United Kingdom vs United States
United Kingdom vs United States: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 83.3% in United Kingdom and 80.2% in United States, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 3.1 percentage points, or 1.04 times that in United States.
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, United Kingdom ranked 54 and United States ranked 62 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts United Kingdom at 84.4% and United States at 86.5% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 83.3 | 80.2 |
| 2024 | 83.2 | 80.1 |
| 2023 | 83.2 | 80.1 |
| 2022 | 83.1 | 80 |
| 2021 | 83 | 80 |
| 2020 | 82.9 | 80 |
| 2019 | 82.7 | 80.1 |
| 2018 | 82.5 | 80.3 |
| 2017 | 82.2 | 80.4 |
| 2016 | 82 | 80.5 |
| 2015 | 81.8 | 80.6 |
| 2014 | 81.6 | 80.6 |
| 2013 | 81.5 | 80.7 |
| 2012 | 81.3 | 80.7 |
| 2011 | 81.1 | 80.7 |
| 2010 | 81 | 80.7 |
| 2009 | 80.9 | 80.7 |
| 2008 | 80.8 | 80.6 |
| 2007 | 80.7 | 80.5 |
| 2006 | 80.6 | 80.4 |
| 2005 | 80.5 | 80.2 |
| 2004 | 80.3 | 80 |
| 2003 | 80.2 | 79.8 |
| 2002 | 80.1 | 79.6 |
| 2001 | 80 | 79.3 |
| 2000 | 79.8 | 79.1 |
| 1999 | 79.6 | 78.8 |
| 1998 | 79.4 | 78.5 |
| 1997 | 79.1 | 78.1 |
| 1996 | 78.9 | 77.7 |
| 1995 | 78.7 | 77.2 |
| 1994 | 78.5 | 76.7 |
| 1993 | 78.3 | 76.3 |
| 1992 | 78.2 | 75.9 |
| 1991 | 78.1 | 75.5 |
| 1990 | 78.1 | 75.3 |
| 1989 | 78.1 | 75.1 |
| 1988 | 78.2 | 74.9 |
| 1987 | 78.3 | 74.7 |
| 1986 | 78.3 | 74.5 |
| 1985 | 78.4 | 74.3 |
| 1984 | 78.5 | 74.2 |
| 1983 | 78.5 | 74 |
| 1982 | 78.6 | 73.9 |
| 1981 | 78.6 | 73.8 |
| 1980 | 78.6 | 73.8 |
| 1979 | 78.5 | 73.7 |
| 1978 | 78.3 | 73.7 |
| 1977 | 78.1 | 73.7 |
| 1976 | 77.8 | 73.6 |
| 1975 | 77.6 | 73.6 |
| 1974 | 77.3 | 73.6 |
| 1973 | 77.1 | 73.6 |
| 1972 | 77 | 73.6 |
| 1971 | 76.9 | 73.5 |
| 1970 | 76.9 | 73.5 |
| 1969 | 77 | 73.4 |
| 1968 | 77.1 | 73.3 |
| 1967 | 77.2 | 73 |
| 1966 | 77.4 | 72.7 |
| 1965 | 77.6 | 72.3 |
| 1964 | 77.8 | 71.9 |
| 1963 | 78 | 71.4 |
| 1962 | 78.2 | 70.9 |
| 1961 | 78.4 | 70.5 |
| 1960 | 78.6 | 70 |
| 1959 | 78.8 | 69.5 |
| 1958 | 79 | 69 |
| 1957 | 79.3 | 68.5 |
| 1956 | 79.5 | 67.9 |
| 1955 | 79.8 | 67.3 |
| 1954 | 80 | 66.6 |
| 1953 | 80.1 | 66 |
| 1952 | 80.2 | 65.3 |
| 1951 | 80.3 | 64.7 |
| 1950 | 80.3 | 64 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | United Kingdom | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 83.4 | 80.3 |
| 2027 | 83.5 | 80.4 |
| 2028 | 83.6 | 80.5 |
| 2029 | 83.6 | 80.6 |
| 2030 | 83.7 | 80.7 |
| 2031 | 83.8 | 80.9 |
| 2032 | 83.8 | 81.1 |
| 2033 | 83.9 | 81.2 |
| 2034 | 83.9 | 81.4 |
| 2035 | 84 | 81.7 |
| 2036 | 84.1 | 81.9 |
| 2037 | 84.1 | 82.1 |
| 2038 | 84.2 | 82.4 |
| 2039 | 84.2 | 82.6 |
| 2040 | 84.2 | 82.9 |
| 2041 | 84.3 | 83.2 |
| 2042 | 84.3 | 83.5 |
| 2043 | 84.3 | 83.8 |
| 2044 | 84.4 | 84.2 |
| 2045 | 84.4 | 84.5 |
| 2046 | 84.4 | 84.9 |
| 2047 | 84.4 | 85.3 |
| 2048 | 84.4 | 85.7 |
| 2049 | 84.4 | 86.1 |
| 2050 | 84.4 | 86.5 |
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
United Kingdom vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyUnited Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityUnited Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityUnited Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterUnited Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionUnited Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateUnited Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationUnited Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthUnited Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateUnited Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Median ageUnited Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overUnited Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateUnited Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personUnited Kingdom: $48,420 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthUnited Kingdom: 1.2% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationUnited Kingdom: 3.4% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtUnited Kingdom: 102.1% of GDP in 2025United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingUnited Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsUnited Kingdom: $88B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personUnited Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingUnited Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelUnited Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerUnited Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersUnited Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsUnited Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsUnited Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025