Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Estonia
Estonia: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 38.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Estonia, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Estonia stood at 38.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Estonia peaked at 45.9% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 25.3%, in 1950.
That places Estonia 108th out of 236 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 population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Estonia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 25.3% | — |
| 1955 | 26.5% | +4.8% |
| 1960 | 28.2% | +6.1% |
| 1965 | 36.9% | +30.9% |
| 1970 | 38.1% | +3.4% |
| 1975 | 43.1% | +13.1% |
| 1980 | 45.9% | +6.5% |
| 1985 | 43.0% | -6.3% |
| 1990 | 38.8% | -9.9% |
| 1995 | 38.0% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 36.1% | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 33.0% | -8.6% |
| 2010 | 33.3% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 35.8% | +7.5% |
| 2020 | 38.5% | +7.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 25.9% | 25.3% | 26.5% | 2 |
| 1960s | 32.5% | 28.2% | 36.9% | 2 |
| 1970s | 40.6% | 38.1% | 43.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 44.5% | 43.0% | 45.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 38.4% | 38.0% | 38.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 34.5% | 33.0% | 36.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 34.5% | 33.3% | 35.8% | 2 |
| 2020s | 38.5% | 38.5% | 38.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
- 105 Eritrea 39.2% compare
- 106 Western Sahara 39.0% compare
- 107 Sierra Leone 38.7% compare
- 109 Oman 38.4% compare
- 110 Côte d'Ivoire 38.2% compare
- 111 Myanmar 38.1% compare
More population data for Estonia
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6697 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6551 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3052 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 19.31 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 30,706 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.7% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Estonia?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Estonia was 38.5% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 45.9% in 1980.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.3% in 1950.
- How does Estonia rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Estonia ranks 108th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. 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 major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.