Annex A. Defining regions, cities and metropolitan areas
Table A.1. Territorial grid of OECD member countries | ||
|---|---|---|
Country | Territorial Level 2 (TL2) | Territorial Level 3 (TL3) |
Australia | States/territories (8) | Statistical Areas Level 4 and Greater Capital City Statistical Area (50) |
Austria | Bundesländer (9) | Gruppen von Politischen Bezirken (35) |
Belgium | Régions (3) | Arrondissements (44) |
Canada | Provinces and territories (13) | Census divisions (293) |
Chile | Regions (16) | Provincias (56) |
Colombia | Departamentos + Capital District (33) | Subregions (158) |
Costa Rica | Planning regions (6) | Planning regions (6) |
Czech Republic | Oblasti (8) | Kraje (14) |
Denmark | Regioner (5) | Landsdeler (11) |
Estonia | Region (1) | Groups of maakond (5) |
Finland | Suuralueet (5) | Maakunnat (19) |
France | Régions (13) + Régions d’outre-mer (5) | Départements (96) + Départements d’outre-mer (5) |
Germany | Länder (16) | Kreise (401) |
Greece | Regions (13) | Regional units and combination of regional units (52) |
Hungary | Planning statistical regions (8) | Counties and Budapest (20) |
Iceland | Regions (2) | Landsvaedi (8) |
Ireland | Groups Regional Authority Regions (3) | Regional Authority Regions (8) |
Israel | Districts (6) | Districts (6) |
Italy | Regioni (21) | Province (107) |
Japan | Groups of prefectures (10) | Prefectures (47) |
Korea | Regions (7) | Special city, metropolitan area and province (17) |
Latvia | Region (1) | Statistical regions (6) |
Lithuania | Group of counties (2) | Counties (10) |
Luxembourg | State (1) | State (1) |
Mexico | Estados (32) | Grupos de municipios (209) |
Netherlands | Provinces (12) | COROP regions (40) |
New Zealand | Regional councils (14) | Regional councils (14) |
Norway | Landsdeler (7) | Fylker (13) |
Poland | Vojewodztwa (17) | Podregiony (73) |
Portugal | Comissaoes de coordenaçao e desenvolvimento regional e regioes autonomas (7) | Grupos de municipios (25) |
Slovak Republic | Zoskupenia krajov (4) | Kraj (8) |
Slovenia | Kohezijske regije (2) | Statisticne regije (12) |
Spain | Comunidades autonomas (17)/Ciudades autónomas (2) | Provincias (59) |
Sweden | Riksomraden (8) | Län (21) |
Switzerland | Grandes régions (7) | Cantons (26) |
Türkiye | Regions (26) | Provinces (81) |
United Kingdom | Regions and countries (12) | Upper-tier authorities or groups of lower-tier authorities or groups of unitary authorities or LECs or groups of districts (179) |
United States | States and the District of Columbia (51) | Economic areas (179) |
Table A.2. Territorial grid of selected emerging economies | ||
|---|---|---|
Region | Territorial Level 2 (TL2) | Territorial Level 3 (TL3) |
Brazil | Estados + districto federal (27) | Mesoregiao (137) |
Bulgaria | Planning regions/Rayoni za planirane (6) | Oblasts/Podregioni (28) |
China | 31 provinces; special administrative region of Hong Kong (China), special administrative region of Macao (China) and Chinese Taipei (33) | - |
India | States and union territories (36) | - |
Malta | State (1) | Islands/Gzejjer (2) |
Peru | Departamentos + Provincia Constitucional del Callao (25) | - |
Romania | Regions/Regiuni (8) | Counties + Bucharest/Județe + București (42) |
South Africa | Provinces (9) | - |
Tunisia | Grandes régions (7) | Régions (24) |
Table A.3. Smallest and largest regional population and surface by country, 2021 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Country | Number of TL3 regions | Region with the highest | Region with the lowest | Number of TL2 regions | Region with the highest | Region with the lowest | ||||
Population | Density | Population | Density | Population | Density | Population | Density | |||
