Share of urban population who live in the largest city by country
Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.
Countries reporting
174
Highest
91.4%
Bahrain
Lowest
2.3%
China
Median
25.6%
Years covered
71
1950–2020
Data points
2,452
What the numbers show
Share of urban population who live in the largest city is currently reported for 174 countries. The highest value is 91.4% in Bahrain; the lowest is 2.3% in China.
The median across all reporting countries is 25.6%, and the mean is 29.9%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 39.
Over the past decade 114 countries rose and 60 fell. The largest increase was in Botswana (up 134.2%), and the largest decrease in Laos (down 49.2%).
Share of urban population who live in the largest city: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahrain | 91.4% | 2020 | up 0.0% | rising |
| 2 | Kuwait | 87.4% | 2020 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 3 | Singapore | 84.8% | 2020 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 4 | Maldives | 78.3% | 2020 | up 6.4% | flat |
| 5 | Solomon Islands | 75.9% | 2020 | up 4.4% | flat |
| 6 | Qatar | 75.7% | 2020 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 7 | Bahamas | 75.4% | 2020 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 8 | Sao Tome and Principe | 74.5% | 2020 | up 10.5% | rising |
| 10 | Iceland | 71.1% | 2020 | up 13.0% | rising |
| 11 | Djibouti | 70.4% | 2020 | up 12.6% | rising |
| 12 | Hong Kong | 64.5% | 2020 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 13 | New Caledonia | 64.4% | 2020 | up 28.2% | falling |
| 14 | Mongolia | 63.1% | 2020 | up 14.8% | rising |
| 15 | Congo | 62.4% | 2020 | up 24.1% | rising |
| 16 | Jordan | 60.6% | 2020 | up 7.7% | falling |
| 17 | Liberia | 58.2% | 2020 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 18 | Suriname | 56.8% | 2020 | down 6.4% | rising |
| 19 | Costa Rica | 56.6% | 2020 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 20 | Gambia | 56.6% | 2020 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 21 | Guinea-Bissau | 52.2% | 2020 | up 7.1% | rising |
| 22 | United Arab Emirates | 51.9% | 2020 | up 40.2% | rising |
| 23 | French Polynesia | 51.8% | 2020 | down 6.8% | falling |
| 24 | Latvia | 50.8% | 2020 | up 4.0% | flat |
| 25 | East Timor | 50.7% | 2020 | up 3.0% | falling |
| 26 | Equatorial Guinea | 50.4% | 2020 | up 39.6% | rising |
| 27 | Mauritania | 50.2% | 2020 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 28 | Estonia | 49.9% | 2020 | up 18.1% | rising |
| 29 | Barbados | 49.8% | 2020 | down 7.5% | rising |
| 30 | Panama | 47.8% | 2020 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 31 | Armenia | 47.7% | 2020 | down 2.6% | rising |
| 32 | South Korea | 47.6% | 2020 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 33 | Mauritius | 47.5% | 2020 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 34 | Dominican Republic | 46.9% | 2020 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 35 | Greece | 45.5% | 2020 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 36 | Gabon | 45.0% | 2020 | up 11.5% | rising |
| 37 | Fiji | 44.7% | 2020 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 38 | Albania | 43.4% | 2020 | up 33.2% | rising |
| 39 | Uruguay | 42.5% | 2020 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 40 | Peru | 41.9% | 2020 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 41 | Chile | 41.5% | 2020 | down 4.3% | rising |
| 42 | Taiwan | 41.3% | 2020 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 44 | Thailand | 39.7% | 2020 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 45 | Angola | 38.8% | 2020 | up 81.3% | volatile |
| 46 | Sierra Leone | 38.8% | 2020 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 47 | Austria | 37.7% | 2020 | up 3.1% | falling |
| 48 | Georgia | 36.7% | 2020 | down 0.6% | rising |
| 49 | Togo | 36.4% | 2020 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 50 | Trinidad and Tobago | 36.2% | 2020 | down 7.4% | rising |
| 51 | Zimbabwe | 36.1% | 2020 | down 9.1% | rising |
