Share of population living in urbanized areas in Sweden
Sweden: Share of population living in urbanized areas was 88.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
88.0%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
33rd
of 202 countries
All-time high
88.0%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Sweden, 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 Sweden is 88.0%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of 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 Sweden peaked at 88.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
Sweden ranks 33rd of 202 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 108 years of available data.
Share of population living in urbanized areas in Sweden, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.3% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.9% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 1.4% | +55.6% |
| 1700 | 4.0% | +185.7% |
| 1710 | 6.5% | +61.8% |
| 1720 | 8.9% | +38.2% |
| 1730 | 11.4% | +27.6% |
| 1740 | 13.9% | +21.6% |
| 1750 | 16.4% | +17.8% |
| 1760 | 18.8% | +15.1% |
| 1770 | 21.3% | +13.1% |
| 1780 | 23.8% | +11.6% |
| 1790 | 26.2% | +10.4% |
| 1800 | 28.7% | +9.4% |
| 1810 | 31.2% | +8.6% |
| 1820 | 33.6% | +7.9% |
| 1830 | 36.1% | +7.3% |
| 1840 | 38.6% | +6.8% |
| 1850 | 41.1% | +6.4% |
| 1860 | 43.5% | +6.0% |
| 1870 | 46.0% | +5.7% |
| 1880 | 48.5% | +5.4% |
| 1890 | 50.9% | +5.1% |
| 1900 | 53.4% | +4.8% |
| 1910 | 55.9% | +4.6% |
| 1920 | 58.4% | +4.4% |
| 1930 | 60.8% | +4.2% |
| 1940 | 63.3% | +4.1% |
| 1950 | 65.8% | +3.9% |
| 1951 | 66.6% | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 67.3% | +1.0% |
| 1953 | 67.9% | +1.0% |
| 1954 | 68.6% | +1.0% |
| 1955 | 69.3% | +1.0% |
| 1956 | 69.9% | +1.0% |
| 1957 | 70.6% | +0.9% |
| 1958 | 71.2% | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 71.8% | +0.9% |
| 1960 | 72.5% | +0.9% |
| 1961 | 73.3% | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 74.2% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 75.1% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 76.1% | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 76.9% | +1.2% |
| 1966 | 77.8% | +1.1% |
| 1967 | 78.6% | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 79.4% | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 80.2% | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 80.9% | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 81.6% | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 82.0% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 82.3% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 82.5% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 82.7% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 82.8% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 82.9% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 83.0% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 83.1% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 83.1% | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 83.1% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 83.1% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 83.0% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 83.0% | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 83.1% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 83.0% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 82.9% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 82.9% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 83.0% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 83.1% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 83.2% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 83.5% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 83.7% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 83.8% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 83.8% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 84.0% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 84.0% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 84.0% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 83.9% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 84.0% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 84.1% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 84.2% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 84.2% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 84.3% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 84.4% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 84.4% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 84.5% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 84.6% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 84.6% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 84.7% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 84.9% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 85.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 85.4% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 85.6% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 85.9% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 86.1% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 86.3% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 86.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 86.8% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 87.0% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 87.2% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 87.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 87.6% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 87.8% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 88.0% | +0.2% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 88.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 78.9%, 1.1× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 88.0% 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 Sweden 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% | 0.1% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.3% | 0.9% |
| 1700 | +185.7% | 1.4% | 4.0% |
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 | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1 |
| 1600s | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1 |
| 1700s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 1 |
| 1720s | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 1 |
| 1730s | 11.4% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 1 |
| 1740s | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 1 |
| 1750s | 16.4% | 16.4% | 16.4% | 1 |
| 1760s | 18.8% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 1 |
| 1770s | 21.3% | 21.3% | 21.3% | 1 |
| 1780s | 23.8% | 23.8% | 23.8% | 1 |
| 1790s | 26.2% | 26.2% | 26.2% | 1 |
| 1800s | 28.7% | 28.7% | 28.7% | 1 |
| 1810s | 31.2% | 31.2% | 31.2% | 1 |
| 1820s | 33.6% | 33.6% | 33.6% | 1 |
| 1830s | 36.1% | 36.1% | 36.1% | 1 |
| 1840s | 38.6% | 38.6% | 38.6% | 1 |
| 1850s | 41.1% | 41.1% | 41.1% | 1 |
| 1860s | 43.5% | 43.5% | 43.5% | 1 |
| 1870s | 46.0% | 46.0% | 46.0% | 1 |
| 1880s | 48.5% | 48.5% | 48.5% | 1 |
| 1890s | 50.9% | 50.9% | 50.9% | 1 |
| 1900s | 53.4% | 53.4% | 53.4% | 1 |
| 1910s | 55.9% | 55.9% | 55.9% | 1 |
| 1920s | 58.4% | 58.4% | 58.4% | 1 |
| 1930s | 60.8% | 60.8% | 60.8% | 1 |
| 1940s | 63.3% | 63.3% | 63.3% | 1 |
| 1950s | 68.9% | 65.8% | 71.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 76.4% | 72.5% | 80.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 82.4% | 80.9% | 83.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 83.0% | 82.9% | 83.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 83.7% | 83.1% | 84.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 84.3% | 84.0% | 84.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 85.7% | 84.7% | 86.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 87.5% | 87.0% | 88.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More population data for Sweden
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0422 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.7238 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0422 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1458 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 11,902 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4642 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1484 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Population density 27.91 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 479,660 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urbanized areas in Sweden?
- Share of population living in urbanized areas in Sweden was 88.0% 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 Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 88.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urbanized areas recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Sweden rank for share of population living in urbanized areas?
- Sweden ranks 33rd out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urbanized areas rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sweden 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of population living in urban areas in a country over time.