Share of population living in urbanized areas in Canada
Canada: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 85.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
85.2%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
42nd
of 202 countries
All-time high
85.2%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Canada, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in urbanized areas in Canada is 85.2%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urbanized areas in Canada peaked at 85.2% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
Canada ranks 42nd of 202 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.2% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.7% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 2.0% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 2.0% | -0.8% |
| 1720 | 2.3% | +16.7% |
| 1730 | 2.7% | +16.7% |
| 1740 | 3.1% | +16.7% |
| 1750 | 3.7% | +16.7% |
| 1760 | 4.3% | +16.7% |
| 1770 | 5.0% | +16.7% |
| 1780 | 5.8% | +16.7% |
| 1790 | 6.8% | +16.7% |
| 1800 | 7.9% | +16.7% |
| 1810 | 9.3% | +16.7% |
| 1820 | 10.8% | +16.7% |
| 1830 | 12.6% | +16.7% |
| 1840 | 14.7% | +16.7% |
| 1850 | 17.2% | +16.7% |
| 1860 | 20.0% | +16.7% |
| 1870 | 23.4% | +16.7% |
| 1880 | 27.3% | +16.7% |
| 1890 | 31.8% | +16.7% |
| 1900 | 37.5% | +17.9% |
| 1910 | 45.4% | +21.1% |
| 1920 | 49.5% | +9.0% |
| 1930 | 56.0% | +13.1% |
| 1940 | 60.0% | +7.1% |
| 1950 | 61.0% | +1.6% |
| 1951 | 61.8% | +1.4% |
| 1952 | 62.9% | +1.7% |
| 1953 | 63.8% | +1.5% |
| 1954 | 64.8% | +1.5% |
| 1955 | 65.7% | +1.4% |
| 1956 | 66.6% | +1.4% |
| 1957 | 67.2% | +0.9% |
| 1958 | 67.8% | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 68.5% | +0.9% |
| 1960 | 69.0% | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 69.6% | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 70.4% | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 71.1% | +1.1% |
| 1964 | 71.9% | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 72.8% | +1.2% |
| 1966 | 73.7% | +1.3% |
| 1967 | 74.5% | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 75.3% | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 76.0% | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 76.6% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 77.0% | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 76.7% | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 76.4% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 76.0% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 75.6% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 75.5% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 75.6% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 75.6% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 75.7% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 75.7% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 75.7% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 75.8% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 75.9% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 76.1% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 76.4% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 76.4% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 76.4% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 76.5% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 76.6% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 76.6% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 76.7% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 77.0% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 77.3% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 77.5% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 77.7% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 78.0% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 78.4% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 78.7% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 79.1% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 79.5% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 79.6% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 79.7% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 79.8% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 79.9% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 80.1% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 80.2% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 80.3% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 80.4% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 80.5% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 80.6% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 80.9% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 81.2% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 81.6% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 81.9% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 82.2% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 82.5% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 82.9% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 83.2% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 83.5% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 83.9% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 84.1% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 84.4% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 84.7% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 84.9% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 85.2% | +0.3% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 85.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 78.9%, 1.1× the median. (68 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urbanized areas in Canada 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1700s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1720s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1730s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 1740s | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1 |
| 1750s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 1 |
| 1760s | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 1 |
| 1770s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
| 1780s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 1 |
| 1790s | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 1 |
| 1800s | 7.9% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 1 |
| 1810s | 9.3% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 1 |
| 1820s | 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 1 |
| 1830s | 12.6% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 1 |
| 1840s | 14.7% | 14.7% | 14.7% | 1 |
| 1850s | 17.2% | 17.2% | 17.2% | 1 |
| 1860s | 20.0% | 20.0% | 20.0% | 1 |
| 1870s | 23.4% | 23.4% | 23.4% | 1 |
| 1880s | 27.3% | 27.3% | 27.3% | 1 |
| 1890s | 31.8% | 31.8% | 31.8% | 1 |
| 1900s | 37.5% | 37.5% | 37.5% | 1 |
| 1910s | 45.4% | 45.4% | 45.4% | 1 |
| 1920s | 49.5% | 49.5% | 49.5% | 1 |
| 1930s | 56.0% | 56.0% | 56.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 60.0% | 60.0% | 60.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 65.0% | 61.0% | 68.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 72.4% | 69.0% | 76.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 76.1% | 75.5% | 77.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 76.1% | 75.7% | 76.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 77.7% | 76.6% | 79.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.0% | 79.5% | 80.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.1% | 80.6% | 83.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.5% | 83.9% | 85.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 39 Falkland Islands 86.3% compare
- 40 United States 86.3% compare
- 41 Saudi Arabia 86.1% compare
- 43 Western Sahara 84.9% compare
- 44 Norway 84.5% compare
- 45 Jordan 83.7% compare
More population data for Canada
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2634 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 45,891 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7644 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.3863 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.3% (2100)
- Population density 6.1 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.33 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urbanized areas in Canada?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in Canada was 85.2% in 2025, according to HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 85.2% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Canada rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- Canada ranks 42nd out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urbanized areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of population living in urban areas in a country over time.