Somalia vs Zambia: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 55.1% in Somalia and 45.9% in Zambia, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Somalia, by 9.2 percentage points, or 1.2 times that in Zambia.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

SomaliaZambiaUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

Somalia has been higher since 2013, when it overtook Zambia.
In 2025, Somalia ranked 151 and Zambia ranked 166 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Somalia at 61.3% and Zambia at 59.1% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Somalia	Zambia
2025	55.1	45.9
2024	54.6	45.5
2023	54.1	45
2022	53.5	44.6
2021	52.9	44.2
2020	52.3	43.9
2019	51.6	43.5
2018	51	43.1
2017	48.4	42.7
2016	45.9	42.3
2015	43.9	42
2014	42.4	41.6
2013	41.3	41.2
2012	40.3	40.8
2011	39.4	40.4
2010	38.6	40
2009	37.8	39.5
2008	37.2	39
2007	36.6	38.4
2006	36	37.8
2005	35.5	37.3
2004	35	36.8
2003	34.5	36.4
2002	34	36.1
2001	33.5	35.9
2000	33.1	35.9
1999	32.6	36.2
1998	32.2	36.7
1997	31.8	37.4
1996	31.4	38
1995	31.1	38.4
1994	30.7	38.7
1993	30.4	38.9
1992	30	39.1
1991	29.7	39.3
1990	29.4	39.4
1989	29.1	39.5
1988	28.8	39.5
1987	28.5	39.6
1986	28.2	39.7
1985	28	39.7
1984	27.7	39.8
1983	27.5	39.8
1982	27.3	39.9
1981	27.1	39.9
1980	26.9	39.9
1979	26.6	39.7
1978	26.4	39.3
1977	26.1	38.6
1976	25.8	37.8
1975	25.5	36.8
1974	25.2	35.7
1973	24.8	34.4
1972	24.3	33.2
1971	23.8	31.9
1970	23.2	30.7
1969	22.7	29.4
1968	22.1	28
1967	21.5	26.4
1966	20.9	24.6
1965	20.3	22.9
1964	19.7	21.3
1963	19.2	20.1
1962	18.7	19.1
1961	18.2	18.2
1960	17.7	17.2
1959	17.2	16.3
1958	16.7	15.5
1957	16.2	14.7
1956	15.7	14
1955	15.2	13.3
1954	14.7	12.7
1953	14.2	12.3
1952	13.7	11.9
1951	13.3	11.6
1950	12.9	11.5

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

Year	Somalia	Zambia
2026	55.6	46.4
2027	56.1	46.8
2028	56.6	47.3
2029	57	47.8
2030	57.4	48.2
2031	57.8	48.7
2032	58.2	49.2
2033	58.5	49.7
2034	58.8	50.2
2035	59.1	50.7
2036	59.4	51.2
2037	59.6	51.7
2038	59.9	52.3
2039	60.1	52.8
2040	60.3	53.3
2041	60.5	53.9
2042	60.6	54.4
2043	60.8	55
2044	60.9	55.5
2045	61	56.1
2046	61.1	56.7
2047	61.2	57.3
2048	61.2	57.9
2049	61.2	58.5
2050	61.3	59.1

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

Somalia vs Zambia: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Somalia vs Zambia

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment