Lebanon vs Syria: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 91% in Lebanon and 72.1% in Syria, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Lebanon, by 18.9 percentage points, or 1.26 times that in Syria.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

LebanonSyriaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

Lebanon has been higher since 1959, when it overtook Syria.
In 2025, Lebanon ranked 33 and Syria ranked 88 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Lebanon at 93.5% and Syria at 80.9% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Lebanon	Syria
2025	91	72.1
2024	90.7	72.1
2023	90.5	72.2
2022	90.2	72.6
2021	90	73
2020	89.7	73.4
2019	89.5	73.8
2018	89.3	74.1
2017	89.1	74.5
2016	88.8	75.2
2015	88.6	75.8
2014	88.4	76
2013	88.2	73.1
2012	88	65.1
2011	87.8	58.5
2010	87.6	55.7
2009	87.5	55
2008	87.3	54.6
2007	87.1	54.3
2006	86.9	54.1
2005	86.8	53.8
2004	86.6	53.5
2003	86.5	53.1
2002	86.3	52.7
2001	86.2	52.3
2000	86	51.9
1999	85.9	51.5
1998	85.8	51.1
1997	85.6	50.7
1996	85.4	50.4
1995	85.1	50.1
1994	84.9	49.8
1993	84.5	49.5
1992	84.2	49.3
1991	83.8	49.1
1990	83.4	48.8
1989	82.9	48.7
1988	82.4	48.5
1987	81.8	48.3
1986	81.1	48.1
1985	80.3	47.9
1984	79.3	47.7
1983	78.2	47.5
1982	77.1	47.3
1981	75.8	47
1980	74.5	46.7
1979	73.1	46.4
1978	71.7	46.1
1977	70.2	45.8
1976	68.7	45.5
1975	67.1	45.2
1974	65.6	44.8
1973	64.1	44.5
1972	62.5	44.1
1971	61	43.8
1970	59.5	43.4
1969	57.9	43.1
1968	56.2	42.7
1967	54.4	42.4
1966	52.5	42
1965	50.6	41.7
1964	48.7	41.4
1963	46.8	41.1
1962	45	40.7
1961	43.3	40.4
1960	41.7	40
1959	40.2	39.6
1958	39	39.2
1957	37.9	38.8
1956	36.8	38.4
1955	35.9	38
1954	34.9	37.5
1953	34.1	37
1952	33.3	36.5
1951	32.6	35.9
1950	32	35.3

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

Year	Lebanon	Syria
2026	91.1	72.1
2027	91.3	72.1
2028	91.5	72.2
2029	91.6	72.2
2030	91.8	72.3
2031	91.9	72.4
2032	92.1	72.5
2033	92.2	72.7
2034	92.3	72.9
2035	92.5	73.1
2036	92.6	73.3
2037	92.7	73.5
2038	92.8	73.8
2039	92.9	74.2
2040	93	74.6
2041	93.1	75
2042	93.2	75.4
2043	93.3	75.9
2044	93.3	76.5
2045	93.4	77.1
2046	93.4	77.7
2047	93.5	78.4
2048	93.5	79.2
2049	93.5	80
2050	93.5	80.9

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

Lebanon vs Syria: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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