Wednesday 21 October Hailsham
  1. Home
  2. Statistics
  3. United Kingdom
  4. People
  5. Urban population
People Statistics · Country

Urban population in United Kingdom

1960 – 2025 · 66 data points 11 of 42 · Countries Updated 21 Oct 2026

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1960 – 2025

Urban population, 1960 – 2025 percent · United Kingdom · World
+1.5 pp since 2015
United Kingdom World

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1960 – 2025

Compared with Urban population · percent
United Kingdom
83.3%
World
57.8%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance United Kingdom · 1960 – 2025
Latest value 83.3% · 2025
First value 78.6% · 1960
Highest 83.3% · 2025
Lowest 76.9% · 1971
Data points 66

By year

All years · 1960 – 2025

YearUnited KingdomChange World
2025 83.3% +0.1 pp 57.8%
2024 83.2% +0.1 pp 57.6%
2023 83.2% +0.1 pp 57.3%
2022 83.1% +0.1 pp 57.1%
2021 83.0% +0.1 pp 56.8%
2020 82.9% +0.2 pp 56.4%
2019 82.7% +0.2 pp 56.1%
2018 82.4% +0.2 pp 55.8%
2017 82.2% +0.2 pp 55.3%
2016 82.0% +0.2 pp 54.9%
2015 81.8% +0.2 pp 54.4%
2014 81.6% +0.2 pp 53.9%
2013 81.5% +0.2 pp 53.4%
2012 81.3% +0.2 pp 52.9%
2011 81.1% +0.1 pp 52.5%
2010 81.0% +0.1 pp 51.8%
2009 80.9% +0.1 pp 51.4%
2008 80.8% +0.1 pp 50.9%
2007 80.6% +0.1 pp 50.4%
2006 80.5% +0.1 pp 49.9%
2005 80.4% +0.1 pp 49.4%
2004 80.3% +0.1 pp 48.9%
2003 80.2% +0.1 pp 48.4%
2002 80.1% +0.1 pp 47.8%
2001 80.0% +0.2 pp 47.3%
2000 79.8% +0.2 pp 46.8%
1999 79.6% +0.2 pp 46.3%
1998 79.4% +0.2 pp 45.8%
1997 79.1% +0.2 pp 45.3%
1996 78.9% +0.2 pp 44.8%
1995 78.7% +0.2 pp 44.3%
1994 78.4% +0.2 pp 44.0%
1993 78.3% +0.1 pp 43.7%
1992 78.2% +0.1 pp 43.4%
1991 78.1% −0.0 pp 43.2%
1990 78.1% −0.0 pp 42.8%
1989 78.1% −0.1 pp 42.7%
1988 78.2% −0.1 pp 42.4%
1987 78.3% −0.1 pp 42.1%
1986 78.3% −0.1 pp 41.8%
1985 78.4% −0.1 pp 41.4%
1984 78.5% −0.1 pp 41.1%
1983 78.5% −0.0 pp 40.6%
1982 78.6% −0.0 pp 40.2%
1981 78.6% +0.0 pp 39.9%
1980 78.6% +0.1 pp 39.5%
1979 78.5% +0.2 pp 39.1%
1978 78.3% +0.2 pp 38.6%
1977 78.1% +0.3 pp 38.3%
1976 77.8% +0.3 pp 38.0%
1975 77.5% +0.2 pp 37.7%
1974 77.3% +0.2 pp 37.4%
1973 77.1% +0.1 pp 37.2%
1972 77.0% +0.1 pp 36.9%
1971 76.9% −0.0 pp 36.7%
1970 76.9% −0.1 pp 36.4%
1969 77.0% −0.1 pp 36.3%
1968 77.1% −0.1 pp 36.0%
1967 77.2% −0.2 pp 35.8%
1966 77.4% −0.2 pp 35.6%
1965 77.6% −0.2 pp 35.4%
1964 77.8% −0.2 pp 35.1%
1963 78.0% −0.2 pp 34.6%
1962 78.2% −0.2 pp 34.4%
1961 78.4% −0.2 pp 34.5%
1960 78.6% 34.2%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1960 – 2025

Ranking · Countries

2018 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUrban population
1 Hong Kong SAR China 100.0%
2 Netherlands 92.6%
3 Argentina 91.8%
4 Gabon 89.5%
5 Lebanon 89.3%
6 Türkiye 88.2%
7 Chile 88.0%
8 Brazil 86.4%
9 Saudi Arabia 83.5%
10 United Kingdom 82.4%
11 Norway 82.2%
12 Canada 81.6%
13 South Korea 81.4%
14 Germany 81.1%
15 United States 80.3%
16 Spain 79.6%
17 France 78.7%
18 Greece 78.0%
19 Mexico 78.0%
20 Colombia 77.3%
21 Russia 74.5%
22 Bulgaria 73.6%
23 Czechia 72.8%
24 Finland 72.3%
25 Algeria 71.9%
26 Italy 69.5%
27 Lithuania 67.1%
28 Congo - Brazzaville 63.4%
29 Ecuador 63.0%
30 China 61.5%
31 Poland 60.1%
32 Honduras 55.9%
33 Indonesia 55.1%
34 Philippines 53.2%
35 Romania 53.1%
36 Liberia 52.3%
37 Congo - Kinshasa 42.5%
38 Egypt 42.5%
39 Sierra Leone 42.2%
40 Yemen 34.2%
41 India 33.5%
42 Bangladesh 30.5%

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2018

What it means

The share of people who live in towns and cities rather than the countryside.

How it is calculated

Residents of areas defined as urban by the national statistical office, divided by the total population.