| 52 | Central African Republic | 36.0% | 2020 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 53 | Argentina | 35.9% | 2020 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 54 | Mali | 35.7% | 2020 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 55 | Guinea | 35.6% | 2020 | down 2.7% | rising |
| 56 | Comoros | 34.8% | 2010 | down 6.3% | falling |
| 57 | Lebanon | 34.1% | 2020 | down 11.9% | falling |
| 58 | El Salvador | 33.6% | 2020 | down 3.3% | rising |
| 59 | Paraguay | 33.4% | 2020 | down 32.3% | falling |
| 61 | Lesotho | 32.8% | 2020 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 62 | Cyprus | 32.2% | 2020 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 63 | Namibia | 32.2% | 2020 | down 5.5% | rising |
| 64 | Denmark | 31.7% | 2020 | up 6.5% | falling |
| 65 | Cote d'Ivoire | 31.2% | 2020 | down 1.1% | rising |
| 66 | Bhutan | 31.1% | 2020 | down 1.7% | falling |
| 67 | Nicaragua | 30.3% | 2020 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 69 | Senegal | 30.1% | 2020 | down 5.5% | rising |
| 70 | Israel | 30.0% | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 71 | Eswatini | 29.9% | 2015 | up 11.2% | rising |
| 72 | Zambia | 29.5% | 2020 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 73 | Finland | 29.5% | 2020 | up 11.4% | rising |
| 74 | Japan | 29.3% | 2020 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 75 | Croatia | 29.2% | 2020 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 76 | Jamaica | 29.1% | 2020 | down 1.2% | falling |
| 77 | Montenegro | 28.9% | 2020 | up 10.5% | rising |
| 78 | Belarus | 28.6% | 2020 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 79 | Tunisia | 28.4% | 2020 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 80 | Madagascar | 28.4% | 2020 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 81 | Malaysia | 28.2% | 2020 | up 14.6% | volatile |
| 82 | New Zealand | 28.1% | 2020 | up 10.6% | rising |
| 83 | Somalia | 27.9% | 2020 | up 66.6% | rising |
| 84 | Burkina Faso | 27.7% | 2020 | up 19.1% | volatile |
| 85 | North Macedonia | 27.1% | 2020 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 86 | Hungary | 26.7% | 2020 | up 5.1% | falling |
| 87 | Sri Lanka | 26.0% | 2020 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 88 | Puerto Rico | 25.9% | 2020 | down 6.3% | rising |
| 89 | Moldova | 25.9% | 2020 | up 10.4% | rising |
| 90 | Bulgaria | 25.9% | 2020 | up 15.5% | rising |
| 91 | Honduras | 25.7% | 2020 | up 10.9% | falling |
| 92 | Portugal | 25.5% | 2020 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 93 | Serbia | 25.4% | 2020 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 94 | Philippines | 25.3% | 2020 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 95 | Kyrgyzstan | 24.9% | 2020 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 96 | Saudi Arabia | 24.3% | 2020 | up 12.2% | volatile |
| 97 | Norway | 24.2% | 2020 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 98 | Colombia | 24.1% | 2020 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 99 | Azerbaijan | 24.1% | 2020 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 100 | Benin | 23.9% | 2020 | up 10.8% | rising |
| 101 | Slovenia | 23.1% | 2020 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 102 | Bolivia | 23.1% | 2020 | down 6.4% | falling |
| 103 | France | 22.8% | 2020 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 104 | Cameroon | 22.8% | 2020 | up 23.5% | rising |
| 105 | Egypt | 22.7% | 2020 | up 0.2% | rising |
| 106 | Ecuador | 22.3% | 2020 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 107 | Libya | 22.1% | 2020 | up 3.0% | falling |
| 108 | Guyana | 22.0% | 2020 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 109 | Guatemala | 21.7% | 2020 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 110 | Ghana | 21.2% | 2020 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 111 | Tanzania | 21.0% | 2020 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 112 | Palestine | 20.9% | 2020 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 113 | Syria | 20.7% | 2020 | down 0.7% | falling |
| 114 | Turkey | 20.6% | 2020 | down 6.6% | rising |
