Russia vs South Korea: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 75.3% in Russia and 81.2% in South Korea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 5.9 percentage points, or 1.08 times that in Russia.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

RussiaSouth KoreaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 1990, when it overtook Russia.
In 2025, Russia ranked 80 and South Korea ranked 59 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Russia at 81% and South Korea at 83.3% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Russia	South Korea
2025	75.3	81.2
2024	75.1	81.2
2023	75	81.2
2022	74.9	81.2
2021	74.8	81.2
2020	74.7	81.2
2019	74.6	81.3
2018	74.5	81.4
2017	74.5	81.5
2016	74.4	81.6
2015	74.3	81.6
2014	74.2	81.7
2013	74.1	81.8
2012	74	81.9
2011	73.9	82
2010	73.7	82
2009	73.5	81.9
2008	73.5	81.8
2007	73.4	81.7
2006	73.2	81.6
2005	73.2	81.4
2004	73.3	81.1
2003	73.4	80.7
2002	73.3	80.3
2001	73.2	79.9
2000	73.2	79.6
1999	73	79.4
1998	73.2	79.2
1997	73.1	79
1996	73.1	78.8
1995	72.9	78.4
1994	73	77.9
1993	73.1	77.1
1992	73.4	76.2
1991	73.7	75.2
1990	73.7	74
1989	73.6	72.5
1988	73.2	70.6
1987	72.9	68.6
1986	72.5	66.6
1985	72	64.8
1984	71.6	63.2
1983	71.3	61.5
1982	70.9	60
1981	70.3	58.3
1980	69.9	56.7
1979	69.3	54.9
1978	68.8	53.1
1977	68.2	51.3
1976	67.7	49.6
1975	66.9	48
1974	66.1	46.5
1973	65.1	45.2
1972	64.2	43.8
1971	63.2	42.4
1970	62.6	40.7
1969	61.8	38.7
1968	60.9	36.5
1967	60.1	34.6
1966	59.2	33.1
1965	58.3	32
1964	57.6	31
1963	56.8	30.1
1962	55.9	29.2
1961	55.1	28.5
1960	54.1	27.7
1959	53	27
1958	51.8	26.3
1957	50.8	25.7
1956	49.9	25.1
1955	48.9	24.4
1954	48.1	23.6
1953	47.2	22.9
1952	46.4	22.1
1951	45.6	21.3
1950	44.7	20.6

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

Year	Russia	South Korea
2026	75.4	81.2
2027	75.6	81.2
2028	75.7	81.2
2029	75.9	81.2
2030	76.1	81.3
2031	76.2	81.3
2032	76.4	81.3
2033	76.6	81.4
2034	76.8	81.4
2035	77	81.4
2036	77.3	81.5
2037	77.5	81.6
2038	77.7	81.6
2039	78	81.7
2040	78.2	81.8
2041	78.5	81.9
2042	78.7	82
2043	79	82.1
2044	79.3	82.3
2045	79.5	82.4
2046	79.8	82.6
2047	80.1	82.7
2048	80.4	82.9
2049	80.7	83.1
2050	81	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

Russia vs South Korea: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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