World Bank Data · 211 countries
Most Urbanized Countries in the World
Urbanization is one of the defining trends of the 21st century. Over 56% of the world's population now lives in cities, and that share is projected to reach 68% by 2050. The most urbanized countries — city-states like Singapore (100%) and Monaco (100%), and wealthy nations like Belgium, Kuwait, and Qatar — have populations almost entirely concentrated in urban areas. Urbanization drives economic growth by concentrating labor, consumers, and infrastructure, but also creates challenges: housing affordability, traffic congestion, pollution, inequality, and vulnerability to climate events. The fastest urbanization is happening in Africa and Asia, where millions move from rural areas to cities each year seeking economic opportunity. Managing this rapid urban growth — providing housing, water, sanitation, transportation, and jobs — is one of the greatest challenges facing developing nations.
Key Findings
- 1Singapore leads with a urban population percentage of 100.0%, followed by Kuwait (100.0%) and Bahrain (100.0%).
- 2The gap between #1 Singapore and #211 Liechtenstein (14.7%) is 8532.2 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 63.5% (Korea, Dem. People's Rep. at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: Singapore, Kuwait, Bahrain, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), Monaco, St. Martin (French part), Nauru, Qatar.
Full Ranking: Most Urbanized Countries in the World
Source: Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates
| # | Country | Urban % | Population | GDP/Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zimbabwe | 39.3 | 16,340,822 | $2,195 |
| 2 | Zambia | 45 | 20,723,965 | $1,331 |
| 3 | Yemen, Rep. | 36.6 | 39,390,799 | — |
| 4 | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | 95.3 | 104,917 | — |
| 5 | Viet Nam | 38.1 | 100,352,192 | $4,323 |
| 6 | Venezuela, RB | 89.2 | 28,300,854 | $3,617 |
| 7 | Vanuatu | 22.3 | 320,409 | $3,483 |
| 8 | Uzbekistan | 51 | 35,652,307 | $2,879 |
| 9 | Uruguay | 95.5 | 3,388,081 | $23,019 |
| 10 | United States | 80.1 | 336,806,231 | $81,032 |
| 11 | United Kingdom | 83.2 | 68,492,000 | $49,944 |
| 12 | United Arab Emirates | 85.7 | 10,483,751 | $49,851 |
| 13 | Ukraine | 69.5 | 37,732,836 | $5,140 |
| 14 | Uganda | 30.6 | 48,656,601 | $1,002 |
| 15 | Tuvalu | 64 | 9,816 | $6,345 |
| 16 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 93.9 | 46,198 | $35,470 |
| 17 | Turkmenistan | 47.1 | 7,364,438 | $6,232 |
| 18 | Turkiye | 89 | 85,325,965 | $13,375 |
| 19 | Tunisia | 70 | 12,200,431 | $3,951 |
| 20 | Trinidad and Tobago | 54 | 1,367,510 | $18,308 |
| 21 | Tonga | 21.1 | 104,597 | $5,652 |
| 22 | Togo | 43.2 | 9,304,337 | $1,055 |
| 23 | Timor-Leste | 28.6 | 1,384,286 | $1,502 |
| 24 | Thailand | 60.9 | 71,702,435 | $7,195 |
| 25 | Tanzania | 35.5 | 66,617,606 | $1,224 |
| 26 | Tajikistan | 26.2 | 10,389,799 | $1,178 |
| 27 | Syrian Arab Republic | 72.2 | 23,594,623 | — |
| 28 | Switzerland | 85.2 | 8,888,822 | $100,624 |
| 29 | Sweden | 88.6 | 10,536,632 | $54,950 |
| 30 | Suriname | 65.8 | 628,886 | $5,522 |
| 31 | Sudan | 34.8 | 50,042,791 | $797.28 |
