Social indicators

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Indicators on human settlements
Last updated: July 2008
Country or area
Urban
Rural
Urban
Rural
Afghanistan
24
76
5.4
3.4
Albania
47
53
1.9
-0.6
Algeria
65
35
2.5
-0.3
American Samoa
92
8
2.4
-2.3
Andorra
89
11
-0.2
4.6
Angola
57
43
4.4
0.7
Anguilla
100
0
1.4
0.0
Antigua and Barbuda
30
70
0.9
1.3
Argentina
92
8
1.2
-1.5
Armenia
64
36
-0.3
0.0
Aruba
47
53
0.1
-0.1
Australia (12)
89
11
1.2
-0.6
Austria
67
33
0.7
-0.3
Azerbaijan
52
48
1.0
0.5
Bahamas
84
16
1.4
0.0
Bahrain
89
11
1.8
1.4
Bangladesh
27
73
3.5
1.0
Barbados
40
60
1.5
-0.5
Belarus
73
27
0.0
-2.1
Belgium
97
3
0.3
-0.9
Belize
52
48
3.1
1.0
Benin
41
59
4.0
2.3
Bermuda
100
0
0.3
0.0
Bhutan
35
65
4.9
-0.3
Bolivia
66
34
2.5
0.4
Bosnia and Herzegovina
47
53
1.4
-1.0
Botswana
60
40
2.5
-0.6
Brazil
86
14
1.8
-1.9
British Virgin Islands
40
60
1.7
0.8
Brunei Darussalam
75
25
2.6
0.4
Bulgaria
71
29
-0.3
-1.7
Burkina Faso
20
80
5.0
2.4
Burundi
10
90
6.8
3.6
Cambodia
22
78
4.6
1.0
Cameroon
57
43
3.5
0.1
Canada
80
20
1.0
0.4
Cape Verde
60
40
3.5
0.4
Cayman Islands
100
0
1.5
0.0
Central African Republic
39
61
2.3
1.5
Chad
27
73
4.7
2.2
Channel Islands (7)
31
69
0.6
0.0
Chile
88
12
1.3
-1.3
China (4)
43
57
2.7
-1.0
China, Hong Kong SAR (5)
100
0
1.0
0.0
China, Macao SAR (6)
100
0
0.7
0.0
Colombia
74
26
1.7
0.1
Comoros (1)
28
72
2.7
2.4
Congo
61
39
2.7
1.1
Cook Islands
74
26
-0.7
-6.5
Costa Rica
63
37
2.3
0.1
Côte d'Ivoire
49
51
3.2
0.6
Croatia
57
43
0.4
-0.7
Cuba
76
24
0.0
-0.1
Cyprus
70
30
1.3
0.4
Czech Republic
73
27
0.0
0.0
Dem. People's Republic of Korea
63
37
0.9
-0.6
Democratic Republic of the Congo
34
66
5.1
2.3
Denmark
87
13
0.5
-1.8
Djibouti
87
13
2.2
-1.4
Dominica
74
26
0.2
-1.6
Dominican Republic
69
31
2.6
-0.9
Ecuador
66
34
2.1
-0.9
Egypt
43
57
1.8
1.7
El Salvador
61
39
1.9
0.6
Equatorial Guinea
39
61
2.8
2.1
Eritrea
21
79
5.4
2.7
Estonia
69
31
-0.3
-0.4
Ethiopia
17
83
4.3
2.2
Faeroe Islands
41
59
2.0
-0.3
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
92
8
1.2
-5.8
Fiji
52
48
1.6
-0.5
Finland (8)
63
37
0.8
-0.6
France
77
23
0.8
-0.5
French Guiana
76
24
2.6
1.8
French Polynesia
52
48
1.3
1.3
Gabon
85
15
2.1
-1.7
Gambia
57
43
4.2
0.7
Georgia
53
47
-0.6
-1.0
Germany
74
26
0.1
-0.4
Ghana
50
50
3.5
0.5
Gibraltar
100
0
0.1
0.0
Greece
61
39
0.6
-0.3
Greenland
84
16
0.9
-0.8
Grenada
31
69
0.3
-0.1
Guadeloupe
98
2
0.7
1.2
Guam
93
7
1.3
1.1
Guatemala
49
51
3.4
1.6
Guinea-Bissau
30
70
3.2
2.9
Guinea
34
66
3.5
1.4
Guyana
28
72
0.0
-0.3
Haiti
47
53
4.5
-1.0
Holy See (10)
100
0
0.1
0.0
Honduras
48
52
2.9
1.0
Hungary
68
32
0.3
-1.5
Iceland
92
8
0.8
0.7
India
29
71
2.4
1.1
Indonesia
52
48
3.3
-1.1
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
68
32
2.1
-0.3
Iraq
67
33
1.7
2.1
Ireland
61
39
2.2
1.0
Isle of Man
51
49
-0.2
0.3
Israel
92
8
1.7
1.4
Italy
68
32
0.4
-0.3
Jamaica
53
47
0.9
0.1
Japan
66
34
0.2
-0.5
Jordan
78
22
3.1
2.8
Kazakhstan
58
42
1.2
0.0
Kenya
22
78
4.0
2.3
Kiribati
44
56
1.8
1.4
Kuwait
98
2
2.5
1.3
Kyrgyzstan
36
64
1.6
0.8
Lao People's Democratic Republic
31
69
5.6
0.1
Latvia
68
32
-0.5
-0.6
Lebanon
87
13
1.2
0.1
Lesotho
25
75
3.5
