Share of population living in cities in Portugal
Portugal: Share of population living in cities was 35.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities in Portugal, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population living in cities in Portugal is 35.6%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 6.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities in Portugal peaked at 35.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 20.0%, in 1950.
Portugal ranks 116th 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 Portugal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 20.0% | — |
| 1955 | 20.9% | +4.6% |
| 1960 | 22.0% | +5.1% |
| 1965 | 24.1% | +9.5% |
| 1970 | 25.0% | +4.0% |
| 1975 | 26.9% | +7.3% |
| 1980 | 29.1% | +8.4% |
| 1985 | 29.5% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 31.1% | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 32.7% | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 33.0% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 33.2% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 33.4% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 34.3% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 35.6% | +3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 20.5% | 20.0% | 20.9% | 2 |
| 1960s | 23.0% | 22.0% | 24.1% | 2 |
| 1970s | 26.0% | 25.0% | 26.9% | 2 |
| 1980s | 29.3% | 29.1% | 29.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 31.9% | 31.1% | 32.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 33.1% | 33.0% | 33.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 33.8% | 33.4% | 34.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 35.6% | 35.6% | 35.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More population data for Portugal
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.39 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.4941 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 9,261 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.2816 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.0558 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Population density 95.56 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 396,215 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities in Portugal?
- Share of population living in cities in Portugal was 35.6% 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 recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 35.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.0% in 1950.
- How does Portugal rank for share of population living in cities?
- Portugal ranks 116th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Portugal 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.