Annual rate of change in urban populations in United States

United States: Annual rate of change in urban populations was 1.22 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
1.22
World rank
39th
of 144 countries
All-time high
1.22
in 2020
All-time low
-0.7554
in 1980
Years of data
14
1955–2020

Annual rate of change in urban populations in United States, 1955–2020

-1-0.500.511955198720201955: 0.5711960: 0.7081965: 0.0021970: 0.0171975: -0.1691980: -0.7551985: 0.2471990: 0.581995: 0.5672000: 0.892005: -0.0062010: 0.5912015: 1.22020: 1.2

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for annual rate of change in urban populations in United States is 1.22, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 105.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual rate of change in urban populations in United States peaked at 1.22 in 2020 and was at its lowest, -0.7554, in 1980.

United States ranks 39th of 144 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Annual rate of change in urban populations in United States, year by year

Annual values for Annual rate of change in urban populations in United States, 1955 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1955 0.5705 —
1960 0.7084 +24.2%
1965 0.0021 -99.7%
1970 0.0171 +729.8%
1975 -0.1685 -1083.7%
1980 -0.7554 +348.2%
1985 0.2467 -132.7%
1990 0.5801 +135.2%
1995 0.5669 -2.3%
2000 0.8897 +56.9%
2005 -0.0057 -100.6%
2010 0.5914 -10523.3%
2015 1.2 +103.5%
2020 1.22 +1.0%

United States compared with similar countries

  • United States's 1.22 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.4748, 2.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Annual rate of change in urban populations in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2010 +10523.3% -0.0057 0.5914
1975 -1083.7% 0.0171 -0.1685

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 0.5705 0.5705 0.5705 1
1960s 0.3552 0.0021 0.7084 2
1970s -0.0757 -0.1685 0.0171 2
1980s -0.2544 -0.7554 0.2467 2
1990s 0.5735 0.5669 0.5801 2
2000s 0.442 -0.0057 0.8897 2
2010s 0.8976 0.5914 1.2 2
2020s 1.22 1.22 1.22 1

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 36 Vietnam 1.31 compare
  2. 37 Kenya 1.3 compare
  3. 38 Malaysia 1.29 compare
  4. 40 Lithuania 1.21 compare
  5. 41 Egypt 1.17 compare
  6. 42 Belarus 1.17 compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More population data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual rate of change in urban populations in United States?
Annual rate of change in urban populations in United States was 1.22 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual rate of change in urban populations recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 1.22 in 2020.
What is the lowest annual rate of change in urban populations recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was -0.7554 in 1980.
How does United States rank for annual rate of change in urban populations?
United States ranks 39th out of 144 countries with data for 2020.
Is annual rate of change in urban populations rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 105.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Annual rate of change in urban populations. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Annual rate of change in urban populations in United States. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/annual-rate-of-change-in-urban-populations/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Annual rate of change in urban populations
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
144 places, 1,685 data points, 1955–2020
Last refreshed