Share of population living in cities in Pakistan
Pakistan: Share of population living in cities was 45.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities in Pakistan, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 45.5% for share of population living in cities in 2020.
That represents a change of up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities in Pakistan peaked at 45.7% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 17.3%, in 1950.
Pakistan ranks 79th of 236 countries on this measure, 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 in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 17.3% | — |
| 1955 | 19.2% | +11.3% |
| 1960 | 22.2% | +15.4% |
| 1965 | 25.6% | +15.4% |
| 1970 | 29.2% | +14.1% |
| 1975 | 33.4% | +14.4% |
| 1980 | 34.3% | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 35.5% | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 36.3% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 39.7% | +9.3% |
| 2000 | 42.7% | +7.7% |
| 2005 | 44.1% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 45.2% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 45.7% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 45.5% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 18.3% | 17.3% | 19.2% | 2 |
| 1960s | 23.9% | 22.2% | 25.6% | 2 |
| 1970s | 31.3% | 29.2% | 33.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 34.9% | 34.3% | 35.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 38.0% | 36.3% | 39.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 43.4% | 42.7% | 44.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 45.5% | 45.2% | 45.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 45.5% | 45.5% | 45.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More population data for Pakistan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.7801 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1091 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 367,808 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.8 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5037 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 662.88 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 32.24 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities in Pakistan?
- Share of population living in cities in Pakistan was 45.5% 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 recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 45.7% in 2015.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.3% in 1950.
- How does Pakistan rank for share of population living in cities?
- Pakistan ranks 79th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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. 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.