-0.3
Liberia
60
40
5.6
2.8
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
78
22
2.2
1.2
Liechtenstein
14
86
0.5
1.0
Lithuania
67
33
-0.4
-0.8
Luxembourg
82
18
1.0
1.8
Madagascar
29
71
3.8
2.2
Malawi
19
81
5.2
2.0
Malaysia
70
30
3.0
-1.3
Maldives
38
62
5.3
-0.3
Mali
32
68
4.8
2.2
Malta
94
6
0.6
-3.1
Marshall Islands
71
29
2.7
1.0
Martinique
98
2
0.3
-0.8
Mauritania
41
59
3.0
2.2
Mauritius (2)
42
58
0.9
0.7
Mexico
77
23
1.5
-0.2
Micronesia (Fed. States of)
22
78
0.8
0.4
Moldova
42
58
-1.5
-0.4
Monaco
100
0
0.3
0.0
Mongolia
57
43
1.2
0.6
Montenegro
60
40
-0.8
0.6
Montserrat
14
86
2.2
1.0
Morocco
56
44
1.8
0.4
Mozambique
37
63
4.1
0.7
Myanmar
33
67
2.9
-0.1
Namibia
37
63
2.9
0.4
Nauru
100
0
0.3
0.0
Nepal
17
83
4.9
1.4
Netherlands
82
18
0.9
-2.7
Netherlands Antilles
93
7
1.6
-2.1
New Caledonia
65
35
2.1
0.5
New Zealand
87
13
1.0
0.1
Nicaragua
57
43
1.8
0.7
Niger
16
84
4.0
3.4
Nigeria
48
52
3.8
0.9
Niue
39
61
-0.2
-2.9
Northern Mariana Islands
91
9
2.1
0.7
Norway (9)
77
23
0.7
0.3
Occupied Palestinian Territory
72
28
3.3
2.8
Oman
72
28
2.0
1.8
Pakistan
36
64
3.0
1.2
Palau
81
19
1.8
-5.1
Panama
73
27
2.7
-1.3
Papua New Guinea
12
88
1.9
2.0
Paraguay
60
40
2.8
0.3
Peru
71
29
1.3
0.8
Philippines
65
35
3.0
-0.2
Pitcairn
0
100
0.0
0.0
Poland
61
39
-0.3
0.0
Portugal
59
41
1.4
-1.1
Puerto Rico
98
2
0.8
-12.7
Qatar
96
4
2.2
0.2
Republic of Korea
81
19
0.6
-0.9
Réunion
93
7
1.6
-3.5
Romania
54
46
-0.1
-0.9
Russian Federation
73
27
-0.5
-0.4
Rwanda
18
82
4.2
2.4
Saint Helena (3)
39
61
1.5
1.0
Saint Kitts and Nevis
32
68
1.4
1.2
Saint Lucia
28
72
1.4
1.0
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
89
11
0.1
-0.4
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
47
53
1.3
-0.2
Samoa
23
77
1.7
0.6
San Marino
94
6
0.9
-0.1
São Tomé and Príncipe
61
39
3.0
-0.5
Saudi Arabia
82
18
2.5
1.1
Senegal
42
58
3.1
2.0
Serbia
52
48
0.5
-0.2
Seychelles
54
46
1.4
-0.6
Sierra Leone
38
62
2.9
1.5
Singapore
100
0
1.2
0.0
Slovakia
56
44
0.2
-0.2
Slovenia
48
52
-0.6
0.6
Solomon Islands
18
82
4.1
1.9
Somalia
37
63
4.2
2.2
South Africa
61
39
1.4
-0.7
Spain
77
23
0.9
0.2
Sri Lanka
15
85
0.5
0.5
Sudan
43
57
4.3
0.7
Suriname
75
25
1.0
-0.8
Swaziland
25
75
1.7
0.3
Sweden
85
15
0.5
0.0
Switzerland
73
27
0.5
0.1
Syrian Arab Republic
54
46
3.1
1.8
Tajikistan
26
74
1.6
1.5
TFYR Macedonia (11)
67
33
0.8
-1.4
Thailand
33
67
1.7
0.2
Timor-Leste
27
73
5.0
2.9
Togo
42
58
4.3
1.5
Tokelau
0
100
0.0
0.0
Tonga
25
75
1.6
0.1
Trinidad and Tobago
13
87
2.9
0.0
Tunisia
67
33
1.7
-0.1
Turkey
69
31
1.9
-0.2
Turkmenistan
49
51
2.2
0.5
Turks and Caicos Islands
92
8
2.2
-7.2
Tuvalu
49
51
1.3
-0.5
Uganda
13
87
4.4
3.1
Ukraine
68
32
-0.7
-1.0
United Arab Emirates
78
22
2.9
2.5
United Kingdom
90
10
0.5
-0.4
United Republic of Tanzania
25
75
4.2
1.9
United States of America
82
18
1.3
-0.7
United States Virgin Islands
95
5
0.2
-4.1
Uruguay
92
8
0.4
-1.2
Uzbekistan
37
63
1.6
1.4
Vanuatu
25
75
4.1
1.8
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
93
7
2.0
-3.4
Viet Nam
28
72
3.1
0.7
Wallis and Futuna Islands
0
100
0.0
0.7
Western Sahara
81
19
4.0
2.6
Yemen
31
69
4.9
2.1
Zambia
35
65
2.3
1.7
Zimbabwe
37
63
2.2
0.2

