Iran, Islamic Republic of vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of population living in cities

Iran, Islamic Republic of
60.6%
in 2020
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
57.4%
in 2020
Iran, Islamic Republic of rank
35th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
38th

Share of population living in cities over time

  • Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2030405060195019852020

How they compare

Iran, Islamic Republic of currently reports 60.6% against 57.4% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 3.2%.

That makes Iran, Islamic Republic of's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 15 shared years of data; in 1950 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 35th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 38th of 236 countries.

Across the 8 decades both report, Iran, Islamic Republic of averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iran, Islamic Republic of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1950s 21.0% 55.6% 34.6% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1960s 28.8% 55.7% 26.9% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1970s 38.2% 53.6% 15.4% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1980s 47.0% 52.5% 5.4% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1990s 52.7% 52.9% 0.2% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2000s 56.9% 53.9% 3.0% Iran, Islamic Republic of
2010s 59.2% 55.9% 3.3% Iran, Islamic Republic of
2020s 60.6% 57.4% 3.2% Iran, Islamic Republic of

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in cities, Iran, Islamic Republic of or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Iran, Islamic Republic of, at 60.6% against 57.4% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population living in cities between Iran, Islamic Republic of and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
3.2%, with Iran, Islamic Republic of ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iran, Islamic Republic of and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
15 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2020.
How do Iran, Islamic Republic of and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for share of population living in cities?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 35th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 38th 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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Iran, Islamic Republic of vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: 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 09 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/iran-islamic-rep/united-kingdom/

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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.