{"id": 1195724, "name": "Percentage of population living in urban areas (estimates) by national definition", "unit": "%", "createdAt": "2026-02-23T09:48:04.000Z", "updatedAt": "2026-02-23T09:48:04.000Z", "coverage": "", "timespan": "1950-2025", "datasetId": 7380, "shortUnit": "%", "columnOrder": 0, "shortName": "share__area_type_urban__data_type_estimates", "catalogPath": "grapher/un/2026-02-17/wup_national_definitions/wup_urban_rural_population#share__area_type_urban__data_type_estimates", "dimensions": {"years": {"values": [{"id": 1950}, {"id": 1951}, {"id": 1952}, {"id": 1953}, {"id": 1954}, {"id": 1955}, {"id": 1956}, {"id": 1957}, {"id": 1958}, {"id": 1959}, {"id": 1960}, {"id": 1961}, {"id": 1962}, {"id": 1963}, {"id": 1964}, {"id": 1965}, {"id": 1966}, {"id": 1967}, {"id": 1968}, {"id": 1969}, {"id": 1970}, {"id": 1971}, {"id": 1972}, {"id": 1973}, {"id": 1974}, {"id": 1975}, {"id": 1976}, {"id": 1977}, {"id": 1978}, {"id": 1979}, {"id": 1980}, {"id": 1981}, {"id": 1982}, {"id": 1983}, {"id": 1984}, {"id": 1985}, {"id": 1986}, {"id": 1987}, {"id": 1988}, {"id": 1989}, {"id": 1990}, {"id": 1991}, {"id": 1992}, {"id": 1993}, {"id": 1994}, {"id": 1995}, {"id": 1996}, {"id": 1997}, {"id": 1998}, {"id": 1999}, {"id": 2000}, {"id": 2001}, {"id": 2002}, {"id": 2003}, {"id": 2004}, {"id": 2005}, {"id": 2006}, {"id": 2007}, {"id": 2008}, {"id": 2009}, {"id": 2010}, {"id": 2011}, {"id": 2012}, {"id": 2013}, {"id": 2014}, {"id": 2015}, {"id": 2016}, {"id": 2017}, {"id": 2018}, {"id": 2019}, {"id": 2020}, {"id": 2021}, {"id": 2022}, {"id": 2023}, {"id": 2024}, {"id": 2025}]}, "entities": {"values": [{"id": 372610, "name": "(UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 15, "name": "Afghanistan", "code": "AFG"}, {"id": 273, "name": "Africa", "code": "OWID_AFR"}, {"id": 16, "name": "Albania", "code": "ALB"}, {"id": 17, "name": "Algeria", "code": "DZA"}, {"id": 246, "name": "American Samoa", "code": "ASM"}, {"id": 372416, "name": "Americas (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 18, "name": "Andorra", "code": "AND"}, {"id": 19, "name": "Angola", "code": "AGO"}, {"id": 228, "name": "Anguilla", "code": "AIA"}, {"id": 20, "name": "Antigua and Barbuda", "code": "ATG"}, {"id": 21, "name": "Argentina", "code": "ARG"}, {"id": 22, "name": "Armenia", "code": "ARM"}, {"id": 219, "name": "Aruba", "code": "ABW"}, {"id": 275, "name": "Asia", "code": "OWID_ASI"}, {"id": 23, "name": "Australia", "code": "AUS"}, {"id": 372613, "name": "Australia and New Zealand (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 24, "name": "Austria", "code": "AUT"}, {"id": 25, "name": "Azerbaijan", "code": "AZE"}, {"id": 26, "name": "Bahamas", "code": "BHS"}, {"id": 27, "name": "Bahrain", "code": "BHR"}, {"id": 28, "name": "Bangladesh", "code": "BGD"}, {"id": 29, "name": "Barbados", "code": "BRB"}, {"id": 30, "name": "Belarus", "code": "BLR"}, {"id": 4, "name": "Belgium", "code": "BEL"}, {"id": 31, "name": "Belize", "code": "BLZ"}, {"id": 32, "name": "Benin", "code": "BEN"}, {"id": 194, "name": "Bermuda", "code": "BMU"}, {"id": 33, "name": "Bhutan", "code": "BTN"}, {"id": 34, "name": "Bolivia", "code": "BOL"}, {"id": 348, "name": "Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba", "code": "BES"}, {"id": 35, "name": "Bosnia and Herzegovina", "code": "BIH"}, {"id": 