Environment · IBRD only
Yearly data from 1961 to 2025, from the World Bank.
IBRD only's urban population growth (annual %) was 1.09% in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 1.3 percentage points from 2.39% in 2015.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 1.09% | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 1.45% | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 2.39% | 2015 |
| Highest | 5.14% | 1964 |
| Lowest | 0.41% | 1962 |
| Average since 2016 | 1.52% | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 1.91% | 1961 |
Over five years it is down 0.36 percentage points from 1.45% in 2020. Since 1961 it is down 0.82 percentage points from 1.91% in 1961.
In 2025, IBRD only's urban population growth (annual %) rose 0.03 percentage points on 2024 (from 1.06% to 1.09%).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.05 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.32 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.43 percentage points in 1964 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.27 percentage points in 1965. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.15 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 90% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
See how every economy compares in the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| IBRD only | 1.09% | 2025 |
| World | 1.36% | 2025 |
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.
Limitations: Most countries use an urban classification related to the size or characteristics of settlements. Some define urban areas based on the presence of certain infrastructure and services. And other countries designate urban areas based on administrative arrangements. Because of national differences in the characteristics that distinguish urban from rural areas, the distinction between urban and rural population is not amenable to a single definition that would be applicable to all countries. Estimates of the world's urban population would change significantly if China, India, and a few other populous nations were to change their definition of urban centers.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
| Year | Urban population growth (annual %) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.09 |
| 2024 | 1.06 |
| 2023 | 0.962 |
| 2022 | 1.05 |
| 2021 | 1.52 |
| 2020 | 1.45 |
| 2019 | 1.8 |
| 2018 | 2.01 |
| 2017 | 2.06 |
| 2016 | 2.18 |
| 2015 | 2.39 |
| 2014 | 2.35 |
| 2013 | 2.46 |
| 2012 | 2.33 |
| 2011 | 3.09 |
| 2010 | 2.11 |
| 2009 | 2.41 |
| 2008 | 2.24 |
| 2007 | 2.51 |
| 2006 | 2.46 |
| 2005 | 2.42 |
| 2004 | 2.46 |
| 2003 | 2.64 |
| 2002 | 2.67 |
| 2001 | 2.61 |
| 2000 | 3.02 |
| 1999 | 2.93 |
| 1998 | 3.04 |
| 1997 | 3.08 |
| 1996 | 3.11 |
| 1995 | 2.41 |
| 1994 | 2.43 |
| 1993 | 2.47 |
| 1992 | 2.54 |
| 1991 | 2.84 |
| 1990 | 2.29 |
| 1989 | 2.77 |
| 1988 | 2.95 |
| 1987 | 3.29 |
| 1986 | 3.33 |
| 1985 | 3.25 |
| 1984 | 3.98 |
| 1983 | 3.74 |
| 1982 | 3.18 |
| 1981 | 3.56 |
| 1980 | 3.27 |
| 1979 | 4.02 |
| 1978 | 3.36 |
| 1977 | 3.14 |
| 1976 | 3.23 |
| 1975 | 3.42 |
| 1974 | 3.22 |
| 1973 | 3.35 |
| 1972 | 3.1 |
| 1971 | 3.05 |
| 1970 | 3.09 |
| 1969 | 3.15 |
| 1968 | 3.14 |
| 1967 | 3.14 |
| 1966 | 3.13 |
| 1965 | 2.87 |
| 1964 | 5.14 |
| 1963 | 2.71 |
| 1962 | 0.4141 |
| 1961 | 1.91 |
Every indicator for IBRD only is on the IBRD only data page.
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SP.URB.GROW, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), uri: https://population.un.org/wup/, note: World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects, National definitions, publisher: UN Population Division; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: Wo… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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