Home / Urban population / United Kingdom
United Kingdom — Urban population
Urban Population (% of Total) for United Kingdom, 1960–2025.
Latest value · 2025
83.32%
Urban Population (% of Total) · % of total population · +6.1% since 1960
Urban population for United Kingdom was 83.32% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The latest year is also the highest value on record for this series. The lowest was 76.90% in 1971 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.09% per year.
United Kingdom ranks 50 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 23%. The median for Europe & Central Asia is 69.60%, so United Kingdom sits above it. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 2%.
Key figures
Latest (2025)
83.32%
First (1960)
78.55%
Change
+6.1%
Highest
83.32%
in 2025
Lowest
76.90%
in 1971
Average
79.45%
Annual growth (CAGR)
0.09%
Years of data
66
Recent years
| Year | % of total population |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 83.32% |
| 2024 | 83.24% |
| 2023 | 83.16% |
| 2022 | 83.08% |
| 2021 | 82.99% |
| 2020 | 82.9% |
| 2019 | 82.67% |
| 2018 | 82.45% |
| 2017 | 82.23% |
| 2016 | 82.02% |
| 2015 | 81.82% |
| 2014 | 81.64% |
Reading this correctly. Share of the population living in urban areas, as defined by national statistical offices. Not directly comparable across countries because definitions of 'urban' differ. Figures are in % of total population. Comparing this series with a different measure of the same concept (for example a nominal figure against a purchasing-power-parity figure) will give misleading results.
Related data
Source. World Bank Open Data, indicator
SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS — Urban Population (% of Total). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.