Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in France
France: Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita was 78.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
78.8%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
78th
of 236 countries
All-time high
78.8%
in 2025
All-time low
54.7%
in 1950
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in France, 1950–2025
Source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in France stood at 78.8%. That is the highest value across all 76 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in France peaked at 78.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 54.7%, in 1950.
France ranks 78th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita in France, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 54.7% | — |
| 1951 | 55.4% | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 56.1% | +1.2% |
| 1953 | 56.7% | +1.2% |
| 1954 | 57.4% | +1.1% |
| 1955 | 58.0% | +1.1% |
| 1956 | 58.7% | +1.1% |
| 1957 | 59.4% | +1.2% |
| 1958 | 60.1% | +1.2% |
| 1959 | 60.9% | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 61.7% | +1.3% |
| 1961 | 62.5% | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 63.5% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 64.6% | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 65.9% | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 67.2% | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 68.4% | +1.8% |
| 1967 | 69.5% | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 70.2% | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 70.8% | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 71.4% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 71.9% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 72.3% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 72.7% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 72.9% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 73.0% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 73.1% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 73.1% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 73.2% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 73.2% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 73.2% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 73.3% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 73.4% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 73.4% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 73.5% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 73.6% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 73.6% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 73.7% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 73.8% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 73.9% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 74.1% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 74.2% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 74.4% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 74.6% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 74.8% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 75.1% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 75.4% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 75.6% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 75.9% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 76.2% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 76.5% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 76.9% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 77.3% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 77.5% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 77.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 77.3% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 77.2% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 77.2% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 77.1% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 77.1% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 77.1% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 77.2% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 77.2% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 77.4% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 77.8% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 78.6% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 78.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 78.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 78.7% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 78.7% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 78.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 78.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 78.8% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 78.8% | +0.1% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 78.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 97% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- France's 78.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.6%, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 57.7% | 54.7% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 66.4% | 61.7% | 70.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 72.7% | 71.4% | 73.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 73.6% | 73.2% | 73.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.0% | 74.1% | 76.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.2% | 76.5% | 77.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.8% | 77.1% | 78.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.8% | 78.7% | 78.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near France
More population data for France
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.028 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.58 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.028 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1885 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 65,827 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.1504 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1075 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Population density 125.07 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.16 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in France?
- Share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita in France was 78.8% in 2025, according to United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 78.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.7% in 1950.
- How does France rank for share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita?
- France ranks 78th out of 236 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition.