Bhutan vs China: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 43.4% in Bhutan and 66.3% in China, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by 22.9 percentage points, or 1.53 times that in Bhutan.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

BhutanChinaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2025, Bhutan ranked 173 and China ranked 108 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Bhutan at 51% and China at 89.7% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Bhutan	China
2025	43.4	66.3
2024	42.6	65.9
2023	41.7	65.5
2022	40.9	65.2
2021	40.3	64.7
2020	39.7	63.5
2019	39.1	62.7
2018	38.5	61.5
2017	37.9	60.2
2016	37.3	58.8
2015	36.7	57.3
2014	36.1	55.8
2013	35.6	54.5
2012	35	53.1
2011	34.5	51.8
2010	33.9	49.2
2009	33.3	48.3
2008	32.8	47
2007	32.2	45.9
2006	31.6	44.3
2005	30.9	43
2004	30.3	41.8
2003	29.6	40.5
2002	29	39.1
2001	28.3	37.7
2000	27.6	36.4
1999	26.9	34.8
1998	26.2	33.4
1997	25.5	31.9
1996	24.7	30.5
1995	24	29
1994	23.3	28.5
1993	22.5	28
1992	21.7	27.5
1991	21	26.9
1990	20.2	26.2
1989	19.4	26.2
1988	18.6	25.8
1987	17.9	25.3
1986	17.1	24.5
1985	16.3	23.7
1984	15.5	23
1983	14.7	21.6
1982	13.9	20.6
1981	13.1	20.2
1980	12.2	19.4
1979	11.2	19
1978	10.1	17.9
1977	9	17.6
1976	7.9	17.4
1975	6.8	17.3
1974	5.8	17.2
1973	4.9	17.2
1972	4.1	17.1
1971	3.5	17.3
1970	3.2	17.4
1969	3	17.5
1968	2.9	17.6
1967	2.8	17.7
1966	2.8	17.9
1965	2.7	18
1964	2.7	18.3
1963	2.6	16.8
1962	2.6	17.3
1961	2.5	19.3
1960	2.5	19.8
1959	2.4	18.4
1958	2.4	16.3
1957	2.3	15.4
1956	2.3	14.6
1955	2.3	13.5
1954	2.2	13.7
1953	2.2	13
1952	2.1	12.5
1951	2.1	11.8
1950	2.1	11.2

UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050

Year	Bhutan	China
2026	44.3	66.8
2027	45.3	67.3
2028	46.2	67.9
2029	46.6	68.5
2030	47	69.1
2031	47.4	69.7
2032	47.8	70.4
2033	48.1	71.1
2034	48.5	71.9
2035	48.8	72.7
2036	49.1	73.6
2037	49.3	74.4
2038	49.6	75.4
2039	49.8	76.3
2040	50	77.3
2041	50.2	78.4
2042	50.4	79.5
2043	50.5	80.6
2044	50.7	81.8
2045	50.8	83
2046	50.9	84.2
2047	50.9	85.5
2048	51	86.9
2049	51	88.3
2050	51	89.7

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Bhutan vs China: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Bhutan vs China

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment