Italy vs South Korea: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 69.7% in Italy and 81.2% in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 11.5 percentage points, or 1.16 times that in Italy.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

ItalySouth KoreaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 1987, when it overtook Italy.
In 2025, Italy ranked 99 and South Korea ranked 59 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Italy at 71.1% and South Korea at 83.3% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Italy	South Korea
2025	69.7	81.2
2024	69.6	81.2
2023	69.5	81.2
2022	69.5	81.2
2021	69.5	81.2
2020	69.5	81.2
2019	69.5	81.3
2018	69.5	81.4
2017	69.5	81.5
2016	69.6	81.6
2015	69.6	81.6
2014	69.6	81.7
2013	69.3	81.8
2012	68.8	81.9
2011	68.4	82
2010	68.2	82
2009	68.1	81.9
2008	67.9	81.8
2007	67.8	81.7
2006	67.7	81.6
2005	67.6	81.4
2004	67.5	81.1
2003	67.4	80.7
2002	67.4	80.3
2001	67.3	79.9
2000	67.2	79.6
1999	67.1	79.4
1998	67	79.2
1997	67	79
1996	66.9	78.8
1995	66.8	78.4
1994	66.8	77.9
1993	66.7	77.1
1992	66.7	76.2
1991	66.7	75.2
1990	66.7	74
1989	66.7	72.5
1988	66.8	70.6
1987	66.8	68.6
1986	66.8	66.6
1985	66.8	64.8
1984	66.9	63.2
1983	66.9	61.5
1982	66.9	60
1981	66.9	58.3
1980	66.9	56.7
1979	66.7	54.9
1978	66.6	53.1
1977	66.4	51.3
1976	66.2	49.6
1975	65.9	48
1974	65.7	46.5
1973	65.4	45.2
1972	65.1	43.8
1971	64.8	42.4
1970	64.5	40.7
1969	64	38.7
1968	63.6	36.5
1967	63.1	34.6
1966	62.5	33.1
1965	62	32
1964	61.4	31
1963	60.9	30.1
1962	60.3	29.2
1961	59.8	28.5
1960	59.3	27.7
1959	58.7	27
1958	58.2	26.3
1957	57.6	25.7
1956	57.1	25.1
1955	56.5	24.4
1954	56	23.6
1953	55.6	22.9
1952	55.2	22.1
1951	54.9	21.3
1950	54.6	20.6

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

Year	Italy	South Korea
2026	69.8	81.2
2027	69.9	81.2
2028	70	81.2
2029	70.1	81.2
2030	70.2	81.3
2031	70.4	81.3
2032	70.5	81.3
2033	70.6	81.4
2034	70.7	81.4
2035	70.7	81.4
2036	70.8	81.5
2037	70.8	81.6
2038	70.9	81.6
2039	70.9	81.7
2040	70.9	81.8
2041	71	81.9
2042	71	82
2043	71	82.1
2044	71	82.3
2045	71.1	82.4
2046	71.1	82.6
2047	71.1	82.7
2048	71.1	82.9
2049	71.1	83.1
2050	71.1	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

Italy vs South Korea: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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