Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Estonia
Estonia: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 49.9% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Estonia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Estonia recorded 49.9% for share of urban population who live in the largest city in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Estonia peaked at 49.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 30.0%, in 1950.
That places Estonia 28th out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Estonia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 30.0% | — |
| 1955 | 31.2% | +4.1% |
| 1960 | 33.1% | +6.1% |
| 1965 | 33.5% | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 34.1% | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 35.1% | +3.0% |
| 1980 | 39.1% | +11.5% |
| 1985 | 41.0% | +4.6% |
| 1990 | 41.3% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 40.8% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 39.8% | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 41.3% | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 42.2% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 46.3% | +9.6% |
| 2020 | 49.9% | +7.8% |
Estonia compared with similar countries
- Estonia's 49.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 29.2%, 1.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Estonia's 49.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 24.1%, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 30.6% | 30.0% | 31.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 33.3% | 33.1% | 33.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 34.6% | 34.1% | 35.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 40.0% | 39.1% | 41.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 41.1% | 40.8% | 41.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 40.5% | 39.8% | 41.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 44.3% | 42.2% | 46.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 49.9% | 49.9% | 49.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
- 25 East Timor 50.7% compare
- 26 Equatorial Guinea 50.4% compare
- 27 Mauritania 50.2% compare
- 29 Barbados 49.8% compare
- 30 Panama 47.8% compare
- 31 Armenia 47.7% compare
More population data for Estonia
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6551 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6697 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.5636 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6697 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 30,706 people (2100)
- Population density 19.31 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3052 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, per capita 0.288 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Estonia?
- Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Estonia was 49.9% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 49.9% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.0% in 1950.
- How does Estonia rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
- Estonia ranks 28th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Estonia data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population who live in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.