| 32 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 47.7 | 101,323 | $10,582 |
| 33 | St. Martin (French part) | 100 | 27,515 | — |
| 34 | St. Lucia | 29.1 | 179,285 | $13,555 |
| 35 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 31.7 | 46,758 | $22,577 |
| 36 | Sri Lanka | 20.1 | 22,037,000 | $3,799 |
| 37 | Spain | 80.1 | 48,352,528 | $33,493 |
| 38 | South Sudan | 21.1 | 11,483,374 | — |
| 39 | South Africa | 63.6 | 63,212,384 | $6,034 |
| 40 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 54.1 | 18,358,615 | $596.89 |
| 41 | Solomon Islands | 30 | 800,005 | $1,883 |
| 42 | Slovenia | 55.5 | 2,120,461 | $32,660 |
| 43 | Slovak Republic | 53.2 | 5,426,740 | $24,615 |
| 44 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 100 | 42,749 | $39,452 |
| 45 | Singapore | 100 | 5,917,648 | $85,412 |
| 46 | Sierra Leone | 44.8 | 8,460,512 | $758.33 |
| 47 | Seychelles | 45.1 | 119,773 | $18,263 |
| 48 | Serbia | 62.1 | 6,623,183 | $12,282 |
| 49 | Senegal | 54.7 | 18,077,573 | $1,698 |
| 50 | Saudi Arabia | 84.3 | 33,702,731 | $36,157 |
| 51 | Sao Tome and Principe | 68.6 | 230,871 | $2,991 |
| 52 | San Marino | 97.1 | 33,860 | $59,880 |
| 53 | Samoa | 17.5 | 216,663 | $4,823 |
| 54 | Rwanda | 28.9 | 13,954,471 | $1,027 |
| 55 | Russian Federation | 75 | 143,826,130 | $14,159 |
| 56 | Romania | 52.2 | 19,061,062 | $18,244 |
| 57 | Qatar | 99.3 | 2,656,032 | $81,817 |
| 58 | Puerto Rico (US) | 94.2 | 3,203,792 | $36,981 |
| 59 | Portugal | 61.2 | 10,578,174 | $27,635 |
| 60 | Poland | 59.9 | 36,687,353 | $22,145 |
| 61 | Philippines | 55.1 | 114,891,199 | $3,804 |
| 62 | Peru | 84.8 | 33,845,617 | $7,888 |
| 63 | Paraguay | 69.3 | 6,844,146 | $6,300 |
| 64 | Papua New Guinea | 15.1 | 10,389,635 | $2,966 |
| 65 | Panama | 65.9 | 4,458,759 | $18,797 |
| 66 | Palau | 79.2 | 17,727 | $15,611 |
| 67 | Pakistan | 38.8 | 247,504,495 | $1,360 |
| 68 | Oman | 79.6 | 5,049,269 | $21,028 |
| 69 | Norway | 83.1 | 5,519,601 | $87,497 |
| 70 | Northern Mariana Islands | 92 | 45,143 | — |
| 71 | North Macedonia | 62.3 | 1,827,816 | $8,674 |
| 72 | Nigeria | 62.2 | 227,882,945 | $2,139 |
| 73 | Niger | 17.8 | 26,159,867 | $638.34 |
| 74 | Nicaragua | 59.1 | 6,823,613 | $2,609 |
| 75 | New Zealand | 83.9 | 5,200,000 | $49,076 |
| 76 | New Caledonia | 67.8 | 289,870 | $33,702 |
| 77 | Netherlands | 95.3 | 17,877,117 | $63,516 |
| 78 | Nepal | 66.5 | 29,694,614 | $1,382 |
| 79 | Nauru | 100 | 11,875 | $12,752 |
| 80 | Namibia | 50 | 2,963,095 | $4,188 |
| 81 | Myanmar | 30.4 | 54,133,798 | $1,233 |
| 82 | Mozambique | 35.7 | 33,635,160 | $622.00 |
| 83 | Morocco | 62.7 | 37,712,505 | $3,814 |
| 84 | Montenegro | 65.5 | 623,529 | $12,260 |
| 85 | Mongolia | 70.4 | 3,481,145 | $5,839 |
| 86 | Monaco | 100 | 38,956 | $256,800 |
| 87 | Moldova | 43 | 2,457,783 | $6,800 |
| 88 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 22.4 | 112,630 | $3,920 |
| 89 | Mexico | 79.5 | 129,739,759 | $13,861 |
| 90 | Mauritius | 39 | 1,248,647 | $11,270 |
| 91 | Mauritania | 59.7 | 5,022,441 | $2,136 |
| 92 | Marshall Islands | 78.4 | 38,827 | $6,793 |
| 93 | Malta | 95.6 | 552,747 | $40,906 |
| 94 | Mali | 31 | 23,769,127 | $1,044 |
