Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Poland
Poland: Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas was 28.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Poland, 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 Poland stood at 28.6%.
The figure is down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Poland peaked at 30.8% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 18.1%, in 1950.
That places Poland 148th 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 Poland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 18.1% | — |
| 1955 | 19.7% | +9.2% |
| 1960 | 21.6% | +9.4% |
| 1965 | 23.5% | +9.1% |
| 1970 | 25.0% | +6.1% |
| 1975 | 26.8% | +7.3% |
| 1980 | 28.2% | +5.1% |
| 1985 | 29.2% | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 30.5% | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 30.8% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 30.3% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 29.8% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 29.4% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 28.9% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 28.6% | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 18.9% | 18.1% | 19.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 22.6% | 21.6% | 23.5% | 2 |
| 1970s | 25.9% | 25.0% | 26.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 28.7% | 28.2% | 29.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 30.6% | 30.5% | 30.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 30.1% | 29.8% | 30.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 29.2% | 28.9% | 29.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 28.6% | 28.6% | 28.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Poland
- 145 Ireland 29.5% compare
- 146 Denmark 29.4% compare
- 147 Guyana 28.6% compare
- 149 Brunei Darussalam 28.5% compare
- 150 North Macedonia 28.4% compare
- 151 Puerto Rico 28.2% compare
More population data for Poland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.49 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.03 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.7516 % change on previous year (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6386 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -1.0% (2100)
- Population density 63.15 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 624,863 people (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.0% (2100)
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, annual growth rate -0.8441 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Poland?
- Share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas in Poland was 28.6% 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 Poland?
- The highest recorded value was 30.8% in 1995.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Poland?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.1% in 1950.
- How does Poland rank for share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Poland ranks 148th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Poland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Poland 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.