Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Italy

Italy: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 6.1% in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
6.1%
World rank
175th
of 179 countries
All-time high
6.6%
in 2000
All-time low
5.7%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Italy, 1950–2020

02461950198520201950: 5.7 %1955: 5.9 %1960: 6.2 %1965: 6.3 %1970: 6.3 %1975: 6.4 %1980: 6.5 %1985: 6.5 %1990: 6.6 %1995: 6.6 %2000: 6.6 %2005: 6.4 %2010: 6.2 %2015: 6.1 %2020: 6.1 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Italy recorded 6.1% for share of urban population who live in the largest city in 2020.

The figure is down 1.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Italy peaked at 6.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.7%, in 1950.

Italy ranks 175th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 5.8% 5.7% 5.9% 2
1960s 6.3% 6.2% 6.3% 2
1970s 6.3% 6.3% 6.4% 2
1980s 6.5% 6.5% 6.5% 2
1990s 6.6% 6.6% 6.6% 2
2000s 6.5% 6.4% 6.6% 2
2010s 6.2% 6.1% 6.2% 2
2020s 6.1% 6.1% 6.1% 1

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 172 Nigeria 7.0% compare
  2. 173 Malawi 6.7% compare
  3. 174 South Sudan 6.2% compare
  4. 176 Germany 5.8% compare
  5. 177 United States 5.6% compare
  6. 178 India 2.5% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More population data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Italy?
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Italy was 6.1% 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 Italy?
The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 5.7% in 1950.
How does Italy rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
Italy ranks 175th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Italy 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Share of urban population who live in the largest city
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 2,452 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

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.