China vs South Korea: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 66.3% in China and 81.2% in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 14.8 percentage points, or 1.22 times that in China.
ChinaSouth Korea
Watch it change on the map% of people · UN · log scale
Latest figures
% of people · UN
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 66.3 2025 | 57.3 | 108 of 229 | 89.7 2050 |
| South Korea | 81.2 2025 | 81.6 | 59 of 229 | 83.3 2050 |
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, China ranked 108 and South Korea ranked 59 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts China at 89.7% and South Korea at 83.3% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 66.3 | 81.2 |
| 2024 | 65.9 | 81.2 |
| 2023 | 65.5 | 81.2 |
| 2022 | 65.2 | 81.2 |
| 2021 | 64.7 | 81.2 |
| 2020 | 63.5 | 81.2 |
| 2019 | 62.7 | 81.3 |
| 2018 | 61.5 | 81.4 |
| 2017 | 60.2 | 81.5 |
| 2016 | 58.8 | 81.6 |
| 2015 | 57.3 | 81.6 |
| 2014 | 55.8 | 81.7 |
| 2013 | 54.5 | 81.8 |
| 2012 | 53.1 | 81.9 |
| 2011 | 51.8 | 82 |
| 2010 | 49.2 | 82 |
| 2009 | 48.3 | 81.9 |
| 2008 | 47 | 81.8 |
| 2007 | 45.9 | 81.7 |
| 2006 | 44.3 | 81.6 |
| 2005 | 43 | 81.4 |
| 2004 | 41.8 | 81.1 |
| 2003 | 40.5 | 80.7 |
| 2002 | 39.1 | 80.3 |
| 2001 | 37.7 | 79.9 |
| 2000 | 36.4 | 79.6 |
| 1999 | 34.8 | 79.4 |
| 1998 | 33.4 | 79.2 |
| 1997 | 31.9 | 79 |
| 1996 | 30.5 | 78.8 |
| 1995 | 29 | 78.4 |
| 1994 | 28.5 | 77.9 |
| 1993 | 28 | 77.1 |
| 1992 | 27.5 | 76.2 |
| 1991 | 26.9 | 75.2 |
| 1990 | 26.2 | 74 |
| 1989 | 26.2 | 72.5 |
| 1988 | 25.8 | 70.6 |
| 1987 | 25.3 | 68.6 |
| 1986 | 24.5 | 66.6 |
| 1985 | 23.7 | 64.8 |
| 1984 | 23 | 63.2 |
| 1983 | 21.6 | 61.5 |
| 1982 | 20.6 | 60 |
| 1981 | 20.2 | 58.3 |
| 1980 | 19.4 | 56.7 |
| 1979 | 19 | 54.9 |
| 1978 | 17.9 | 53.1 |
| 1977 | 17.6 | 51.3 |
| 1976 | 17.4 | 49.6 |
| 1975 | 17.3 | 48 |
| 1974 | 17.2 | 46.5 |
| 1973 | 17.2 | 45.2 |
| 1972 | 17.1 | 43.8 |
| 1971 | 17.3 | 42.4 |
| 1970 | 17.4 | 40.7 |
| 1969 | 17.5 | 38.7 |
| 1968 | 17.6 | 36.5 |
| 1967 | 17.7 | 34.6 |
| 1966 | 17.9 | 33.1 |
| 1965 | 18 | 32 |
| 1964 | 18.3 | 31 |
| 1963 | 16.8 | 30.1 |
| 1962 | 17.3 | 29.2 |
| 1961 | 19.3 | 28.5 |
| 1960 | 19.8 | 27.7 |
| 1959 | 18.4 | 27 |
| 1958 | 16.3 | 26.3 |
| 1957 | 15.4 | 25.7 |
| 1956 | 14.6 | 25.1 |
| 1955 | 13.5 | 24.4 |
| 1954 | 13.7 | 23.6 |
| 1953 | 13 | 22.9 |
| 1952 | 12.5 | 22.1 |
| 1951 | 11.8 | 21.3 |
| 1950 | 11.2 | 20.6 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 66.8 | 81.2 |
| 2027 | 67.3 | 81.2 |
| 2028 | 67.9 | 81.2 |
| 2029 | 68.5 | 81.2 |
| 2030 | 69.1 | 81.3 |
| 2031 | 69.7 | 81.3 |
| 2032 | 70.4 | 81.3 |
| 2033 | 71.1 | 81.4 |
| 2034 | 71.9 | 81.4 |
| 2035 | 72.7 | 81.4 |
| 2036 | 73.6 | 81.5 |
| 2037 | 74.4 | 81.6 |
| 2038 | 75.4 | 81.6 |
| 2039 | 76.3 | 81.7 |
| 2040 | 77.3 | 81.8 |
| 2041 | 78.4 | 81.9 |
| 2042 | 79.5 | 82 |
| 2043 | 80.6 | 82.1 |
| 2044 | 81.8 | 82.3 |
| 2045 | 83 | 82.4 |
| 2046 | 84.2 | 82.6 |
| 2047 | 85.5 | 82.7 |
| 2048 | 86.9 | 82.9 |
| 2049 | 88.3 | 83.1 |
| 2050 | 89.7 | 83.3 |
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