Annual rate of change in urban populations by country
Countries reporting
144
Highest
5.2
Sierra Leone
Lowest
-5.33
Switzerland
Median
0.5734
Years covered
66
1955–2020
Data points
1,685
What the numbers show
Annual rate of change in urban populations is currently reported for 144 countries. The highest value is 5.2 in Sierra Leone; the lowest is -5.33 in Switzerland.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.5734, and the mean is 0.6074.
Over the past decade 73 countries rose and 71 fell. The largest increase was in Kyrgyzstan (up 17,813.1%), and the largest decrease in Palestine, State of (down 3,649.9%).
Annual rate of change in urban populations: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Leone | 5.2 | 2020 | up 463.0% | volatile |
| 2 | Somalia | 4.5 | 2020 | up 198.6% | volatile |
| 3 | Sweden | 3.96 | 2020 | up 312.3% | volatile |
| 4 | Cambodia | 3.67 | 2020 | up 131.4% | rising |
| 5 | Kazakhstan | 3.38 | 2020 | up 78.5% | volatile |
| 6 | Gabon | 3.1 | 2020 | up 465.0% | volatile |
| 7 | Albania | 3 | 2020 | down 14.9% | falling |
| 8 | Benin | 2.86 | 2020 | up 316.2% | volatile |
| 9 | Djibouti | 2.57 | 2020 | up 758.6% | volatile |
| 10 | Angola | 2.47 | 2020 | down 30.5% | volatile |
| 11 | Burkina Faso | 2.29 | 2020 | up 29.3% | volatile |
| 12 | Mali | 2.23 | 2020 | up 86.2% | volatile |
| 13 | Yemen | 2.09 | 2020 | up 175.3% | volatile |
| 14 | Congo | 2.04 | 2020 | up 45.6% | volatile |
| 15 | Thailand | 2.04 | 2020 | down 42.6% | volatile |
| 16 | Côte d'Ivoire | 1.95 | 2020 | up 522.6% | volatile |
| 17 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 1.89 | 2020 | down 40.1% | volatile |
| 18 | Honduras | 1.88 | 2020 | up 444.5% | volatile |
| 19 | Syrian Arab Republic | 1.82 | 2020 | up 26.5% | volatile |
| 20 | Jordan | 1.8 | 2020 | up 3,192.8% | volatile |
| 21 | China | 1.75 | 2020 | up 102.9% | volatile |
| 22 | Cameroon | 1.71 | 2020 | up 25.5% | volatile |
| 23 | Mozambique | 1.7 | 2020 | up 202.0% | volatile |
| 24 | South Africa | 1.7 | 2020 | up 14.7% | volatile |
| 25 | Ghana | 1.68 | 2020 | down 23.4% | volatile |
| 26 | Mongolia | 1.61 | 2020 | down 40.6% | rising |
| 27 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 1.56 | 2020 | up 133.8% | volatile |
| 28 | Niger | 1.55 | 2020 | up 214.6% | volatile |
| 29 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 1.55 | 2020 | up 4,067.1% | volatile |
| 30 | Sri Lanka | 1.55 | 2020 | up 1,601.1% | volatile |
| 31 | Madagascar | 1.51 | 2020 | down 29.5% | volatile |
| 32 | Serbia | 1.5 | 2020 | up 144.0% | rising |
| 33 | Estonia | 1.49 | 2020 | up 239.5% | volatile |
| 34 | Bulgaria | 1.43 | 2020 | down 7.2% | volatile |
| 35 | Republic of Moldova | 1.35 | 2020 | up 127.2% | volatile |
| 36 | Viet Nam | 1.31 | 2020 | down 40.6% | volatile |
| 37 | Kenya | 1.3 | 2020 | up 39.4% | volatile |
| 38 | Malaysia | 1.29 | 2020 | down 22.7% | volatile |
| 39 | United States of America | 1.22 | 2020 | up 105.6% | volatile |
| 40 | Lithuania | 1.21 | 2020 | up 109.5% | volatile |
| 41 | Egypt | 1.17 | 2020 | up 29.7% | volatile |
| 42 | Belarus | 1.17 | 2020 | up 85.0% | volatile |
