Top-10 Most Urbanised Nations in 2025, Check the List

ISLAMABAD: Urbanisation is one of the biggest changes happening in the world today. More and more people are leaving villages and moving to towns and cities in search of better jobs, education, and healthcare. This has made many countries highly urbanised, where almost the entire population lives in cities. Let’s look at the 10 most urbanised countries in the world and what makes them stand out.

What is Urbanisation?

Urbanisation simply means the shift of population from villages and rural areas to towns and cities. People usually move to cities for:

• Better jobs and business opportunities
• Education and healthcare facilities
• Modern lifestyle and infrastructure

However, urbanisation also comes with challenges like pollution, traffic, housing shortages, and rising inequality.

Top-10 Most Urbanised Nations in 2025

Urbanisation is shaping the way people live across the world. While many countries still balance rural and urban life, some nations have become almost completely urban. In 2025, these top 10 countries stand out with nearly 100% of their populations living in cities.

Here is the list of top-10 urbanized countries in the world in 2025:

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the world’s busiest financial centers with about 7.4 million people living in only 1,110 sq. km. This makes its population density among the highest in the world. The entire region is urban, filled with tall skyscrapers, shopping malls, offices, and tightly packed housing estates. From luxury towers to crowded apartments, every corner of Hong Kong is a symbol of fast-paced modern urban life.

Singapore

Singapore is a city-state that has turned its small land area into a model of urban planning. Almost 80% of its people live in government-built HDB flats, making housing both affordable and efficient. It is known for its clean roads, greenery, and high-tech development. With excellent infrastructure, transport, and living standards, Singapore stands among the most urbanised and advanced nations in the world.

Kuwait

Kuwait is a Gulf country where more than 4.5 million people live mostly in Kuwait City and nearby areas. Since over 90% of the land is desert, there are almost no rural settlements. This has made the population highly concentrated in urban areas. The city offers modern housing, oil-based industries, and world-class facilities, making Kuwait one of the most urban-focused nations despite its larger land area.

Macau

Macau is the most densely populated region in the world, with over 21,000 people per sq km. It is famous as the casino capital of Asia, and nearly 70% of government revenue comes from casinos and tourism. The city is packed with luxury hotels, entertainment hubs, and apartment complexes. Macau’s economy and society depend almost entirely on urban activities, making it a unique example of urbanisation driving income.

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands, a group of Caribbean islands, are known as a global tax haven and offshore financial hub. With only around 70,000 residents but over 100,000 registered companies, its economy depends on finance and tourism. Almost the entire population lives in urban-style communities. With modern facilities, high standards of living, and no significant rural areas, the Cayman Islands are among the most urbanised territories worldwide.

Read more: NDMA warns Karachi residents of potential urban flooding today

Bermuda

Bermuda is a small island with about 63,000 people living in just 54 sq km. Every part of it is developed into urban housing and communities. What makes Bermuda stand out is its very high standard of living, with one of the world’s highest GDP per capita (over $100,000). It shows how a small, fully urbanised population can maintain excellent lifestyles supported by tourism, trade, and finance.

Sint Maarten

Sint Maarten, a small Dutch Caribbean territory, has only 41 sq km of land but is completely urbanised. Tourism is the backbone of its economy, and tourists outnumber locals by 10 to 1 every year. Its cities are filled with hotels, restaurants, and ports to serve visitors. This dependence on global tourism makes Sint Maarten a fully urban identity with no traditional rural areas.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar, located at the southern tip of Spain, covers only 6.7 sq km, making it extremely compact and urban. With limited land, the region even creates new land by reclaiming from the sea—around 12% of its total area. Packed with homes, offices, and ports, Gibraltar shows how small territories overcome space shortages with creative urban development and efficient use of land.

Monaco

Monaco is a tiny European country with just 2 sq km of land and around 38,000 people. It is famous for its wealth—almost 30% of residents are millionaires. With luxury apartments, casinos, and yachts, Monaco is one of the richest and most exclusive places on earth. Its urban density rivals the largest megacities, proving that even small nations can be fully modern and urbanised.

Anguilla

Anguilla is a small Caribbean island with only 14,000 residents, and all are classified as urban. Most of its people live around the capital, The Valley, where government, tourism, and finance dominate. Unlike other places, it has no farmland or rural villages. Anguilla’s communities are compact, modern, and connected to global trade and travel, showing how small islands naturally become fully urbanised.