Population
Urban growth
SP.URB.GROW ยท %
Annual series published by the World Bank, compared across Italy, Spain, Netherlands, United States, China, South Sudan, Sudan, Romania. The chart carries the trajectory, the table carries the year by year figures, and the definition at the foot of the page is the World Bank's own, quoted as it stands.
8 countries compared, that is the maximum. Remove one to add another.
Up to eight countries on one chart, out of 142. Hover the chart to read a year, click a country in the legend to hide it and read the scale without it.
2. Main theme
1 of 24 indicators in this category. Each indicator gives one card and its chart.
This page carries a single indicator, with its year by year table and the official definition. Tick others to compare them on the population grid, one card and one chart per indicator.
Latest known value: 0.05% for Italy in 2025, over a series running from 1961 to 2025 and 8 countries compared, from the highest (South Sudan, 3.46%) to the lowest (Romania, -0.16%).
Latest known valueclick to hide
Year by year values
Click the Year header to reverse the order. An empty cell means the World Bank publishes nothing for that country that year.
| Italy | Spain | Netherlands | United States | China | South Sudan | Sudan | Romania | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.05% | 1.28% | 0.83% | 0.61% | 0.51% | 3.46% | 2.57% | -0.16% |
| 2024 | 0.04% | 1.25% | 0.98% | 1.03% | 0.43% | 5.36% | 1.01% | -0.04% |
| 2023 | 0.03% | 1.4% | 1.34% | 0.87% | 0.37% | 5.54% | 1.54% | 0.07% |
| 2022 | -0.2% | 0.93% | 1.33% | 0.6% | 0.75% | 2.85% | 2.93% | -0.52% |
| 2021 | -0.57% | 0.29% | 0.92% | 0.17% | 1.96% | 2.98% | 2.93% | -1.47% |
| 2020 | -0.47% | 0.59% | 0.94% | 0.24% | 1.53% | 4.03% | 2.94% | -1.08% |
| 2019 | -0.21% | 0.81% | 2.03% | 0.33% | 2.3% | 4.35% | 3.2% | -1% |
| 2018 | -0.26% | 0.57% | 2.2% | 0.44% | 2.54% | 0.08% | 3.76% | -1% |
| 2017 | -0.3% | 0.38% | 1.19% | 0.57% | 2.96% | -4% | 3.75% | -0.93% |
| 2016 | -0.21% | 0.22% | 0.87% | 0.69% | 3.17% | -1.12% | 3.32% | -0.86% |
| 2015 | -0.11% | 0.08% | 0.93% | 0.73% | 3.38% | 0.27% | 4.02% | -0.69% |
| 2014 | 0.41% | -0.14% | 1.1% | 0.75% | 2.92% | 2.02% | 3.71% | -0.53% |
| 2013 | 0.99% | -0.18% | 1.02% | 0.73% | 3.25% | 5.14% | 3.16% | -0.46% |
| 2012 | 0.8% | 0.26% | 0.97% | 0.78% | 3.1% | 5.85% | 2.86% | -0.45% |
| 2011 | 0.62% | 0.59% | 1.21% | 0.79% | 5.68% | 6.81% | 2.61% | -0.39% |
| 2010 | 0.69% | 0.74% | 1.81% | 0.86% | 2.31% | 6.68% | 2.84% | -0.38% |
| 2009 | 0.79% | 1.21% | 1.22% | 0.95% | 3.33% | 6.25% | 3.07% | -0.54% |
| 2008 | 0.95% | 1.94% | 0.63% | 1.08% | 2.88% | 5.17% | 2.61% | -1.33% |
| 2007 | 0.76% | 2.21% | 1.11% | 1.13% | 3.95% | 5.32% | 2.4% | -1.12% |
| 2006 | 0.54% | 2.05% | 1.53% | 1.18% | 3.66% | 5.45% | 2.34% | -0.25% |
| 2005 | 0.71% | 2.03% | 1.75% | 1.17% | 3.49% | 5.49% | 2.33% | -0.32% |
| 2004 | 0.86% | 2.05% | 1.51% | 1.2% | 3.58% | 5.52% | 2.24% | -0.35% |
| 2003 | 0.65% | 2.09% | 1.08% | 1.15% | 4.24% | 5.55% | 2.33% | -0.62% |
| 2002 | 0.31% | 1.65% | 1.41% | 1.23% | 4.4% | 5.64% | 2.55% | -1.87% |
| 2001 | 0.18% | 0.89% | 2.9% | 1.29% | 4.04% | 5.8% | 2.59% | -1.58% |
| 2000 | 0.17% | 0.62% | 2.54% | 1.44% | 5.43% | 5.87% | 2.61% | -0.43% |