| 95 | Maldives | 41.5 | 525,994 | $12,588 |
| 96 | Malaysia | 76.4 | 35,126,298 | $11,386 |
| 97 | Malawi | 17 | 21,104,482 | $633.21 |
| 98 | Madagascar | 32 | 31,195,932 | $508.72 |
| 99 | Luxembourg | 94.8 | 666,430 | $133,231 |
| 100 | Lithuania | 68.6 | 2,871,585 | $27,786 |
| 101 | Liechtenstein | 14.7 | 39,846 | $206,781 |
| 102 | Libya | 87.9 | 7,305,659 | $6,027 |
| 103 | Liberia | 55 | 5,493,031 | $799.19 |
| 104 | Lesotho | 42.7 | 2,311,472 | $916.28 |
| 105 | Lebanon | 90.5 | 5,773,493 | $3,478 |
| 106 | Latvia | 68.4 | 1,883,710 | $22,710 |
| 107 | Lao PDR | 38.8 | 7,664,993 | $2,067 |
| 108 | Kyrgyz Republic | 34.7 | 7,099,750 | $2,138 |
| 109 | Kuwait | 100 | 4,853,420 | $34,076 |
| 110 | Kosovo | 49.1 | 1,682,668 | $6,221 |
| 111 | Korea, Rep. | 81.2 | 51,712,619 | $35,674 |
| 112 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 63.5 | 26,418,204 | — |
| 113 | Kiribati | 61.5 | 132,530 | $2,178 |
| 114 | Kenya | 31.6 | 55,339,003 | $1,943 |
| 115 | Kazakhstan | 61.8 | 20,330,104 | $12,879 |
| 116 | Jordan | 92.7 | 11,439,213 | $4,466 |
| 117 | Japan | 92.1 | 124,516,650 | $33,836 |
| 118 | Jamaica | 58.5 | 2,839,786 | $7,542 |
| 119 | Italy | 69.5 | 58,984,216 | $39,277 |
| 120 | Isle of Man | 52.2 | 84,165 | — |
| 121 | Ireland | 64.1 | 5,311,538 | $106,819 |
| 122 | Iraq | 69.9 | 45,074,049 | $5,965 |
| 123 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 76.7 | 90,608,707 | $5,049 |
| 124 | Indonesia | 58.1 | 281,190,067 | $4,876 |
| 125 | India | 35.1 | 1,438,069,596 | $2,530 |
| 126 | Iceland | 94.2 | 385,663 | $82,139 |
| 127 | Hungary | 70.3 | 9,592,186 | $22,231 |
| 128 | Honduras | 58.3 | 10,644,851 | $3,227 |
| 129 | Haiti | 54.4 | 11,637,398 | $1,706 |
| 130 | Guyana | 26.5 | 826,353 | $20,474 |
| 131 | Guinea-Bissau | 45.6 | 2,153,339 | $988.09 |
| 132 | Guinea | 37.6 | 14,405,468 | $1,555 |
| 133 | Guatemala | 55.6 | 18,124,838 | $5,758 |
| 134 | Guam | 94.1 | 166,506 | — |
| 135 | Grenada | 36.5 | 117,081 | $11,414 |
| 136 | Greenland | 88.1 | 56,865 | $58,499 |
| 137 | Greece | 78.8 | 10,407,351 | $23,344 |
| 138 | Ghana | 57.8 | 33,787,914 | $2,384 |
| 139 | Germany | 81.9 | 83,287,273 | $54,777 |
| 140 | Georgia | 60.8 | 3,715,483 | $8,284 |
| 141 | Gambia, The | 63.8 | 2,697,845 | $883.02 |
| 142 | Gabon | 91.6 | 2,484,789 | $7,803 |
| 143 | French Polynesia | 61.7 | 281,118 | $21,832 |
| 144 | France | 78.8 | 68,372,286 | $44,700 |
| 145 | Finland | 74 | 5,583,911 | $52,834 |
| 146 | Fiji | 58.6 | 924,145 | $5,926 |
| 147 | Faroe Islands | 39.2 | 54,414 | $72,465 |
| 148 | Ethiopia | 23.1 | 128,691,692 | $1,056 |
| 149 | Eswatini | 25.8 | 1,230,506 | $3,756 |
| 150 | Estonia | 70.7 | 1,370,286 | $30,264 |
| 151 | Eritrea | 34.7 | 3,470,390 | — |
| 152 | Equatorial Guinea | 71.1 | 1,847,549 | $6,678 |
| 153 | El Salvador | 74.6 | 6,309,624 | $5,365 |
| 154 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 42.7 | 114,535,772 | $3,457 |
| 155 | Ecuador | 63.1 | 17,980,083 | $6,738 |
| 156 | Dominican Republic | 72.4 | 11,331,265 | $10,630 |
| 157 | Dominica | 73.1 | 66,510 | $9,913 |
| 158 | Djibouti | 72.8 | 1,152,944 | $3,381 |
| 159 | Denmark | 88.6 | 5,946,952 | $68,044 |
| 160 | Czechia | 72.7 | 10,864,042 | $31,762 |
