the 19th century. Despite this drastic change, development was quite slow between 1500 and 1800, and it was not until the industrial revolution when there was a spike in urbanization. As Britain was the first region to undergo the industrial revolution, from around the 1760s until the 1840s, these areas were the most urbanized in Europe by 1890. The Low Countries Prior to the 19th century, Belgium and the Netherlands had been the most urbanized regions due to the legacy of their proto-industrial areas in the medieval period, and then the growth of their port cities during the Netherlands' empirical expansion (Belgium was a part of the Netherlands until the 1830s). Belgium was also quick to industrialize in the 1800s, and saw faster development than its larger, more economically powerful neighbors, France and Germany. Least-urban areas Ireland was the only Western European region with virtually no urbanization in the 16th and 17th century, but the industrial growth of Belfast and Dublin (then major port cities of the British Empire) saw this change by the late-1800s. The region of Scandinavia was the least-urbanized area in Western Europe by 1890, but it saw rapid economic growth in Europe during the first half of the following century.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Guangxi data was reported at 57.390 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 56.780 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Guangxi data is updated yearly, averaging 34.640 % from Dec 1950 (Median) to 2024, with 75 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78.640 % in 2002 and a record low of 8.430 % in 1950. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Guangxi data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

In 2020, about 82.66 percent of the total population in the United States lived in cities and urban areas. As the United States was one of the earliest nations to industrialize, it has had a comparatively high rate of urbanization over the past two centuries. The urban population became larger than the rural population during the 1910s, and by the middle of the century it is expected that almost 90 percent of the population will live in an urban setting. Regional development of urbanization in the U.S. The United States began to urbanize on a larger scale in the 1830s, as technological advancements reduced the labor demand in agriculture, and as European migration began to rise. One major difference between early urbanization in the U.S. and other industrializing economies, such as the UK or Germany, was population distribution. Throughout the 1800s, the Northeastern U.S. became the most industrious and urban region of the country, as this was the main point of arrival for migrants. Disparities in industrialization and urbanization was a key contributor to the Union's victory in the Civil War, not only due to population sizes, but also through production capabilities and transport infrastructure. The Northeast's population reached an urban majority in the 1870s, whereas this did not occur in the South until the 1950s. As more people moved westward in the late 1800s, not only did their population growth increase, but the share of the urban population also rose, with an urban majority established in both the West and Midwest regions in the 1910s. The West would eventually become the most urbanized region in the 1960s, and over 90 percent of the West's population is urbanized today. Urbanization today New York City is the most populous city in the United States, with a population of 8.3 million, while California has the largest urban population of any state. California also has the highest urbanization rate, although the District of Columbia is considered 100 percent urban. Only four U.S. states still have a rural majority, these are Maine, Mississippi, Montana, and West Virginia.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jiangxi data was reported at 63.770 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 63.130 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jiangxi data is updated yearly, averaging 30.410 % from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2024, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 63.770 % in 2024 and a record low of 16.750 % in 1978. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jiangxi data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jilin data was reported at 65.760 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 64.730 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jilin data is updated yearly, averaging 52.735 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 72 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 86.890 % in 2000 and a record low of 22.040 % in 1949. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jilin data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

Understanding how ecological and cultural resources may change in the future is an important component of conservation planning and for the implementation of long-term environmental monitoring. We modeled six future scenarios of urbanization and sea level rise to investigate their potential effects on the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative's Priority Resources (PFLCC 2016), which were identified as important for conservation through a cooperative multi-partner effort to prioritize conservation efforts on a state-wide scale. These data represent conservation targets for the Coastal Uplands, High Pine and Scrub, and Freshwater Aquatics Priority Resources at present, and under six future scenarios of sea level rise and urbanization.

It is estimated that Europe had an urbanization rate of approximately 8.5 percent in the year 1800. The Netherlands and Belgium were some of the most heavily urbanized regions, due the growth of port cities such as Rotterdam and Antwerp during Netherlands' empirical expansion, and the legacy of urbanization in the region, which stems from its wool and craft industries in medieval times. Additionally, the decline of their agricultural sectors and smaller territories contributed to a lower rural population. Scotland and England had also become more urban throughout the British Empire's growth, although the agricultural revolution of the previous two centuries, along with the first industrial revolution, then led to more rapid urbanization during the 19th century. In contrast, there was a large imbalance between the east and west of the continent; the two largest empires, Austria and Russia, had the lowest levels of urbanization in Europe in 1800, due to their vast territories, lower maritime presence, and lack of industrial development.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Tibet data was reported at 38.880 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 37.390 % for 2022. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Tibet data is updated yearly, averaging 16.765 % from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2023, with 54 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 38.880 % in 2023 and a record low of 7.080 % in 1970. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Tibet data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

In 2023, the share of urban population in Sweden remained nearly unchanged at around 88.74 percent. Still, the share reached its highest value in the observed period in 2023. The urban population refers to the share of the total population living in urban centers. Each country has their own definition of what constitutes an urban center (based on population size, area, or space between dwellings, among others), therefore international comparisons may be inconsistent.Find more key insights for the share of urban population in countries like Greenland and Faroe Islands.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hubei data was reported at 66.350 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 65.470 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hubei data is updated yearly, averaging 26.810 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 71 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 66.350 % in 2024 and a record low of 8.790 % in 1949. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hubei data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Anhui: Chuzhou data was reported at 64.930 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 63.850 % for 2023. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Anhui: Chuzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 51.890 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2024, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 64.930 % in 2024 and a record low of 41.600 % in 2010. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Anhui: Chuzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Chuzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Urbanization Rate.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Liaoning data was reported at 73.510 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 73.000 % for 2022. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Liaoning data is updated yearly, averaging 41.090 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2023, with 75 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 73.510 % in 2023 and a record low of 18.080 % in 1949. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Liaoning data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Qinghai data was reported at 63.900 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 62.800 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Qinghai data is updated yearly, averaging 33.840 % from Dec 1952 (Median) to 2024, with 73 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 63.900 % in 2024 and a record low of 5.190 % in 1952. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Qinghai data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Urbanization Rate.

In the year 1800, approximately five percent of the world's population lived in urban areas of 10,000 people or more. At this time, the world's population was just under one billion people, and the industrial revolution was in its early stages in Western Europe and North America. As industrialization spread across the world, urbanization rates rose accordingly. In 2021, the global urbanization rate was approximately 56 percent.