| 1999 | 0.14% | 0.56% | 1.07% | 1.57% | 5.06% | 4.25% | 2.64% | -0.53% |
| 1998 | 0.14% | 0.56% | 2.19% | 1.67% | 5.37% | 3.7% | 2.67% | -0.63% |
| 1997 | 0.16% | 0.56% | 4.75% | 1.76% | 5.61% | 4.61% | 2.39% | -0.72% |
| 1996 | 0.12% | 0.56% | 2.88% | 1.75% | 5.89% | 4.38% | 2.42% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 0.08% | 0.59% | 0.9% | 1.78% | 2.93% | 4.99% | 2.77% | -0.56% |
| 1994 | 0.08% | 0.65% | 1.53% | 1.8% | 2.97% | 4.32% | 2.71% | -0.41% |
| 1993 | 0.09% | 0.71% | 1.34% | 1.85% | 3.06% | 3.53% | 3% | -0.28% |
| 1992 | 0.07% | 0.71% | 0.9% | 1.85% | 3.14% | 5.36% | 4.27% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 0.06% | 0.51% | 1.11% | 1.7% | 4.17% | 7.06% | 5.58% | -0.69% |
| 1990 | 0.06% | 0.4% | 1% | 1.42% | 1.41% | 6.42% | 6.67% | 0.52% |
| 1989 | 0.04% | 0.49% | 1.1% | 1.22% | 3.05% | 3.74% | 7.53% | 0.95% |
| 1988 | 0.01% | 0.58% | 1.04% | 1.17% | 3.55% | 4.55% | 8.09% | 1.11% |
| 1987 | -0.03% | 0.66% | 0.92% | 1.14% | 4.79% | 7.6% | 8.24% | 1.26% |
| 1986 | -0.04% | 0.73% | 1.07% | 1.15% | 4.88% | 7.86% | 7.85% | 1.33% |
| 1985 | -0.01% | 0.83% | 0.85% | 1.09% | 4.33% | 6.45% | 6.94% | 1.39% |
| 1984 | -0.01% | 0.92% | 1.05% | 1.05% | 7.55% | 4.38% | 5.76% | 1.42% |
| 1983 | 0.02% | 1.02% | 1.07% | 1.07% | 6.46% | 2.59% | 5.26% | 1.52% |
| 1982 | 0.08% | 1.17% | 1.54% | 1.07% | 3.48% | 2.45% | 5.24% | 1.75% |
| 1981 | 0.19% | 1.31% | 1.84% | 1.07% | 5.15% | 2.46% | 5.25% | 1.9% |
| 1980 | 0.36% | 1.44% | 1.07% | 1.02% | 3.5% | 2.48% | 5.14% | 1.8% |
| 1979 | 0.51% | 1.55% | 0.98% | 1.15% | 7.01% | 2.5% | 4.93% | 1.92% |
| 1978 | 0.64% | 1.66% | 0.68% | 1.09% | 3.39% | 2.53% | 4.72% | 2.17% |
| 1977 | 0.76% | 1.76% | 0.71% | 1.03% | 2.02% | 2.55% | 4.27% | 2.26% |
| 1976 | 0.88% | 1.82% | 0.96% | 0.97% | 2.08% | 2.57% | 4.41% | 2.71% |
| 1975 | 1.01% | 1.88% | 1.16% | 1.01% | 2.81% | 2.57% | 4.55% | 2.96% |
| 1974 | 1.08% | 1.92% | 1.89% | 0.94% | 1.85% | 2.57% | 5.3% | 2.82% |
| 1973 | 1.12% | 1.97% | 1.52% | 0.99% | 2.69% | 2.31% | 5.7% | 2.89% |
| 1972 | 1.02% | 1.99% | 1.44% | 1.11% | 1.71% | 2.04% | 5.41% | 3.11% |
| 1971 | 1% | 2.17% | 2.34% | 1.32% | 2.06% | 1.64% | 5.76% | 3.27% |
| 1970 | 1.17% | 2.33% | 1.7% | 1.27% | 2.08% | 1.21% | 6.1% | 3.47% |
| 1969 | 1.3% | 2.44% | 1.18% | 1.21% | 2.05% | 1.21% | 6.4% | 3.31% |
| 1968 | 1.44% | 2.95% | 1.31% | 1.35% | 1.93% | 1.21% | 6.71% | 3.56% |
| 1967 | 1.58% | 3% | 1.66% | 1.54% | 1.9% | 1.13% | 7% | 3.75% |
| 1966 | 1.67% | 2.87% | 1.54% | 1.68% | 2.1% | 1.3% | 7.29% | 2.95% |
| 1965 | 1.75% | 2.94% | 1.87% | 1.84% | 0.64% | 1.73% | 7.57% | 2.48% |
| 1964 | 1.73% | 2.78% | 2.2% | 2.03% | 10.66% | 1.66% | 7.82% | 2.48% |
| 1963 | 1.61% | 2.53% | 1.4% | 2.11% | -0.4% | 1.38% | 8.05% | 2.45% |
| 1962 | 1.53% | 2.34% | 1.7% | 2.21% | -9.95% | 1.36% | 8.25% | 2.46% |
| 1961 | 1.54% | 2.14% | 1.65% | 2.32% | -3.33% | 1.28% | 8.43% | 2.65% |
World Bank definition
Urban population growth (annual %)
Annual urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.
Text published by the World Bank for indicator SP.URB.GROW, reproduced unchanged.
The same indicator across Europe & Central Asia
Source: World Bank, World Bank Open Data Annual series, fetched server side and cached for 24 hours. The World Bank is never called from your browser.
