France vs Germany: Share of population living in cities

France
34.3%
in 2020
Germany
34.2%
in 2020
France rank
124th
Germany rank
127th

Share of population living in cities over time

  • France
  • Germany
010203040195019852020

How they compare

France currently reports 34.3% against 34.2% in Germany, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Germany ahead.

France ranks 124th and Germany ranks 127th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, France averaged higher in 7 and Germany in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade France Germany Difference Ahead
1950s 29.8% 30.6% 0.8% Germany
1960s 32.7% 32.4% 0.3% France
1970s 35.7% 32.8% 2.9% France
1980s 36.1% 32.0% 4.1% France
1990s 36.1% 32.7% 3.3% France
2000s 35.7% 32.1% 3.7% France
2010s 34.9% 32.3% 2.6% France
2020s 34.3% 34.2% 0.1% France

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in cities, France or Germany?
France, at 34.3% against 34.2% in Germany as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population living in cities between France and Germany?
0.1%, with France ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Germany?
15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
How do France and Germany rank globally for share of population living in cities?
France ranks 124th and Germany ranks 127th of 236 countries.
Where does this data come from?
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in cities. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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France vs Germany: Share of population living in cities. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/france/germany/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in cities
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.