Share of the population living in cities in India
India: Share of the population living in cities was 39.47 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
39.47
World rank
102nd
of 229 countries
All-time high
40.13
in 2015
All-time low
19.52
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020
Share of the population living in cities in India, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, share of the population living in cities in India stood at 39.47.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in India peaked at 40.13 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 19.52, in 1950.
That places India 102nd out of 229 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 the population living in cities in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 19.52 | — |
| 1955 | 21.18 | +8.5% |
| 1960 | 23.01 | +8.6% |
| 1965 | 25.06 | +8.9% |
| 1970 | 27.35 | +9.1% |
| 1975 | 29.75 | +8.8% |
| 1980 | 30.33 | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 31.12 | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 31.92 | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 34.49 | +8.0% |
| 2000 | 37.11 | +7.6% |
| 2005 | 38.47 | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 39.51 | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 40.13 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 39.47 | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 20.35 | 19.52 | 21.18 | 2 |
| 1960s | 24.04 | 23.01 | 25.06 | 2 |
| 1970s | 28.55 | 27.35 | 29.75 | 2 |
| 1980s | 30.73 | 30.33 | 31.12 | 2 |
| 1990s | 33.21 | 31.92 | 34.49 | 2 |
| 2000s | 37.79 | 37.11 | 38.47 | 2 |
| 2010s | 39.82 | 39.51 | 40.13 | 2 |
| 2020s | 39.47 | 39.47 | 39.47 | 1 |
Countries ranked near India
More population data for India
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.67 million Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.7665 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.7604 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.512 (2100)
- Population density 506.27 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 66.77 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.512 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 0.7662 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -0.6582 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 236,763 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population living in cities in India?
- Share of the population living in cities in India was 39.47 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 40.13 in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.52 in 1950.
- How does India rank for share of the population living in cities?
- India ranks 102nd out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population living in cities. 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).