United Kingdom
Urban population in United Kingdom
Urban population in United Kingdom: 80.3% in 1950 and 83.3% in 2025, by UN estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 83.3%
- Since 1950
- +3 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 54 of 229
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2050
- 84.4%
- UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)
% of people · UN
What the numbers say
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts it at 84.4% in 2050.
- The highest was 83.3% in 2025, the lowest 76.9% in 1971.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 83.3 |
| 2024 | 83.2 |
| 2023 | 83.2 |
| 2022 | 83.1 |
| 2021 | 83 |
| 2020 | 82.9 |
| 2019 | 82.7 |
| 2018 | 82.5 |
| 2017 | 82.2 |
| 2016 | 82 |
| 2015 | 81.8 |
| 2014 | 81.6 |
| 2013 | 81.5 |
| 2012 | 81.3 |
| 2011 | 81.1 |
| 2010 | 81 |
| 2009 | 80.9 |
| 2008 | 80.8 |
| 2007 | 80.7 |
| 2006 | 80.6 |
| 2005 | 80.5 |
| 2004 | 80.3 |
| 2003 | 80.2 |
| 2002 | 80.1 |
| 2001 | 80 |
| 2000 | 79.8 |
| 1999 | 79.6 |
| 1998 | 79.4 |
| 1997 | 79.1 |
| 1996 | 78.9 |
| 1995 | 78.7 |
| 1994 | 78.5 |
| 1993 | 78.3 |
| 1992 | 78.2 |
| 1991 | 78.1 |
| 1990 | 78.1 |
| 1989 | 78.1 |
| 1988 | 78.2 |
| 1987 | 78.3 |
| 1986 | 78.3 |
| 1985 | 78.4 |
| 1984 | 78.5 |
| 1983 | 78.5 |
| 1982 | 78.6 |
| 1981 | 78.6 |
| 1980 | 78.6 |
| 1979 | 78.5 |
| 1978 | 78.3 |
| 1977 | 78.1 |
| 1976 | 77.8 |
| 1975 | 77.6 |
| 1974 | 77.3 |
| 1973 | 77.1 |
| 1972 | 77 |
| 1971 | 76.9 |
| 1970 | 76.9 |
| 1969 | 77 |
| 1968 | 77.1 |
| 1967 | 77.2 |
| 1966 | 77.4 |
| 1965 | 77.6 |
| 1964 | 77.8 |
| 1963 | 78 |
| 1962 | 78.2 |
| 1961 | 78.4 |
| 1960 | 78.6 |
| 1959 | 78.8 |
| 1958 | 79 |
| 1957 | 79.3 |
| 1956 | 79.5 |
| 1955 | 79.8 |
| 1954 | 80 |
| 1953 | 80.1 |
| 1952 | 80.2 |
| 1951 | 80.3 |
| 1950 | 80.3 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 83.4 |
| 2027 | 83.5 |
| 2028 | 83.6 |
| 2029 | 83.6 |
| 2030 | 83.7 |
| 2031 | 83.8 |
| 2032 | 83.8 |
| 2033 | 83.9 |
| 2034 | 83.9 |
| 2035 | 84 |
| 2036 | 84.1 |
| 2037 | 84.1 |
| 2038 | 84.2 |
| 2039 | 84.2 |
| 2040 | 84.2 |
| 2041 | 84.3 |
| 2042 | 84.3 |
| 2043 | 84.3 |
| 2044 | 84.4 |
| 2045 | 84.4 |
| 2046 | 84.4 |
| 2047 | 84.4 |
| 2048 | 84.4 |
| 2049 | 84.4 |
| 2050 | 84.4 |
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 in numbers
Every measure for United Kingdom on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$88B in 2025
- Military spending per person$1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spending5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel153,000 people in 2020
- National power1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports702 million TIV in 2025