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

Romania: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 18.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
18.2%
World rank
128th
of 179 countries
All-time high
18.2%
in 2020
All-time low
12.8%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

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

051015201950198520201950: 12.8 %1955: 13.8 %1960: 14.3 %1965: 15 %1970: 15.2 %1975: 16 %1980: 16.2 %1985: 16.3 %1990: 16.4 %1995: 16.4 %2000: 16.4 %2005: 16.9 %2010: 17.5 %2015: 17.7 %2020: 18.2 %

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

Analysis

In 2020, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Romania stood at 18.2%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in Romania peaked at 18.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 12.8%, in 1950.

That places Romania 128th out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

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 Romania, year by year

Annual values for Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Romania, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 12.8%
1955 13.8% +7.5%
1960 14.3% +3.7%
1965 15.0% +5.1%
1970 15.2% +1.1%
1975 16.0% +5.0%
1980 16.2% +1.6%
1985 16.3% +0.3%
1990 16.4% +0.6%
1995 16.4% +0.0%
2000 16.4% +0.2%
2005 16.9% +3.2%
2010 17.5% +3.5%
2015 17.7% +1.1%
2020 18.2% +2.8%

Romania compared with similar countries

  • Romania's 18.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 29.2%, 62% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • Romania's 18.2% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 24.1%, 75% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 13.3% 12.8% 13.8% 2
1960s 14.7% 14.3% 15.0% 2
1970s 15.6% 15.2% 16.0% 2
1980s 16.2% 16.2% 16.3% 2
1990s 16.4% 16.4% 16.4% 2
2000s 16.7% 16.4% 16.9% 2
2010s 17.6% 17.5% 17.7% 2
2020s 18.2% 18.2% 18.2% 1

Countries ranked near Romania

  1. 125 Oman 18.4% compare
  2. 126 Sudan 18.4% compare
  3. 127 Reunion 18.3% compare
  4. 129 Canada 18.0% compare
  5. 130 Mexico 18.0% compare
  6. 131 Cuba 17.7% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More population data for Romania

All data for Romania →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of urban population who live in the largest city in Romania?
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Romania was 18.2% 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 Romania?
The highest recorded value was 18.2% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in Romania?
The lowest recorded value was 12.8% in 1950.
How does Romania rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
Romania ranks 128th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in Romania?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Romania 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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Share of urban population who live in the largest city in Romania. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-in-the-largest-city/romania/

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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.