United States — Urban population
Urban Population (% of Total) for United States, 1960–2025.
Urban population for United States was 80.19% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 66 years, from 1960 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 80.70% in 2010. The lowest was 69.98% in 1960 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.21% per year.
United States ranks 57 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 26%. The median for North America is 82.88%, so United States sits below it. It peaked in 2010 and has fallen 1% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 0%.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 27th of 217 in 1960 → 33rd of 217 in 1970 → 40th of 217 in 1980 → 45th of 217 in 1990 → 47th of 217 in 2000 → 51st of 217 in 2010 → 57th of 217 in 2020 → 57th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1960 to 2025
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 80.19% | +0.1 pp |
| 2024 | 80.12% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 80.07% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 80.03% | +0.0 pp |
| 2021 | 80.01% | +0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 80% | -0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 80.13% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 80.28% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 80.4% | -0.1 pp |
| 2016 | 80.5% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 80.57% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 80.62% | -0.0 pp |
| 2013 | 80.66% | -0.0 pp |
| 2012 | 80.68% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 80.7% | -0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 80.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 80.69% | +0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 80.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 80.52% | +0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 80.37% | +0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 80.2% | +0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 80% | +0.2 pp |
| 2003 | 79.78% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 79.55% | +0.2 pp |
| 2001 | 79.31% | +0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 79.07% | +0.3 pp |
| 1999 | 78.81% | +0.3 pp |
| 1998 | 78.48% | +0.4 pp |
| 1997 | 78.09% | +0.4 pp |
| 1996 | 77.65% | +0.5 pp |
| 1995 | 77.2% | +0.5 pp |
| 1994 | 76.74% | +0.4 pp |
| 1993 | 76.3% | +0.4 pp |
| 1992 | 75.89% | +0.4 pp |
| 1991 | 75.54% | +0.3 pp |
| 1990 | 75.27% | +0.2 pp |
| 1989 | 75.05% | +0.2 pp |
| 1988 | 74.85% | +0.2 pp |
| 1987 | 74.65% | +0.2 pp |
| 1986 | 74.47% | +0.2 pp |
| 1985 | 74.3% | +0.2 pp |
| 1984 | 74.15% | +0.1 pp |
| 1983 | 74.02% | +0.1 pp |
| 1982 | 73.9% | +0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 73.81% | +0.1 pp |
| 1980 | 73.75% | +0.0 pp |
| 1979 | 73.71% | +0.0 pp |
| 1978 | 73.68% | +0.0 pp |
| 1977 | 73.65% | +0.0 pp |
| 1976 | 73.64% | +0.0 pp |
| 1975 | 73.62% | +0.0 pp |
| 1974 | 73.6% | +0.0 pp |
| 1973 | 73.59% | +0.0 pp |
| 1972 | 73.56% | +0.0 pp |
| 1971 | 73.53% | +0.0 pp |
| 1970 | 73.5% | +0.1 pp |
| 1969 | 73.42% | +0.2 pp |
| 1968 | 73.25% | +0.3 pp |
| 1967 | 72.99% | +0.3 pp |
| 1966 | 72.66% | +0.4 pp |
| 1965 | 72.28% | +0.4 pp |
| 1964 | 71.85% | +0.5 pp |
| 1963 | 71.4% | +0.5 pp |
| 1962 | 70.92% | +0.5 pp |
| 1961 | 70.45% | +0.5 pp |
| 1960 | 69.98% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was United States’s Urban population in 1961?
70.45% (1961). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total population, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is United States’s Urban population growing or shrinking?
Between 1960 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +14.6% in total — about 0.2% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 80.19%; 2024: 80.12%; 2023: 80.07%; 2022: 80.03%; 2021: 80.01%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
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.