| 43 | Spain | 1.15 | 2020 | up 732.5% | volatile |
| 44 | Panama | 1.13 | 2020 | up 609.2% | volatile |
| 45 | Portugal | 1.11 | 2020 | up 867.1% | volatile |
| 46 | Nepal | 1.11 | 2020 | down 53.6% | volatile |
| 47 | Ethiopia | 1.02 | 2020 | down 61.7% | volatile |
| 48 | Bangladesh | 1.02 | 2020 | down 22.5% | volatile |
| 49 | Italy | 0.9553 | 2020 | up 848.0% | volatile |
| 50 | Lebanon | 0.9374 | 2020 | up 224.8% | volatile |
| 51 | Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | 0.9145 | 2020 | up 281.2% | volatile |
| 52 | Hong Kong, China | 0.911 | 2020 | up 733.2% | volatile |
| 53 | Afghanistan | 0.8936 | 2020 | up 6.3% | volatile |
| 54 | Saudi Arabia | 0.8732 | 2020 | down 28.5% | volatile |
| 55 | Zambia | 0.8105 | 2020 | down 1.8% | volatile |
| 56 | Mauritania | 0.808 | 2020 | down 29.6% | volatile |
| 57 | Germany | 0.7924 | 2020 | up 221.9% | volatile |
| 58 | Costa Rica | 0.7751 | 2020 | up 404.0% | volatile |
| 59 | Australia | 0.7441 | 2020 | up 12.1% | volatile |
| 60 | New Zealand | 0.7229 | 2020 | up 161.4% | volatile |
| 61 | Türkiye | 0.7069 | 2020 | down 49.9% | volatile |
| 62 | Nigeria | 0.6941 | 2020 | down 68.2% | volatile |
| 63 | Tajikistan | 0.6807 | 2020 | down 32.5% | volatile |
| 64 | Denmark | 0.6752 | 2020 | down 31.0% | volatile |
| 65 | Romania | 0.6651 | 2020 | down 14.1% | volatile |
| 66 | Kuwait | 0.6605 | 2020 | up 742.8% | volatile |
| 67 | Liberia | 0.6547 | 2020 | up 115.5% | volatile |
| 68 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 0.6387 | 2020 | down 13.7% | volatile |
| 69 | Hungary | 0.6009 | 2020 | up 802.9% | volatile |
| 70 | Austria | 0.5871 | 2020 | up 549.3% | volatile |
| 71 | Togo | 0.5827 | 2020 | up 312.9% | volatile |
| 72 | Turkmenistan | 0.5786 | 2020 | up 13.9% | volatile |
| 73 | Nicaragua | 0.5681 | 2020 | up 13.2% | volatile |
| 74 | Latvia | 0.5634 | 2020 | up 369.2% | volatile |
| 75 | Gambia | 0.5518 | 2020 | down 70.1% | volatile |
| 76 | Tunisia | 0.5495 | 2020 | down 79.1% | volatile |
| 77 | Croatia | 0.5398 | 2020 | up 338.2% | volatile |
| 78 | Chad | 0.4749 | 2020 | up 232.6% | volatile |
| 79 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 0.4625 | 2020 | down 58.6% | volatile |
| 80 | Algeria | 0.4389 | 2020 | down 45.0% | volatile |
| 81 | Netherlands | 0.4098 | 2020 | up 1,281.5% | volatile |
| 82 | Taiwan, China | 0.4008 | 2020 | up 29.0% | volatile |
| 83 | Canada | 0.3759 | 2020 | down 63.7% | volatile |
| 84 | Norway | 0.3422 | 2020 | down 54.0% | volatile |
| 85 | Chile | 0.3222 | 2020 | up 8.9% | volatile |
| 86 | Finland | 0.2987 | 2020 | up 239.7% | volatile |
| 87 | Cuba | 0.2512 | 2020 | up 295.3% | volatile |
| 88 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.2466 | 2020 | up 17,813.1% | volatile |
| 89 | Dominican Republic | 0.2462 | 2020 | up 67.7% | volatile |
| 90 | Jamaica | 0.2439 | 2020 | up 270.3% | volatile |
| 91 | Russian Federation | 0.2393 | 2020 | up 578.8% | volatile |
| 92 | Philippines | 0.2382 | 2020 | down 20.9% | volatile |
| 93 | Peru | 0.2381 | 2020 | down 31.2% | volatile |
