Low income Countries Ranked by Urban population (2025)
Urban population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Congo, Dem. Rep. ranks #1 with 50.9 million people. That is 1.6 times Ethiopia in second place (32.66 million people). The top five are Congo, Dem. Rep., Ethiopia, Syrian Arab Republic, Sudan and Korea, Dem. People's Rep.. Together the top 10 account for 75.8% of the total across the 25 Low income countries listed. The median across all 25 is 6.96 million people; Guinea-Bissau is last at 1.05 million people. Congo, Dem. Rep.'s figure has risen 176% since 2001 (18.46 million people to 50.9 million people in 2025).
- #1
- Congo, Dem. Rep. · 50.9 million people
- Median
- 6.96 million people
- Coverage
- 25 Low income countries
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Congo, Dem. Rep. 18.9%Ethiopia 12.1%Syrian Arab Republic 6.8%Sudan 6.7%Korea, Dem. People's Rep. 6.3%All others 49.2%
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Urban population (people) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 50,903,000 |
| 2 | Ethiopia | 32,662,000 |
| 3 | Syrian Arab Republic | 18,468,000 |
| 4 | Sudan | 18,048,000 |
| 5 | Korea, Dem. People's Rep. | 17,056,000 |
| 6 | Uganda | 16,412,000 |
| 7 | Yemen, Rep. | 15,470,000 |
| 8 | Mozambique | 13,258,000 |
| 9 | Afghanistan | 11,373,000 |
| 10 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 10,838,000 |
| 11 | Madagascar | 10,772,000 |
| 12 | Mali | 8,117,200 |
| 13 | Burkina Faso | 6,963,000 |
| 14 | Chad | 5,789,900 |
| 15 | Niger | 5,129,600 |
| 16 | Rwanda | 4,503,900 |
| 17 | Sierra Leone | 4,050,600 |
| 18 | Malawi | 3,908,900 |
| 19 | Burundi | 3,696,400 |
| 20 | Liberia | 3,214,200 |
| 21 | South Sudan | 2,643,100 |
| 22 | Central African Republic | 2,456,300 |
| 23 | Gambia, The | 1,834,000 |
| 24 | Eritrea | 1,245,900 |
| 25 | Guinea-Bissau | 1,049,400 |
About the top 10
#1 Congo, Dem. Rep.
Congo, Dem. Rep. ranks #1 on this list with 50.9 million people.
- Capital
- Kinshasa
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 112.83 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$91.03 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$806.8 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kinshasa, Mbuji-Mayi, Kananga.
Also ranks #1 in renewable energy share · #1 in poverty headcount ratio · #1 in mineral rents share of gdp.
#2 Ethiopia
Ethiopia ranks #2 on this list with 32.66 million people.
- Capital
- Addis Ababa
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 135.47 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$126.36 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$932.7 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 24.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Addis Ababa.
Also ranks #3 in children out of school (primary) · #6 in rural population · #6 in gdp growth rate.
#3 Syrian Arab Republic
Syrian Arab Republic ranks #3 on this list with 18.47 million people.
- Capital
- Damascus
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 25.62 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$23.74 billion (2022)
- GDP per person
- US$1,057 (2022)
- Life expectancy
- 72.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 72.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Damascus, Aleppo.
Also ranks #2 in refugee population by origin · #2 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #3 in net migration.
#4 Sudan
Sudan ranks #4 on this list with 18.05 million people.
- Capital
- Khartoum
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 51.66 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$60.16 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,165 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 34.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Khartoum, Omdurman.
Also ranks #2 in inflation rate · #4 in children out of school (primary) · #5 in refugee population by origin.
#5 Korea, Dem. People's Rep.
Korea, Dem. People's Rep. ranks #5 on this list with 17.06 million people.
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 26.57 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 73.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 64.2% of population (2025)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 2.5 t CO2e per person (2024)
- Currency
- North Korean won
Largest cities: Pyongyang.
Also ranks #2 in hospital beds per 10,000 · #3 in armed forces personnel · #6 in female labour force participation.
#6 Uganda
Uganda ranks #6 on this list with 16.41 million people.
- Capital
- Kampala
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 51.39 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$61.99 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,206 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kampala.
Also ranks #6 in renewable energy share · #6 in refugee population by asylum · #7 in agricultural land share.
#7 Yemen, Rep.
Yemen, Rep. ranks #7 on this list with 15.47 million people.
- Capital
- Sanaa, Aden
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 41.77 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 37% of population (2025)
- International tourist arrivals
- 398,000 arrivals (2015)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 0.261 t CO2e per person (2024)
Also ranks #2 in prevalence of stunting (under-5) · #2 in prevalence of wasting (under-5) · #12 in unemployment rate.
#8 Mozambique
Mozambique ranks #8 on this list with 13.26 million people.
- Capital
- Maputo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 35.63 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$22.34 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$626.9 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 37.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Maputo, Matola.
Also ranks #2 in poverty headcount ratio · #3 in income share of richest 10% · #4 in debt service share of exports.
#9 Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks #9 on this list with 11.37 million people.
- Capital
- Kabul
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 43.84 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$17.78 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$416.9 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 25.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kabul.
Also ranks #1 in refugee population by origin · #4 in health expenditure share of gdp · #6 in agriculture value added share of gdp.
#10 Somalia, Fed. Rep.
Somalia, Fed. Rep. ranks #10 on this list with 10.84 million people.
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 19.66 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$13 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$661.2 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 59 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: North East State of Somalia, Mogadishu.
Also ranks #1 in prevalence of undernourishment · #2 in population ages 0-14 share · #2 in age dependency ratio (young).
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Urban population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SP.URB.TOTL. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Urban population: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospe.
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.