36, "name": "Botswana", "code": "BWA"}, {"id": 37, "name": "Brazil", "code": "BRA"}, {"id": 196, "name": "British Virgin Islands", "code": "VGB"}, {"id": 38, "name": "Brunei", "code": "BRN"}, {"id": 39, "name": "Bulgaria", "code": "BGR"}, {"id": 40, "name": "Burkina Faso", "code": "BFA"}, {"id": 41, "name": "Burundi", "code": "BDI"}, {"id": 42, "name": "Cambodia", "code": "KHM"}, {"id": 43, "name": "Cameroon", "code": "CMR"}, {"id": 44, "name": "Canada", "code": "CAN"}, {"id": 45, "name": "Cape Verde", "code": "CPV"}, {"id": 372419, "name": "Caribbean (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 197, "name": "Cayman Islands", "code": "CYM"}, {"id": 174, "name": "Central African Republic", "code": "CAF"}, {"id": 372398, "name": "Central America (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 372402, "name": "Central Asia (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 371807, "name": "Central and Southern Asia (UN SDG)", "code": "UNSDG_CSA"}, {"id": 173, "name": "Chad", "code": "TCD"}, {"id": 172, "name": "Chile", "code": "CHL"}, {"id": 171, "name": "China", "code": "CHN"}, {"id": 170, "name": "Colombia", "code": "COL"}, {"id": 169, "name": "Comoros", "code": "COM"}, {"id": 168, "name": "Congo", "code": "COG"}, {"id": 199, "name": "Cook Islands", "code": "COK"}, {"id": 166, "name": "Costa Rica", "code": "CRI"}, {"id": 143, "name": "Cote d'Ivoire", "code": "CIV"}, {"id": 165, "name": "Croatia", "code": "HRV"}, {"id": 164, "name": "Cuba", "code": "CUB"}, {"id": 279, "name": "Curacao", "code": "CUW"}, {"id": 163, "name": "Cyprus", "code": "CYP"}, {"id": 162, "name": "Czechia", "code": "CZE"}, {"id": 167, "name": "Democratic Republic of Congo", "code": "COD"}, {"id": 161, "name": "Denmark", "code": "DNK"}, {"id": 154, "name": "Djibouti", "code": "DJI"}, {"id": 200, "name": "Dominica", "code": "DMA"}, {"id": 160, "name": "Dominican Republic", "code": "DOM"}, {"id": 225, "name": "East Timor", "code": "TLS"}, {"id": 372418, "name": "Eastern Africa (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 372415, "name": "Eastern Asia (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 371806, "name": "Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (UN SDG)", "code": "UNSDG_ESEA"}, {"id": 201, "name": "Ecuador", "code": "ECU"}, {"id": 65, "name": "Egypt", "code": "EGY"}, {"id": 259, "name": "El Salvador", "code": "SLV"}, {"id": 159, "name": "Equatorial Guinea", "code": "GNQ"}, {"id": 157, "name": "Eritrea", "code": "ERI"}, {"id": 156, "name": "Estonia", "code": "EST"}, {"id": 78, "name": "Eswatini", "code": "SWZ"}, {"id": 158, "name": "Ethiopia", "code": "ETH"}, {"id": 276, "name": "Europe", "code": "OWID_EUR"}, {"id": 369228, "name": "Europe and Northern America (UN SDG)", "code": "UNSDG_ENA"}, {"id": 372611, "name": "Europe, Northern America, Australia and New Zealand  (UN SDG)", "code": null}, {"id": 115117, "name": "European Union (27)", "code": "OWID_EU27"}, {"id": 249, "name": "Falkland Islands", "code": "FLK"}, {"id": 250, "name": "Faroe Islands", "code": "FRO"}, {"id": 202, "name": "Fiji", "code": "FJI"}, {"id": 155, "name": "Finland", "code": "FIN"}, {"id": 3, "name": "France", "code": "FRA"}, {"id": 253, "name": "French Guiana", "code": "GUF"}, {"id": 203, "name": "French Polynesia", "code": "PYF"}, {"id": 