Share of population living in cities towns and villages in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Share of population living in cities towns and villages was 57.36 in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
57.36
World rank
38th
of 236 countries
All-time high
57.36
in 2020
All-time low
52.47
in 1985
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in cities towns and villages in United Kingdom, 1950–2020

02040601950198520201950: 55.71955: 55.51960: 55.91965: 55.51970: 54.21975: 531980: 52.51985: 52.51990: 52.81995: 532000: 53.52005: 54.32010: 55.42015: 56.42020: 57.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 57.36 for share of population living in cities towns and villages in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in cities towns and villages in United Kingdom peaked at 57.36 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 52.47, in 1985.

That places United Kingdom 38th out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

Share of population living in cities towns and villages in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in cities towns and villages in United Kingdom, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 55.72 —
1955 55.51 -0.4%
1960 55.87 +0.6%
1965 55.52 -0.6%
1970 54.17 -2.4%
1975 52.96 -2.2%
1980 52.48 -0.9%
1985 52.47 -0.0%
1990 52.76 +0.6%
1995 53.01 +0.5%
2000 53.51 +0.9%
2005 54.26 +1.4%
2010 55.38 +2.1%
2015 56.45 +1.9%
2020 57.36 +1.6%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 57.36 is above the median for high income countries, which is 31.97, 1.8× the median. (85 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 57.36 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 31.52, 1.8× the median. (56 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 55.62 55.51 55.72 2
1960s 55.69 55.52 55.87 2
1970s 53.57 52.96 54.17 2
1980s 52.47 52.47 52.48 2
1990s 52.89 52.76 53.01 2
2000s 53.89 53.51 54.26 2
2010s 55.91 55.38 56.45 2
2020s 57.36 57.36 57.36 1

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 35 Iran 60.55 compare
  2. 36 Curacao 59.62 compare
  3. 37 North Korea 58.92 compare
  4. 39 Peru 55.98 compare
  5. 40 Malaysia 55.03 compare
  6. 41 Belarus 54.96 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in cities towns and villages in United Kingdom?
Share of population living in cities towns and villages in United Kingdom was 57.36 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in cities towns and villages recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 57.36 in 2020.
What is the lowest share of population living in cities towns and villages recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 52.47 in 1985.
How does United Kingdom rank for share of population living in cities towns and villages?
United Kingdom ranks 38th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in cities towns and villages rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities towns and villages. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in cities towns and villages in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-cities-towns-and-villages/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in cities towns and villages
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed