China vs United Kingdom

China vs United Kingdom: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 66.3% in China and 83.3% in United Kingdom, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 17 percentage points, or 1.26 times that in China.

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% of people · UN

China vs United Kingdom: Urban populationUrban population in 2025: 66.3% in China and 83.3% in United Kingdom, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 17 percentage points, or 1.26 times that in China.
ChinaUnited KingdomUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

  • United Kingdom has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
  • In 2025, China ranked 108 and United Kingdom ranked 54 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts China at 89.7% and United Kingdom at 84.4% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

YearChinaUnited Kingdom
202566.383.3
202465.983.2
202365.583.2
202265.283.1
202164.783
202063.582.9
201962.782.7
201861.582.5
201760.282.2
201658.882
201557.381.8
201455.881.6
201354.581.5
201253.181.3
201151.881.1
201049.281
200948.380.9
20084780.8
200745.980.7
200644.380.6
20054380.5
200441.880.3
200340.580.2
200239.180.1
200137.780
200036.479.8
199934.879.6
199833.479.4
199731.979.1
199630.578.9
19952978.7
199428.578.5
19932878.3
199227.578.2
199126.978.1
199026.278.1
198926.278.1
198825.878.2
198725.378.3
198624.578.3
198523.778.4
19842378.5
198321.678.5
198220.678.6
198120.278.6
198019.478.6
19791978.5
197817.978.3
197717.678.1
197617.477.8
197517.377.6
197417.277.3
197317.277.1
197217.177
197117.376.9
197017.476.9
196917.577
196817.677.1
196717.777.2
196617.977.4
19651877.6
196418.377.8
196316.878
196217.378.2
196119.378.4
196019.878.6
195918.478.8
195816.379
195715.479.3
195614.679.5
195513.579.8
195413.780
19531380.1
195212.580.2
195111.880.3
195011.280.3
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
YearChinaUnited Kingdom
202666.883.4
202767.383.5
202867.983.6
202968.583.6
203069.183.7
203169.783.8
203270.483.8
203371.183.9
203471.983.9
203572.784
203673.684.1
203774.484.1
203875.484.2
203976.384.2
204077.384.2
204178.484.3
204279.584.3
204380.684.3
204481.884.4
20458384.4
204684.284.4
204785.584.4
204886.984.4
204988.384.4
205089.784.4

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

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