153, "name": "Gabon", "code": "GAB"}, {"id": 151, "name": "Gambia", "code": "GMB"}, {"id": 152, "name": "Georgia", "code": "GEO"}, {"id": 6, "name": "Germany", "code": "DEU"}, {"id": 150, "name": "Ghana", "code": "GHA"}, {"id": 251, "name": "Gibraltar", "code": "GIB"}, {"id": 149, "name": "Greece", "code": "GRC"}, {"id": 205, "name": "Greenland", "code": "GRL"}, {"id": 206, "name": "Grenada", "code": "GRD"}, {"id": 252, "name": "Guadeloupe", "code": "GLP"}, {"id": 254, "name": "Guam", "code": "GUM"}, {"id": 148, "name": "Guatemala", "code": "GTM"}, {"id": 282, "name": "Guernsey", "code": "GGY"}, {"id": 147, "name": "Guinea", "code": "GIN"}, {"id": 94, "name": "Guinea-Bissau", "code": "GNB"}, {"id": 146, "name": "Guyana", "code": "GUY"}, {"id": 145, "name": "Haiti", "code": "HTI"}, {"id": 457, "name": "High-income countries", "code": "OWID_HIC"}, {"id": 139, "name": "Honduras", "code": "HND"}, {"id": 144, "name": "Hong Kong", "code": "HKG"}, {"id": 138, "name": "Hungary", "code": "HUN"}, {"id": 207, "name": "Iceland", "code": "ISL"}, {"id": 137, "name": "India", "code": "IND"}, {"id": 136, "name": "Indonesia", "code": "IDN"}, {"id": 135, "name": "Iran", "code": "IRN"}, {"id": 134, "name": "Iraq", "code": "IRQ"}, {"id": 2, "name": "Ireland", "code": "IRL"}, {"id": 265, "name": "Isle of Man", "code": "IMN"}, {"id": 133, "name": "Israel", "code": "ISR"}, {"id": 8, "name": "Italy", "code": "ITA"}, {"id": 132, "name": "Jamaica", "code": "JAM"}, {"id": 14, "name": "Japan", "code": "JPN"}, {"id": 283, "name": "Jersey", "code": "JEY"}, {"id": 130, "name": "Jordan", "code": "JOR"}, {"id": 131, "name": "Kazakhstan", "code": "KAZ"}, {"id": 129, "name": "Kenya", "code": "KEN"}, {"id": 204, "name": "Kiribati", "code": "KIR"}, {"id": 379, "name": "Kosovo", "code": "OWID_KOS"}, {"id": 208, "name": "Kuwait", "code": "KWT"}, {"id": 126, "name": "Kyrgyzstan", "code": "KGZ"}, {"id": 125, "name": "Laos", "code": "LAO"}, {"id": 321932, "name": "Latin America and the Caribbean (UN)", "code": "UN_LAC"}, {"id": 122, "name": "Latvia", "code": "LVA"}, {"id": 124, "name": "Lebanon", "code": "LBN"}, {"id": 123, "name": "Lesotho", "code": "LSO"}, {"id": 121, "name": "Liberia", "code": "LBR"}, {"id": 120, "name": "Libya", "code": "LBY"}, {"id": 209, "name": "Liechtenstein", "code": "LIE"}, {"id": 119, "name": "Lithuania", "code": "LTU"}, {"id": 461, "name": "Low-income countries", "code": "OWID_LIC"}, {"id": 460, "name": "Lower-middle-income countries", "code": "OWID_LMC"}, {"id": 210, "name": "Luxembourg", "code": "LUX"}, {"id": 262, "name": "Macao", "code": "MAC"}, {"id": 118, "name": "Madagascar", "code": "MDG"}, {"id": 117, "name": "Malawi", "code": "MWI"}, {"id": 116, "name": "Malaysia", "code": "MYS"}, {"id": 211, "name": "Maldives", "code": "MDV"}, {"id": 115, "name": "Mali", "code": "MLI"}, {"id": 212, "name": "Malta", "code": "MLT"}, {"id": 223, "name": "Marshall Islands", "code": "MHL"}, {"id": 284, "name": "Martinique", "code": "MTQ"}, {"id": 114, "name": "Mauritania", "code": "MRT"}, {"id": 213, "name": "Mauritius", "code": "MUS"}, {"id": 193, "name": "Mayotte", "code": "MYT"}, {"id": 478, "name": "Melanesia", "code": "OWID_MNS"}, {"id": 113, "name": "Mexico", "code": "MEX"}, {"id": 222, "name": "Micronesia (country)", "code": "FSM"}, {"id": 372397, "name": "Middle Africa (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 111, "name": "Moldova", "code": "MDA"}, {"id": 214, "name": "Monaco", "code": "MCO"}, {"id": 112, "name": "Mongolia", "code": "MNG"}, {"id": 215, "name": "Montenegro", "code": "MNE"}, {"id": 216, "name": "Montserrat", "code": "MSR"}, {"id": 110, "name": "Morocco", "code": "MAR"}, {"id": 109, "name": "Mozambique", "code": "MOZ"}, {"id": 142, "name": "Myanmar", "code": "MMR"}, {"id": 108, "name": "Namibia", "code": "NAM"}, {"id": 218, "name": "Nauru", "code": "NRU"}, {"id": 107, "name": "Nepal", "code": "NPL"}, {"id": 5, "name": "Netherlands", "code": "NLD"}, {"id": 220, "name": "New Caledonia", "code": "NCL"}, {"id": 106, "name": "New Zealand", "code": "NZL"}, {"id": 105, "name": "Nicaragua", "code": "NIC"}, {"id": 104, "name": "Niger", "code": "NER"}, {"id": 103, "name": "Nigeria", "code": "NGA"}, {"id": 261, "name": "Niue", "code": "NIU"}, {"id": 128, "name": "North Korea", "code": "PRK"}, {"id": 66, "name": "North Macedonia", "code": "MKD"}, {"id": 372414, "name": "Northern Africa (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 371808, "name": "Northern Africa and Western Asia (UN SDG)", "code": "UNSDG_NAWA"}, {"id": 372412, "name": "Northern America (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 372400, "name": "Northern Europe (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 266, "name": "Northern Mariana Islands", "code": "MNP"}, {"id": 102, "name": "Norway", "code": "NOR"}, {"id": 277, "name": "Oceania", "code": "OWID_OCE"}, {"id": 372423, "name": "Oceania (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 217, "name": "Oman", "code": "OMN"}, {"id": 101, "name": "Pakistan", "code": "PAK"}, {"id": 224, "name": "Palau", "code": "PLW"}, {"id": 140, "name": "Palestine", "code": "PSE"}, {"id": 100, "name": "Panama", "code": "PAN"}, {"id": 99, "name": "Papua New Guinea", "code": "PNG"}, {"id": 98, "name": "Paraguay", "code": "PRY"}, {"id": 97, "name": "Peru", "code": "PER"}, {"id": 96, "name": "Philippines", "code": "PHL"}, {"id": 11, "name": "Poland", "code": "POL"}, {"id": 479, "name": "Polynesia", "code": "OWID_PYA"}, {"id": 95, "name": "Portugal", "code": "PRT"}, {"id": 93, "name": "Puerto Rico", "code": "PRI"}, {"id": 226, "name": "Qatar", "code": "QAT"}, {"id": 245, "name": "Reunion", "code": "REU"}, {"id": 92, "name": "Romania", "code": "ROU"}, {"id": 12, "name": "Russia", "code": "RUS"}, {"id": 91, "name": "Rwanda", "code": "RWA"}, {"id": 297, "name": "Saint Barthelemy", "code": "BLM"}, {"id": 260, "name": "Saint Helena", "code": "SHN"}, {"id": 227, "name": "Saint Kitts and Nevis", "code": "KNA"}, {"id": 229, "name": "Saint Lucia", "code": "LCA"}, {"id": 280, "name": "Saint Martin (French part)", "code": "MAF"}, {"id": 353, "name": "Saint Pierre and Miquelon", "code": "SPM"}, {"id": 230, "name": "Saint Vincent and the Grenadines", "code": "VCT"}, {"id": 239, "name": "Samoa", "code": "WSM"}, {"id": 231, "name": "San Marino", "code": "SMR"}, {"id": 232, "name": "Sao Tome and Principe", "code": "STP"}, {"id": 90, "name": "Saudi Arabia", "code": "SAU"}, {"id": 89, "name": "Senegal", "code": "SEN"}, {"id": 88, "name": "Serbia", "code": "SRB"}, {"id": 233, "name": "Seychelles", "code": "SYC"}, {"id": 87, "name": "Sierra Leone", "code": "SLE"}, {"id": 86, "name": "Singapore", "code": "SGP"}, {"id": 