Share of the population living in cities in Sweden

Sweden: Share of the population living in cities was 31.97 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
31.97
World rank
130th
of 229 countries
All-time high
31.97
in 2020
All-time low
17.65
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of the population living in cities in Sweden, 1950–2020

01020301950198520201950: 17.71955: 19.51960: 20.11965: 22.51970: 241975: 23.21980: 23.11985: 23.11990: 23.11995: 23.42000: 25.52005: 26.12010: 27.42015: 29.72020: 32

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Sweden recorded 31.97 for share of the population living in cities in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is up 16.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in Sweden peaked at 31.97 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 17.65, in 1950.

That places Sweden 130th 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 Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population living in cities in Sweden, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 17.65
1955 19.51 +10.5%
1960 20.08 +3.0%
1965 22.49 +12.0%
1970 23.95 +6.5%
1975 23.16 -3.3%
1980 23.07 -0.4%
1985 23.1 +0.2%
1990 23.12 +0.1%
1995 23.43 +1.3%
2000 25.46 +8.7%
2005 26.11 +2.6%
2010 27.43 +5.0%
2015 29.69 +8.3%
2020 31.97 +7.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 18.58 17.65 19.51 2
1960s 21.28 20.08 22.49 2
1970s 23.56 23.16 23.95 2
1980s 23.08 23.07 23.1 2
1990s 23.28 23.12 23.43 2
2000s 25.79 25.46 26.11 2
2010s 28.56 27.43 29.69 2
2020s 31.97 31.97 31.97 1

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 127 Serbia 33.87 compare
  2. 128 Georgia 33.62 compare
  3. 129 Austria 32.61 compare
  4. 131 French Polynesia 31.88 compare
  5. 132 South Sudan 31.77 compare
  6. 133 Switzerland 31.66 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population living in cities in Sweden?
Share of the population living in cities in Sweden was 31.97 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 31.97 in 2020.
What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 17.65 in 1950.
How does Sweden rank for share of the population living in cities?
Sweden ranks 130th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sweden 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.

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Share of the population living in cities in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population living in cities
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