| 161 | Cyprus | 66.7 | 1,344,976 | $36,624 |
| 162 | Curacao | 91.4 | 154,654 | $21,218 |
| 163 | Cuba | 77.1 | 11,019,931 | — |
| 164 | Croatia | 57.2 | 3,859,686 | $22,184 |
| 165 | Cote d'Ivoire | 53.4 | 31,165,654 | $2,592 |
| 166 | Costa Rica | 78.9 | 5,105,525 | $16,942 |
| 167 | Congo, Rep. | 63.7 | 6,182,885 | $2,478 |
| 168 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 44.4 | 105,789,731 | $660.21 |
| 169 | Comoros | 33.2 | 850,387 | $1,560 |
| 170 | Colombia | 78.3 | 52,321,152 | $7,001 |
| 171 | China | 65.5 | 1,410,710,000 | $12,951 |
| 172 | Chile | 88.8 | 19,658,835 | $17,067 |
| 173 | Chad | 26.3 | 19,319,064 | $949.33 |
| 174 | Central African Republic | 43.7 | 5,152,421 | $495.98 |
| 175 | Cayman Islands | 100 | 73,038 | $99,144 |
| 176 | Canada | 82.5 | 40,083,484 | $54,220 |
| 177 | Cameroon | 55.1 | 28,372,687 | $1,720 |
| 178 | Cambodia | 40.6 | 17,423,880 | $2,430 |
| 179 | Cabo Verde | 75.9 | 522,331 | $4,795 |
| 180 | Burundi | 23.6 | 13,689,450 | $250.63 |
| 181 | Burkina Faso | 27.8 | 23,025,776 | $873.48 |
| 182 | Bulgaria | 73.7 | 6,446,596 | $15,853 |
| 183 | Brunei Darussalam | 74.8 | 458,949 | $32,891 |
| 184 | British Virgin Islands | 55.6 | 38,985 | — |
| 185 | Brazil | 87.6 | 211,140,729 | $10,378 |
| 186 | Botswana | 67 | 2,480,244 | $7,826 |
| 187 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 51.6 | 3,185,073 | $8,663 |
| 188 | Bolivia | 70.9 | 12,244,159 | $4,275 |
| 189 | Bhutan | 41.7 | 786,385 | $3,831 |
| 190 | Bermuda | 100 | 64,698 | $132,604 |
| 191 | Benin | 51.7 | 14,111,034 | $1,394 |
| 192 | Belize | 41.9 | 411,106 | $7,425 |
| 193 | Belgium | 87.6 | 11,779,946 | $55,291 |
| 194 | Belarus | 78.8 | 9,178,298 | $7,897 |
| 195 | Barbados | 59.4 | 282,336 | $25,584 |
| 196 | Bangladesh | 32.2 | 171,466,990 | $2,551 |
| 197 | Bahrain | 100 | 1,577,059 | $29,290 |
| 198 | Bahamas, The | 81.3 | 399,440 | $38,232 |
| 199 | Azerbaijan | 58.5 | 10,153,958 | $7,133 |
| 200 | Austria | 69.2 | 9,131,761 | $56,580 |
| 201 | Australia | 87.5 | 26,659,922 | $65,058 |
| 202 | Aruba | 61.8 | 107,359 | $35,719 |
| 203 | Armenia | 65.7 | 2,964,300 | $8,159 |
| 204 | Argentina | 92.2 | 45,538,401 | $14,262 |
| 205 | Antigua and Barbuda | 24.5 | 93,316 | $21,495 |
| 206 | Angola | 69.9 | 36,749,906 | $2,916 |
| 207 | Andorra | 88.8 | 80,856 | $46,812 |
| 208 | American Samoa | 81.4 | 47,521 | — |
| 209 | Algeria | 74.7 | 46,164,219 | $5,370 |
| 210 | Albania | 58.2 | 2,414,095 | $9,731 |
| 211 | Afghanistan | 25.5 | 41,454,761 | $413.76 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Singapore has the highest urban population percentage at 100.0%, according to Census ACS 2023 data. Kuwait and Bahrain round out the top three.
Liechtenstein has the lowest urban population percentage at 14.7%. Papua New Guinea is second-lowest at 15.1%.
The median across all 211 states is 63.5%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently — the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS data (currently 2023 5-Year estimates). The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually, typically in September. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.