281, "name": "Sint Maarten (Dutch part)", "code": "SXM"}, {"id": 85, "name": "Slovakia", "code": "SVK"}, {"id": 83, "name": "Slovenia", "code": "SVN"}, {"id": 195, "name": "Solomon Islands", "code": "SLB"}, {"id": 82, "name": "Somalia", "code": "SOM"}, {"id": 81, "name": "South Africa", "code": "ZAF"}, {"id": 372403, "name": "South America (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 127, "name": "South Korea", "code": "KOR"}, {"id": 258, "name": "South Sudan", "code": "SSD"}, {"id": 372404, "name": "South-eastern Asia (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 372417, "name": "Southern Africa (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 372410, "name": "Southern Asia (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 372422, "name": "Southern Europe (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 9, "name": "Spain", "code": "ESP"}, {"id": 141, "name": "Sri Lanka", "code": "LKA"}, {"id": 372612, "name": "Sub-Saharan Africa (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 79, "name": "Sudan", "code": "SDN"}, {"id": 234, "name": "Suriname", "code": "SUR"}, {"id": 10, "name": "Sweden", "code": "SWE"}, {"id": 7, "name": "Switzerland", "code": "CHE"}, {"id": 77, "name": "Syria", "code": "SYR"}, {"id": 198, "name": "Taiwan", "code": "TWN"}, {"id": 76, "name": "Tajikistan", "code": "TJK"}, {"id": 64, "name": "Tanzania", "code": "TZA"}, {"id": 75, "name": "Thailand", "code": "THA"}, {"id": 74, "name": "Togo", "code": "TGO"}, {"id": 287, "name": "Tokelau", "code": "TKL"}, {"id": 235, "name": "Tonga", "code": "TON"}, {"id": 73, "name": "Trinidad and Tobago", "code": "TTO"}, {"id": 71, "name": "Tunisia", "code": "TUN"}, {"id": 70, "name": "Turkey", "code": "TUR"}, {"id": 69, "name": "Turkmenistan", "code": "TKM"}, {"id": 236, "name": "Turks and Caicos Islands", "code": "TCA"}, {"id": 237, "name": "Tuvalu", "code": "TUV"}, {"id": 68, "name": "Uganda", "code": "UGA"}, {"id": 67, "name": "Ukraine", "code": "UKR"}, {"id": 72, "name": "United Arab Emirates", "code": "ARE"}, {"id": 1, "name": "United Kingdom", "code": "GBR"}, {"id": 13, "name": "United States", "code": "USA"}, {"id": 256, "name": "United States Virgin Islands", "code": "VIR"}, {"id": 459, "name": "Upper-middle-income countries", "code": "OWID_UMC"}, {"id": 63, "name": "Uruguay", "code": "URY"}, {"id": 62, "name": "Uzbekistan", "code": "UZB"}, {"id": 221, "name": "Vanuatu", "code": "VUT"}, {"id": 257, "name": "Vatican", "code": "VAT"}, {"id": 238, "name": "Venezuela", "code": "VEN"}, {"id": 84, "name": "Vietnam", "code": "VNM"}, {"id": 255, "name": "Wallis and Futuna", "code": "WLF"}, {"id": 372408, "name": "Western Africa (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 372421, "name": "Western Asia (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 372396, "name": "Western Europe (UN M49)", "code": null}, {"id": 248, "name": "Western Sahara", "code": "ESH"}, {"id": 355, "name": "World", "code": "OWID_WRL"}, {"id": 61, "name": "Yemen", "code": "YEM"}, {"id": 60, "name": "Zambia", "code": "ZMB"}, {"id": 80, "name": "Zimbabwe", "code": "ZWE"}]}}, "descriptionShort": "Share of total population living in urban areas, based on each country's national definition (historical estimates).", "type": "float", "grapherConfigIdETL": "019c89e6-1a3c-7545-8b40-e92daef330e7", "datasetName": "World