| 115 | Turkmenistan | 20.4% | 2020 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 116 | Lithuania | 20.4% | 2020 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 117 | Sweden | 20.2% | 2020 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 118 | Bangladesh | 20.0% | 2020 | up 20.5% | volatile |
| 119 | Haiti | 19.9% | 2020 | down 23.1% | rising |
| 120 | Cambodia | 19.5% | 2020 | up 18.1% | rising |
| 121 | Australia | 19.2% | 2020 | up 2.8% | falling |
| 122 | Mozambique | 19.0% | 2020 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 123 | Czechia | 18.6% | 2020 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 124 | Chad | 18.6% | 2020 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 125 | Oman | 18.4% | 2020 | up 24.5% | rising |
| 126 | Sudan | 18.4% | 2020 | down 6.4% | rising |
| 127 | Reunion | 18.3% | 2020 | up 6.5% | falling |
| 128 | Romania | 18.2% | 2020 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 129 | Canada | 18.0% | 2020 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 130 | Mexico | 18.0% | 2020 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 131 | Cuba | 17.7% | 2020 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 132 | United Kingdom | 17.2% | 2020 | up 7.9% | falling |
| 134 | Iraq | 16.6% | 2020 | down 8.6% | falling |
| 135 | Indonesia | 16.5% | 2020 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 136 | Tajikistan | 16.2% | 2020 | up 6.6% | falling |
| 137 | Afghanistan | 15.9% | 2020 | down 6.7% | rising |
| 138 | Eritrea | 15.4% | 2020 | down 6.6% | falling |
| 139 | Vietnam | 15.4% | 2020 | up 23.7% | rising |
| 140 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 15.3% | 2020 | down 15.9% | falling |
| 141 | Belgium | 15.3% | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 142 | Morocco | 15.0% | 2020 | down 1.9% | flat |
| 143 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 14.9% | 2020 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 144 | Myanmar | 14.7% | 2020 | up 6.2% | rising |
| 145 | Nepal | 14.7% | 2020 | up 22.6% | rising |
| 146 | Spain | 14.6% | 2020 | up 15.3% | rising |
| 147 | Kazakhstan | 14.6% | 2020 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 148 | Kenya | 14.2% | 2020 | up 7.7% | rising |
| 149 | Botswana | 13.8% | 2020 | up 134.2% | rising |
| 150 | South Africa | 13.7% | 2020 | up 15.8% | rising |
| 151 | Uganda | 13.7% | 2020 | down 12.6% | falling |
| 152 | Uzbekistan | 12.7% | 2020 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 153 | North Korea | 12.7% | 2020 | down 0.8% | rising |
| 154 | Russia | 12.4% | 2020 | up 9.2% | rising |
| 155 | Iran | 12.0% | 2020 | down 0.0% | falling |
| 156 | Yemen | 11.8% | 2020 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 157 | Brazil | 11.4% | 2020 | down 5.0% | flat |
| 158 | Niger | 11.3% | 2020 | down 4.5% | rising |
| 159 | Rwanda | 11.0% | 2020 | up 19.9% | rising |
| 160 | Burundi | 10.7% | 2020 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 161 | Venezuela | 10.4% | 2020 | down 13.1% | falling |
| 162 | Switzerland | 10.1% | 2020 | down 1.5% | rising |
| 163 | Slovakia | 9.8% | 2020 | down 4.5% | falling |
| 164 | Pakistan | 9.4% | 2020 | up 12.0% | falling |
| 165 | Algeria | 8.8% | 2020 | down 9.4% | falling |
| 166 | Ukraine | 8.8% | 2020 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 167 | Papua New Guinea | 8.6% | 2020 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 168 | Laos | 8.2% | 2020 | down 49.2% | falling |
| 169 | Poland | 8.1% | 2020 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 170 | Ethiopia | 7.7% | 2020 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 171 | Netherlands | 7.7% | 2020 | up 5.2% | falling |
| 172 | Nigeria | 7.0% | 2020 | down 8.8% | rising |
| 173 | Malawi | 6.7% | 2020 | down 23.8% | falling |
| 174 | South Sudan | 6.2% | 2015 | down 26.4% | falling |
| 175 | Italy | 6.1% | 2020 | down 1.1% | flat |
| 176 | Germany | 5.8% | 2020 | up 3.0% | falling |
| 177 | United States | 5.6% | 2020 | down 6.8% | falling |
| 178 | India | 2.5% | 2020 | up 7.2% | falling |
| 179 | China | 2.3% | 2020 | up 7.4% | rising |
About this data
Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.