| 94 | North Macedonia | 0.2314 | 2020 | up 1,145.8% | volatile |
| 95 | Pakistan | 0.2206 | 2020 | down 60.4% | volatile |
| 96 | Republic of Korea | 0.2011 | 2020 | up 380.5% | volatile |
| 97 | Morocco | 0.1668 | 2020 | down 15.8% | volatile |
| 98 | Ecuador | 0.1489 | 2020 | up 195.0% | volatile |
| 99 | Czechia | 0.1454 | 2020 | down 75.0% | volatile |
| 100 | India | 0.14 | 2020 | down 63.6% | falling |
| 101 | Haiti | 0.1378 | 2020 | up 102.7% | volatile |
| 102 | Indonesia | 0.1256 | 2020 | down 68.4% | volatile |
| 103 | Brazil | 0.1222 | 2020 | down 76.7% | volatile |
| 104 | Bahrain | 0.0971 | 2020 | down 4.6% | volatile |
| 105 | Mauritius | 0.076 | 2020 | up 123.7% | volatile |
| 106 | Israel | 0.0659 | 2020 | up 126.9% | volatile |
| 107 | Uzbekistan | 0.0646 | 2020 | down 96.5% | volatile |
| 108 | United Arab Emirates | 0.0231 | 2020 | down 97.9% | volatile |
| 109 | Colombia | 0.0078 | 2020 | down 99.2% | volatile |
| 110 | Japan | -0.0007 | 2020 | down 100.8% | volatile |
| 111 | Singapore | -0.006 | 2020 | down 128.8% | volatile |
| 112 | Greece | -0.0375 | 2020 | down 248.8% | volatile |
| 113 | Iraq | -0.0449 | 2020 | down 102.6% | volatile |
| 114 | Belgium | -0.05 | 2020 | down 112.7% | volatile |
| 115 | Ireland | -0.1772 | 2020 | up 80.4% | volatile |
| 116 | Palestine, State of | -0.1966 | 2020 | down 3,649.9% | volatile |
| 117 | Ukraine | -0.1976 | 2020 | down 84.2% | volatile |
| 118 | El Salvador | -0.2128 | 2020 | up 39.9% | volatile |
| 119 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | -0.2416 | 2015 | up 77.5% | volatile |
| 120 | Argentina | -0.3186 | 2020 | down 224.7% | volatile |
| 121 | Azerbaijan | -0.3786 | 2020 | down 286.4% | volatile |
| 122 | Libya | -0.4007 | 2020 | up 5.8% | volatile |
| 123 | Central African Republic | -0.4335 | 2020 | down 1,243.2% | volatile |
| 124 | Sudan | -0.4664 | 2020 | down 172.7% | volatile |
| 125 | Uganda | -0.4794 | 2020 | down 150.6% | volatile |
| 126 | France | -0.495 | 2020 | down 1,352.2% | volatile |
| 127 | Senegal | -0.5962 | 2020 | down 119.4% | volatile |
| 128 | Slovakia | -0.6492 | 2005 | down 1.0% | volatile |
| 129 | Armenia | -0.677 | 2020 | down 397.6% | volatile |
| 130 | Trinidad and Tobago | -0.7137 | 2020 | down 18.3% | volatile |
| 131 | Uruguay | -0.7516 | 2020 | down 67.3% | volatile |
| 132 | Georgia | -0.814 | 2020 | down 168.1% | volatile |
| 133 | Myanmar | -0.8873 | 2020 | down 196.2% | volatile |
| 134 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | -0.9253 | 2020 | down 238.6% | volatile |
| 135 | Guinea | -0.9465 | 2020 | down 188.3% | volatile |
| 136 | Mexico | -1.35 | 2020 | down 191.7% | volatile |
| 137 | Guatemala | -1.49 | 2020 | down 683.3% | volatile |
| 138 | Malawi | -1.98 | 2020 | down 42.4% | volatile |
| 139 | Puerto Rico | -2.03 | 2020 | down 1,425.3% | volatile |
| 140 | Poland | -2.03 | 2020 | down 514.5% | volatile |
| 141 | Zimbabwe | -2.06 | 2020 | down 400.7% | volatile |
| 142 | Eritrea | -2.15 | 2020 | down 375.0% | volatile |
| 143 | Paraguay | -4.44 | 2020 | down 233.1% | volatile |
| 144 | Switzerland | -5.33 | 2020 | down 962.1% | volatile |