Colombia vs Mexico
Colombia vs Mexico: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 78.8% in Colombia and 80% in Mexico, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Mexico, by 1.3 percentage points, or 1.02 times that in Colombia.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- Mexico has been higher since 2015, when it overtook Colombia.
- In 2025, Colombia ranked 72 and Mexico ranked 63 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Colombia at 90% and Mexico at 89.5% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Colombia | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78.8 | 80 |
| 2024 | 78.5 | 79.8 |
| 2023 | 78.3 | 79.5 |
| 2022 | 78.1 | 79.2 |
| 2021 | 77.8 | 78.9 |
| 2020 | 77.6 | 78.7 |
| 2019 | 77.5 | 78.4 |
| 2018 | 77.3 | 78 |
| 2017 | 77.2 | 77.7 |
| 2016 | 77.2 | 77.4 |
| 2015 | 77.2 | 77.2 |
| 2014 | 77.1 | 77 |
| 2013 | 77 | 76.8 |
| 2012 | 76.9 | 76.7 |
| 2011 | 76.8 | 76.6 |
| 2010 | 76.7 | 76.5 |
| 2009 | 76.6 | 76.5 |
| 2008 | 76.5 | 76.5 |
| 2007 | 76.3 | 76.5 |
| 2006 | 76.2 | 76.5 |
| 2005 | 76 | 76.5 |
| 2004 | 75.8 | 76.3 |
| 2003 | 75.5 | 76.1 |
| 2002 | 75.2 | 75.7 |
| 2001 | 74.8 | 75.3 |
| 2000 | 74.4 | 74.9 |
| 1999 | 73.9 | 74.6 |
| 1998 | 73.4 | 74.3 |
| 1997 | 72.9 | 74 |
| 1996 | 72.3 | 73.6 |
| 1995 | 71.8 | 73.3 |
| 1994 | 71.3 | 73 |
| 1993 | 70.9 | 72.6 |
| 1992 | 70.4 | 72.2 |
| 1991 | 70 | 71.9 |
| 1990 | 69.5 | 71.5 |
| 1989 | 69 | 71 |
| 1988 | 68.5 | 70.6 |
| 1987 | 68.1 | 70.1 |
| 1986 | 67.6 | 69.6 |
| 1985 | 67.1 | 69.1 |
| 1984 | 66.6 | 68.6 |
| 1983 | 66.1 | 68.1 |
| 1982 | 65.7 | 67.5 |
| 1981 | 65.2 | 66.9 |
| 1980 | 64.7 | 66.3 |
| 1979 | 64.3 | 65.7 |
| 1978 | 63.8 | 65 |
| 1977 | 63.2 | 64.4 |
| 1976 | 62.7 | 63.6 |
| 1975 | 62.1 | 62.9 |
| 1974 | 61.5 | 62.1 |
| 1973 | 60.8 | 61.4 |
| 1972 | 60 | 60.6 |
| 1971 | 59.1 | 59.8 |
| 1970 | 58.2 | 59 |
| 1969 | 57.2 | 58.3 |
| 1968 | 56.1 | 57.5 |
| 1967 | 55 | 56.6 |
| 1966 | 54 | 55.8 |
| 1965 | 53 | 55 |
| 1964 | 52 | 54.1 |
| 1963 | 51 | 53.3 |
| 1962 | 50.1 | 52.4 |
| 1961 | 49.1 | 51.6 |
| 1960 | 48.1 | 50.8 |
| 1959 | 47.2 | 49.9 |
| 1958 | 46.2 | 49.1 |
| 1957 | 45.3 | 48.3 |
| 1956 | 44.4 | 47.5 |
| 1955 | 43.4 | 46.7 |
| 1954 | 42.5 | 45.9 |
| 1953 | 41.5 | 45.1 |
| 1952 | 40.6 | 44.2 |
| 1951 | 39.6 | 43.4 |
| 1950 | 38.7 | 42.6 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Colombia | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 79.1 | 80.3 |
| 2027 | 79.4 | 80.6 |
| 2028 | 79.7 | 80.9 |
| 2029 | 80 | 81.3 |
| 2030 | 80.3 | 81.6 |
| 2031 | 80.7 | 81.9 |
| 2032 | 81.1 | 82.2 |
| 2033 | 81.4 | 82.6 |
| 2034 | 81.8 | 82.9 |
| 2035 | 82.3 | 83.3 |
| 2036 | 82.7 | 83.7 |
| 2037 | 83.1 | 84 |
| 2038 | 83.6 | 84.4 |
| 2039 | 84 | 84.8 |
| 2040 | 84.5 | 85.2 |
| 2041 | 85 | 85.6 |
| 2042 | 85.5 | 86 |
| 2043 | 86 | 86.4 |
| 2044 | 86.6 | 86.8 |
| 2045 | 87.1 | 87.3 |
| 2046 | 87.7 | 87.7 |
| 2047 | 88.2 | 88.1 |
| 2048 | 88.8 | 88.6 |
| 2049 | 89.4 | 89 |
| 2050 | 90 | 89.5 |
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
Colombia vs Mexico
Health
- Life expectancyColombia: 77.7 years in 2023Mexico: 75.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityColombia: 1.2 per 100 live births in 2024Mexico: 1.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityColombia: 9.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Mexico: 10.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterColombia: 73.9% in 2022Mexico: 43% in 2022
- DepressionColombia: 2.2% in 2017Mexico: 2.79% in 2017
- Suicide rateColombia: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Mexico: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationColombia: 52.3 million people in 2023Mexico: 130 million people in 2023
- Population growthColombia: 1.1% a year in 2023Mexico: 0.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateColombia: 1.65 births per woman in 2023Mexico: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageColombia: 31.6 years in 2023Mexico: 28.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overColombia: 9.4% in 2023Mexico: 8% in 2023
- Net migration rateColombia: 3 per 1,000 people in 2023Mexico: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingColombia: 3.2% of GDP in 2025Mexico: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsColombia: $13.7B in 2025Mexico: $13.8B in 2025
- Military spending per personColombia: $273 in 2025Mexico: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingColombia: 9.3% of government spending in 2025Mexico: 2.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelColombia: 428,000 people in 2020Mexico: 341,000 people in 2020
- National powerColombia: 0.57% of world capability in 2022Mexico: 1.14% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersColombia: 1.7% of the labour force in 2020Mexico: 0.64% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsColombia: 22 million TIV in 2025Mexico: 9 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsColombia: 4 million TIV in 2020Mexico: 1 million TIV in 2019