Urbanization Prospects - National Definitions", "updatePeriodDays": 1825, "datasetVersion": "2026-02-17", "nonRedistributable": false, "display": {"name": "Urban", "unit": "%", "shortUnit": "%", "isProjection": false, "numDecimalPlaces": 1}, "schemaVersion": 2, "processingLevel": "major", "presentation": {"titlePublic": "Percentage of population living in urban areas (estimates) by national definition", "topicTagsLinks": ["Urbanization"]}, "descriptionKey": ["**National definitions of urban areas** vary considerably from country to country. Each nation uses its own criteria to define what constitutes an \"urban\" area, which may include:\n\n- Population size thresholds\n- Population density requirements\n- Type of economic activity (e.g., agricultural vs. non-agricultural)\n- Physical characteristics of settlements\n- Level of infrastructure and services\n- Administrative or legal city status\n- Or a combination of these factors", "This variability means that a settlement classified as \"urban\" in one country might be considered \"rural\" in another, making direct cross-country comparisons challenging.", "The UN collects data based on each country's own national definition of urban and rural areas. While this approach respects national statistical practices and reflects how countries themselves understand their urbanization, it creates challenges for international comparability.", "For internationally comparable data on urbanization, consider our charts using [Degree of Urbanization (DEGURBA)](https://human-settlement.emergency.copernicus.eu/degurbaDefinitions.php) classification, which applies consistent criteria across all countries using population density and settlement size thresholds."], "origins": [{"id": 12556, "titleSnapshot": "World Urbanization Prospects 2025 - Percentage Urban and Rural (File 15)", "title": "World Urbanization Prospects 2025 - Percentage Urban and Rural by National Definition", "descriptionSnapshot": "File 15 contains the percentage of population living in urban and rural areas by national definitions. Data are presented in three sheets: Rural, Urban, and Total, with percentage values for each year from 1950 to 2050.", "description": "Percentage of population living in urban and rural areas based on national definitions of urban areas. The dataset provides the share of total population living in urban and rural areas by region, subregion, country and area from 1950 to 2050.\n\nNational definitions of \"urban\" vary considerably from country to country. Criteria such as population size, population density, type of economic activity, physical characteristics, level of infrastructure, or a combination of these may be used to define urban areas.", "producer": "United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division", "citationFull": "United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision, Online Edition. POP/DB/WUP/Rev.2025/F15", "urlMain": "https://population.un.org/wup/", "urlDownload": "https://population.un.org/wup/assets/Download/Countries%20and%20Aggregates/WUP2025-F15-National-Definitions_percPop_by_category.xlsx", "dateAccessed": "2025-02-17", "datePublished": "2025", "license": {"url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/", "name": "CC BY 3.0 IGO"}}]}