DATASET

GHS-WUP-DEGURBA R2025A – GHS-WUP DEGURBA settlement layers, application of the Degree of Urbanisation methodology (stage I) to GHS-WUP-POP R2025A, multitemporal (1975-2100)

Collection: GHSL : Global Human Settlement Layer 

Description

This product contains the spatial raster dataset grids from 1975 to 2100 at 5 years interval representing the settlement classification per grid cell and, for the year 2025, the vector layers of the delineated boundaries of settlement entities (i.e. urban centres, UC; dense urban clusters, DUC; semi-dense urban clusters, SDUC; and rural clusters, RC) with main attributes, in vector files (country, area, population, built-up surface and population weighted centroid) and the list of country capitals with reference to the entity IDs.

Contact

Email
jrc-ghsl-data (at) ec.europa.eu

Contributors

How to cite

Schiavina, Marcello; Melchiorri, Michele; Pesaresi, Martino; Jacobs-Crisioni, Chris; Dijkstra, Lewis (2025): GHS-WUP-DEGURBA R2025A – GHS-WUP DEGURBA settlement layers, application of the Degree of Urbanisation methodology (stage I) to GHS-WUP-POP R2025A, multitemporal (1975-2100). European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) [Dataset] doi: 10.2905/1c049178-ab00-4bbc-b638-3e3c19daaacb PID: http://data.europa.eu/89h/1c049178-ab00-4bbc-b638-3e3c19daaacb

Keywords

Country Statistics Degree of Urbanisation GHS-DEGURBA GHS-SMOD GHSL global map GPW high density clusters low density clusters Settlement model Settlement projections urban centre urban cluster urban-rural population

Data access

GHS_WUP_DEGURBA_R2025A
URL 
  • Spatial raster dataset grids from 1975 to 2100 at 5 years interval representing the settlement classification per grid cell. For the year 2025, also includes the vector layers of the delineated boundaries of settlement entities (i.e. urban centres, UC; dense urban clusters, DUC; semi-dense urban clusters, SDUC; and rural clusters, RC) with main attributes, in vector files (country, area, population, built-up surface and population weighted centroid) and the list of country capitals with reference to the entity IDs.

Publications

Publication 2025
Introducing the CRISP model to downscale future population projections
JACOBS-CRISIONI, C., SCHIAVINA, M., KRASNODEBSKA, K., DIJKSTRA, L., CLAASSENS, J. et al., Introducing the CRISP model to downscale future population projections, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/7163875 (online), JRC143916.
  • Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Publication page 
  • Abstract

    The CRISP model has been setup to disaggregate national population projections to 1km2 grid cells globally. This is done primarily to provide projections of population by degree of urbanisation for the 2025 World Urbanisation Prospects report produced by the UN. Many other applications are feasible with CRISP as well. The model estimates population and built-up area change in a three-step process. First, population and built-up area change are estimated for roughly 1000 functional areas taking into account national population projections. Second, new built-up area is allocated to grid cells considering distance to settlements, roads, water, current share of built-up area and other characteristics. Finally, population is added to newly built-up areas and more suitable locations and reduced in less suitable locations to capture internal migration (and natural population decline).

Publication 2025
GHSL WUP Projections Data Package 2025
SCHIAVINA, M., MELCHIORRI, M., MARI RIVERO, I., FLORIO, P., FREIRE, S. et al., GHSL WUP Projections Data Package 2025 - Public release GHS-WUP R2025, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/2416436 (online), JRC144209.
  • Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Publication page 
  • Abstract

    The Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) project produces new global spatial information, evidence-based analytics and knowledge describing the human presence on Earth. It operates in a fully open and free data and methods access policy. The knowledge generated with the GHSL is supporting the definition, the public discussion and the implementation of European policies and the monitoring of international frameworks such as the 2030 Development Agenda. The GHSL is the core data set of the Exposure Mapping Component under the Copernicus Emergency Management Service. GHSL data continue to support the GEO Human Planet Initiative that is committed to developing a new generation of measurements and information products providing new scientific evidence and a comprehensive understanding of the human presence on the planet and that can support global policy processes with agreed, actionable and goal-driven metrics. This document describes the public release of the GHSL World Urbanisation Prospects (GHS-WUP) Projections Data Package 2025 (GHS-WUP R2025). This release provides a long term time series and projections (1975-2100) of built-up surface and population grids, the derived Degree of Urbanisation (DEGURBA) grids, country statistics (area, built-up surface and population) based on the DEGURBA classification (with population by DEGURBA backcasted to 1950) and the multi-temporal urban centres along with their statistics and descriptors (name, country, area, built-up surface and population, with population backcasted to 1950).

Publication 2025
Population by degree of urbanization and by urban agglomeration from 1950 to 2100
JACOBS-CRISIONI, C., SCHIAVINA, M., ALESSANDRINI, A. and DIJKSTRA, L., Population by degree of urbanization and by urban agglomeration from 1950 to 2100 - Analyses supporting the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects report, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/1419546 (online), JRC144219.
  • Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Publication page 
  • Abstract

    The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission has produced long timeseries of global population by degree of urbanization, as well as for each city in the world. These long timeseries describe population changes by degree of urbanization, that is for cities, towns and semi-dense areas, and rural areas, as well as for individual cities from 1950 to 2100. They were produced as inputs for the 2025 UN World Urbanization Prospects report, complementing UN statistics on urban/rural population according to national definitions. The timeseries were obtained by combining three sources, namely rescaled GHS-POP grids for the period 1975-2020, supplemented with backcast population estimates for the period 1975-1950, and population grids projected by the CRISP model for the period 2020-2100. The report outlines the various sources and relevant inputs and shows a selection of results to characterize the data produced.

Geographic areas

World

Spatial coverage

Type Value
GML
<gml:Polygon xmlns:gml="http://www.opengis.net/gml">  <gml:outerBoundaryIs>    <gml:LinearRing>      <gml:coordinates>-180,90 180,90 180,-90 -180,-90 -180,90</gml:coordinates>    </gml:LinearRing>  </gml:outerBoundaryIs></gml:Polygon>
GML
<gml:Polygon xmlns:gml="http://www.opengis.net/gml/3.2">  <gml:exterior>    <gml:LinearRing>      <gml:posList>-180 90 180 90 180 -90 -180 -90 -180 90</gml:posList>    </gml:LinearRing>  </gml:exterior></gml:Polygon>
WKT
POLYGON ((-180 90, 180 90, 180 -90, -180 -90, -180 90))

Temporal coverage

From date To date
1975-01-01 2100-12-31

Additional information

Published by
European Commission, Joint Research Centre
Created date
2025-08-07
Modified date
2025-12-04
Issued date
2025-11-17
Landing page
http://ghsl.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ 
Language(s)
English
Data theme(s)
Regions and cities, Science and technology
Update frequency
irregular
Identifier
http://data.europa.eu/89h/1c049178-ab00-4bbc-b638-3e3c19daaacb
Popularity