 

Sources:

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2007), World Urbanization Prospects: The 2007 Revision. CD-ROM Edition – Data in digital form (POP/DB/WUP/Rev. 2007).

Footnotes:

1
 Including Mayotte.
2
 Including Agalega, Rodrigues and Saint Brandon.
3
 Including Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
4
 For statistical purposes, the data for China do not include Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of China.
5
 As of 1 July 1997, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China.
6
 As of 20 December 1999, Macao became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China.
7
 Refers to Guernsey, and Jersey.
8
 Including Åland Islands.
9
 Including Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands.
10
 Refers to the Vatican City State.
11
 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
12
 Including Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island.

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Technical notes:

The population distribution refers to the percentage of the total population in urban and rural areas, respectively. The estimates presented refer to the population as of 1 July of the given year. The annual rates of urban and rural population change are an average for the five-year period 2000-2005 and refer to the rate at which the rural and urban populations are increasing or decreasing (negative sign) on average in each year within the five-year period, expressed as a percentage of the base population.

The urban-rural classification of population in internationally published statistics follows the national census definition, which differs from one country or area to another. National definitions are usually based on criteria that may include any of the following: size of population in a locality, population density, distance between built-up areas, predominant type of economic activity, legal or administrative boundaries and urban characteristics, such as specific services and facilities.

Estimates and projections of urban and rural populations are made by the Population Division of the United Nations Secretariat and published every two years. These estimates and projections are based on national census or survey data that have been evaluated and, whenever necessary, adjusted for deficiencies and inconsistencies.