Urban Population vs. Life Expectancy at Birth by Country
Countries with higher Life Expectancy at Birth tend to have higher Urban Population.
Strong link: a correlation of 0.58 across 215 countries.CorrelationHow closely two metrics move together, from −1 to +1. Near +1: both rise together. Near −1: one rises as the other falls. Near 0: no clear link.More in the glossary →
Each dot in the chart is one of 215 countries. The correlation between Life Expectancy at Birth and Urban Population is 0.58, a strong relationship: about 34% of the differences in Urban Population from place to place line up with Life Expectancy at Birth. Ranked instead of measured, the link is 0.60.
The highest Urban Population is in Hong Kong (100.0%), Singapore (100.0%) and Kuwait (100.0%); the lowest is in Liechtenstein (14.6%), Papua New Guinea (15.8%) and Samoa (17.5%). The median place has 64.6% for Urban Population and 74.7 for Life Expectancy at Birth.
The biggest exceptions sit furthest from the trend line. Nauru, Gabon and Nigeria have a much higher Urban Population than their Life Expectancy at Birth would predict, while Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka and Antigua and Barbuda have a much lower one.
This is a comparison across places, not proof that one causes the other: both can follow from something else, such as income, age or how urban a place is. Life Expectancy at Birth is from 2024 and Urban Population from 2025.
Highest Urban Population
| Place | Urban Population | Life Expectancy at Birth |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | 100.0% | 85.4 |
| Singapore | 100.0% | 83.3 |
| Kuwait | 100.0% | 84.6 |
| Bahrain | 100.0% | 81.4 |
| Macau | 100.0% | 83.3 |
Lowest Urban Population
| Place | Urban Population | Life Expectancy at Birth |
|---|---|---|
| Liechtenstein | 14.6% | 84.2 |
| Papua New Guinea | 15.8% | 66.3 |
| Samoa | 17.5% | 71.8 |
| Malawi | 17.6% | 67.6 |
| Niger | 18.4% | 61.4 |
Explore it yourself
- Open this comparison in the interactive chart to highlight places, change the metrics or colour by party.
- Full ranking and sources for Life Expectancy at Birth
- Full ranking and sources for Urban Population