Urbanization Rate
Definition
The percentage of a country's total population that lives in urban areas. The definition of "urban" varies by country but generally includes cities and towns above a certain population threshold.
Why It Matters
Urbanization drives economic growth, infrastructure investment, and cultural change. Over 56% of the world's population is now urban, and that share is growing rapidly in developing countries.
How It's Measured
National censuses classify areas as urban or rural based on population density, administrative boundaries, or other criteria. The World Bank and UN track urbanization rates globally.
Current Value
US: approximately 83%; World: approximately 56%
Related Ranking
View ranking →Related Terms
Related Glossary Terms
The number of people per unit of land area, typically expressed as people per square mile (US) or people pe...
The midpoint value of owner-occupied housing units. Half of homes are worth more and half are worth less. T...
The American Community Survey is an ongoing annual survey conducted by the US Census Bureau that collects d...
The income level at which half of all households earn more and half earn less. It includes wages, salaries,...
Total personal income divided by total population. It represents the average income earned per person, incl...
The percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold, which varies by household size...
Frequently Asked Questions
The percentage of a country's total population that lives in urban areas. The definition of "urban" varies by country but generally includes cities and towns above a certain population threshold.
Urbanization drives economic growth, infrastructure investment, and cultural change. Over 56% of the world's population is now urban, and that share is growing rapidly in developing countries.
National censuses classify areas as urban or rural based on population density, administrative boundaries, or other criteria. The World Bank and UN track urbanization rates globally.
Urbanization Rate is one of the U.S. population demographics concepts that recurs across this site. The definition above is the technical answer; the paragraphs below add the practical context for how the concept connects to the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files data behind every per-entity page on the site.
In the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files data, this concept shapes one or more of the fields that drive the per-entity grades and rankings on this site. The methodology page describes which fields feed into which output; this glossary entry documents the underlying term.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.