Share of population living in urbanized areas in Greenland
Greenland: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 87.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
87.5%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
35th
of 202 countries
All-time high
87.5%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Greenland, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urbanized areas in Greenland stood at 87.5%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urbanized areas in Greenland peaked at 87.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Greenland 35th out of 202 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Greenland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.2% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 0.5% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 0.6% | +23.3% |
| 1720 | 0.7% | +20.0% |
| 1730 | 0.9% | +20.0% |
| 1740 | 1.1% | +20.0% |
| 1750 | 1.3% | +20.0% |
| 1760 | 1.5% | +20.0% |
| 1770 | 1.8% | +20.0% |
| 1780 | 2.2% | +20.0% |
| 1790 | 2.7% | +20.0% |
| 1800 | 3.2% | +20.0% |
| 1810 | 3.8% | +20.0% |
| 1820 | 4.6% | +20.0% |
| 1830 | 5.5% | +20.0% |
| 1840 | 6.6% | +20.0% |
| 1850 | 7.9% | +20.0% |
| 1860 | 9.5% | +20.0% |
| 1870 | 11.4% | +20.0% |
| 1880 | 13.7% | +20.0% |
| 1890 | 16.4% | +20.0% |
| 1900 | 19.7% | +20.0% |
| 1910 | 23.6% | +20.0% |
| 1920 | 28.4% | +20.0% |
| 1930 | 34.0% | +20.0% |
| 1940 | 40.8% | +20.0% |
| 1950 | 49.0% | +20.0% |
| 1951 | 49.9% | +1.8% |
| 1952 | 51.0% | +2.2% |
| 1953 | 52.2% | +2.4% |
| 1954 | 53.6% | +2.5% |
| 1955 | 54.9% | +2.5% |
| 1956 | 56.3% | +2.5% |
| 1957 | 57.6% | +2.3% |
| 1958 | 58.9% | +2.2% |
| 1959 | 60.1% | +2.1% |
| 1960 | 61.2% | +1.8% |
| 1961 | 62.5% | +2.2% |
| 1962 | 64.1% | +2.5% |
| 1963 | 65.6% | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 67.0% | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 68.2% | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 69.4% | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 70.4% | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 71.3% | +1.4% |
| 1969 | 72.3% | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 73.3% | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 74.4% | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 74.8% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 74.9% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 74.7% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 74.4% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 74.7% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 75.0% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 75.2% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 75.6% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 76.1% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 76.2% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 76.5% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 77.0% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 77.5% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 78.0% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 78.5% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 79.0% | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 79.4% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 79.6% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 79.7% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 80.2% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 80.5% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 80.6% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 80.7% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 80.9% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 81.0% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 81.1% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 81.3% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 81.5% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 81.7% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 81.9% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 82.2% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 82.4% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 82.7% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 82.9% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 83.2% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 83.4% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 83.7% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 83.9% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 84.2% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 84.4% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 84.7% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 84.9% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 85.1% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 85.4% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 85.6% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 85.8% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 86.1% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 86.3% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 86.5% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 86.7% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 86.9% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 87.1% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 87.3% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 87.5% | +0.2% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 87.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 78.9%, 1.1× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 87.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 72.5%, 1.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urbanized areas in Greenland 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% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
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 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1700s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1710s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1720s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1730s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1740s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1750s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1760s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1770s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1780s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 1790s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 1800s | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1 |
| 1810s | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 1 |
| 1820s | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 1 |
| 1830s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 1 |
| 1840s | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1 |
| 1850s | 7.9% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 1 |
| 1860s | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 1 |
| 1870s | 11.4% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 1 |
| 1880s | 13.7% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 1 |
| 1890s | 16.4% | 16.4% | 16.4% | 1 |
| 1900s | 19.7% | 19.7% | 19.7% | 1 |
| 1910s | 23.6% | 23.6% | 23.6% | 1 |
| 1920s | 28.4% | 28.4% | 28.4% | 1 |
| 1930s | 34.0% | 34.0% | 34.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 40.8% | 40.8% | 40.8% | 1 |
| 1950s | 54.4% | 49.0% | 60.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 67.2% | 61.2% | 72.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 74.7% | 73.3% | 75.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.8% | 76.1% | 79.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 80.7% | 79.7% | 81.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.8% | 81.7% | 83.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.3% | 84.2% | 86.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 87.0% | 86.5% | 87.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
- 32 Finland 88.2% compare
- 33 Sweden 88.0% compare
- 34 United Arab Emirates 87.6% compare
- 36 Bahamas 87.0% compare
- 37 South Korea 86.8% compare
- 38 Netherlands 86.7% compare
More population data for Greenland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6084 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.75 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6084 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7286 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.8929 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 0.0907 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 1,776 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate 0.1176 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urbanized areas in Greenland?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in Greenland was 87.5% 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 Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 87.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Greenland rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- Greenland ranks 35th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Greenland 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.