Estimates of Europe's urbanization rate 1300-1850
Europe's population fell by 25-33 percent due to the Black Death. From the 19th century onwards, urbanization in Europe rose significantly due to the rise of industrialization and increased agricultural efficiency.
It is estimated that, between the 14th and 19th centuries, fewer than 10 percent of Europe's population lived in urban areas with a population of more than 10,000 people, and fewer than 13 percent lived in urban areas with more than 5,000 people. The two given sources use different methodologies* for their estimates, which gives varying but comparable estimates for urbanization rates across Europe. Perhaps surprisingly, Bairoch estimates that the urbanization rate increased during the 14th century, a period where