Mexico vs South Korea: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 80% in Mexico and 81.2% in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 1.1 percentage points, or 1.01 times that in Mexico.
MexicoSouth Korea
Watch it change on the mapChange since 1950, percentage points · UN
Latest figures
% of people · UN
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 80 2025 | 77.2 | 63 of 229 | 89.5 2050 |
| South Korea | 81.2 2025 | 81.6 | 59 of 229 | 83.3 2050 |
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 1989.
- In 2025, Mexico ranked 63 and South Korea ranked 59 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Mexico at 89.5% and South Korea at 83.3% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 80 | 81.2 |
| 2024 | 79.8 | 81.2 |
| 2023 | 79.5 | 81.2 |
| 2022 | 79.2 | 81.2 |
| 2021 | 78.9 | 81.2 |
| 2020 | 78.7 | 81.2 |
| 2019 | 78.4 | 81.3 |
| 2018 | 78 | 81.4 |
| 2017 | 77.7 | 81.5 |
| 2016 | 77.4 | 81.6 |
| 2015 | 77.2 | 81.6 |
| 2014 | 77 | 81.7 |
| 2013 | 76.8 | 81.8 |
| 2012 | 76.7 | 81.9 |
| 2011 | 76.6 | 82 |
| 2010 | 76.5 | 82 |
| 2009 | 76.5 | 81.9 |
| 2008 | 76.5 | 81.8 |
| 2007 | 76.5 | 81.7 |
| 2006 | 76.5 | 81.6 |
| 2005 | 76.5 | 81.4 |
| 2004 | 76.3 | 81.1 |
| 2003 | 76.1 | 80.7 |
| 2002 | 75.7 | 80.3 |
| 2001 | 75.3 | 79.9 |
| 2000 | 74.9 | 79.6 |
| 1999 | 74.6 | 79.4 |
| 1998 | 74.3 | 79.2 |
| 1997 | 74 | 79 |
| 1996 | 73.6 | 78.8 |
| 1995 | 73.3 | 78.4 |
| 1994 | 73 | 77.9 |
| 1993 | 72.6 | 77.1 |
| 1992 | 72.2 | 76.2 |
| 1991 | 71.9 | 75.2 |
| 1990 | 71.5 | 74 |
| 1989 | 71 | 72.5 |
| 1988 | 70.6 | 70.6 |
| 1987 | 70.1 | 68.6 |
| 1986 | 69.6 | 66.6 |
| 1985 | 69.1 | 64.8 |
| 1984 | 68.6 | 63.2 |
| 1983 | 68.1 | 61.5 |
| 1982 | 67.5 | 60 |
| 1981 | 66.9 | 58.3 |
| 1980 | 66.3 | 56.7 |
| 1979 | 65.7 | 54.9 |
| 1978 | 65 | 53.1 |
| 1977 | 64.4 | 51.3 |
| 1976 | 63.6 | 49.6 |
| 1975 | 62.9 | 48 |
| 1974 | 62.1 | 46.5 |
| 1973 | 61.4 | 45.2 |
| 1972 | 60.6 | 43.8 |
| 1971 | 59.8 | 42.4 |
| 1970 | 59 | 40.7 |
| 1969 | 58.3 | 38.7 |
| 1968 | 57.5 | 36.5 |
| 1967 | 56.6 | 34.6 |
| 1966 | 55.8 | 33.1 |
| 1965 | 55 | 32 |
| 1964 | 54.1 | 31 |
| 1963 | 53.3 | 30.1 |
| 1962 | 52.4 | 29.2 |
| 1961 | 51.6 | 28.5 |
| 1960 | 50.8 | 27.7 |
| 1959 | 49.9 | 27 |
| 1958 | 49.1 | 26.3 |
| 1957 | 48.3 | 25.7 |
| 1956 | 47.5 | 25.1 |
| 1955 | 46.7 | 24.4 |
| 1954 | 45.9 | 23.6 |
| 1953 | 45.1 | 22.9 |
| 1952 | 44.2 | 22.1 |
| 1951 | 43.4 | 21.3 |
| 1950 | 42.6 | 20.6 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Mexico | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 80.3 | 81.2 |
| 2027 | 80.6 | 81.2 |
| 2028 | 80.9 | 81.2 |
| 2029 | 81.3 | 81.2 |
| 2030 | 81.6 | 81.3 |
| 2031 | 81.9 | 81.3 |
| 2032 | 82.2 | 81.3 |
| 2033 | 82.6 | 81.4 |
| 2034 | 82.9 | 81.4 |
| 2035 | 83.3 | 81.4 |
| 2036 | 83.7 | 81.5 |
| 2037 | 84 | 81.6 |
| 2038 | 84.4 | 81.6 |
| 2039 | 84.8 | 81.7 |
| 2040 | 85.2 | 81.8 |
| 2041 | 85.6 | 81.9 |
| 2042 | 86 | 82 |
| 2043 | 86.4 | 82.1 |
| 2044 | 86.8 | 82.3 |
| 2045 | 87.3 | 82.4 |
| 2046 | 87.7 | 82.6 |
| 2047 | 88.1 | 82.7 |
| 2048 | 88.6 | 82.9 |
| 2049 | 89 | 83.1 |
| 2050 | 89.5 | 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