Australia | 50 | 5 361 466 | 510.1 | 40 547 | 0.1 | 8 | 8 188 651 | 183.7 | 245 909 | 0.2 |
Austria | 35 | 1 920 949 | 4 850.9 | 20 118 | 19.9 | 9 | 1 920 949 | 4 850.9 | 296 010 | 60.0 |
Belgium | 44 | 1 229 583 | 7 590.0 | 50 476 | 47.7 | 3 | 6 669 426 | 7 590.0 | 1 229 583 | 217.5 |
Canada | 293 | 2 974 293 | 4 721.1 | 708 | 0.01 | 13 | 14 826 276 | 28.9 | 39 403 | 0.02 |
Chile | 56 | 6 075 403 | 2 992.8 | 2 124 | 0.1 | 16 | 8 242 459 | 538.4 | 107 737 | 1.1 |
Colombia | 158 | 7 834 167 | 4 794.5 | 10 409 | 0.7 | 33 | 7 834 167 | 4 936.5 | 46 808 | 0.7 |
Costa Rica | 6 | 3 189 862 | 349.2 | 307 357 | 39.0 | 6 | 3 189 862 | 349.2 | 307 357 | 39.0 |
Czech Republic | 14 | 1 397 997 | 2 752.8 | 293 311 | 66.9 | 8 | 1 704 179 | 2 752.8 | 1 110 315 | 72.0 |
Denmark | 11 | 903 974 | 4 592.1 | 39 660 | 61.0 | 5 | 1 855 084 | 761.8 | 590 439 | 76.5 |
Estonia | 5 | 613 158 | 143.4 | 121 335 | 13.3 | 1 | 1 330 068 | 30.9 | 1 330 068 | 30.9 |
Finland | 19 | 1 702 678 | 187.2 | 30 129 | 1.9 | 5 | 1 702 678 | 187.2 | 30 129 | 6.3 |
France | 101 | 2 607 879 | 20 851.6 | 76 604 | 3.5 | 18 | 12 348 605 | 1 033.2 | 288 348 | 3.5 |
Germany | 401 | 3 664 088 | 4 800.7 | 34 001 | 35.9 | 16 | 17 925 570 | 4 331.1 | 680 130 | 71.4 |
Greece | 52 | 1 096 665 | 10 399.0 | 18 360 | 10.1 | 13 | 3 736 737 | 986.5 | 202 371 | 28.4 |
Hungary | 20 | 1 723 836 | 3 380.1 | 187 574 | 52.4 | 8 | 1 723 836 | 3 380.1 | 871 105 | 63.3 |
Iceland | 8 | 236 528 | 226.8 | 7 108 | 0.5 | 2 | 236 528 | 228.8 | 132 264 | 1.3 |
Ireland | 8 | 1 423 957 | 1 541.1 | 306 702 | 34.5 | 3 | 2 467 483 | 172.5 | 884 580 | 35.4 |
Israel | 6 | 2 250 600 | 8 485.5 | 1 062 600 | 94.8 | 6 | 2 250 600 | 8 485.5 | 1 062 600 | 94.8 |
Italy | 107 | 4 231 451 | 2 544.1 | 81 415 | 35.8 | 21 | 9 981 554 | 433.1 | 124 089 | 38.2 |
Japan | 47 | 14 010 000 | 7 315.9 | 549 000 | 62.1 | 10 | 36 861 000 | 2 811.2 | 3 659 000 | 62.1 |
Korea | 17 | 13 554 031 | 15 747.8 | 365 128 | 91.3 | 7 | 26 054 097 | 2 225.9 | 679 882 | 91.3 |
Latvia | 6 | 614 618 | 2 382.2 | 183 399 | 12.2 | 1 | 1 893 223 | 29.9 | 1 893 223 | 29.9 |
Lithuania | 10 | 829 983 | 88.1 | 90 129 | 18.6 | 2 | 1 965 697 | 88.1 | 829 983 | 36.9 |
Luxembourg | 1 | 634 730 | 245.5 | 634 730 | 245.5 | 1 | 634 730 | 245.5 | 634 730 | 245.5 |
Mexico | 209 | 8 664 946 | 7 909.5 | 8 834 | 0.7 | 32 | 16 992 418 | 6 298.4 | 731 391 | 10.8 |
Netherlands | 40 | 1 461 412 | 3 428.0 | 45 587 | 142.0 | 12 | 3 726 050 | 1 292.0 | 385 400 | 185.2 |
New Zealand | 14 | 1 715 600 | 383.3 | 32 700 | 1.4 | 14 | 1 715 600 | 383.3 | 32 700 | 1.4 |
Norway | 13 | 1 252 384 | 1 636.2 | 0 | 0.0 | 7 | 1 949 394 | 84.1 | 0 | 0.0 |
Poland | 73 | 1 792 120 | 3 541.7 | 184 826 | 41.1 | 17 | 4 450 220 | 514.7 | 936 000 | 57.2 |
Portugal | 25 | 2 869 033 | 1 021.0 | 80 047 | 13.7 | 7 | 3 566 374 | 1 021.0 | 242 201 | 22.5 |
Slovak Republic | 8 | 827 028 | 335.0 | 565 324 | 68.1 | 4 | 1 819 399 | 335.0 | 677 024 | 82.4 |
Slovenia | 12 | 555 948 | 238.8 | 53 254 | 37.2 | 2 | 1 105 046 | 128.5 | 1 003 931 | 89.6 |
Spain | 59 | 6 755 828 | 6 001.6 | 11 475 | 8.7 | 19 | 8 502 216 | 6 001.6 | 83 517 | 25.4 |
Sweden | 21 | 2 391 990 | 366.6 | 60 124 | 2.6 | 8 | 2 391 990 | 366.6 | 375 709 | 3.4 |
Switzerland | 26 | 1 553 423 | 5 464.9 | 16 293 | 28.3 | 7 | 1 895 693 | 939.2 | 350 986 | 105.8 |
Türkiye | 81 | 15 462 452 | 2 979.9 | 81 910 | 11.3 | 26 | 15 462 452 | 2 979.9 | 785 265 | 26.4 |
United Kingdom | 179 | 1 196 000 | 17 093.5 | 22 300 | 5.7 | 12 | 9 217 200 | 5 774.6 | 1 895 500 | 70.4 |
United States | 179 | 24 161 801 | 626.7 | 79 466 | 0.5 | 51 | 39 237 836 | 4 214.2 | 578 803 | 0.5 |
OECD average | 64 | 3 966 891 | 4 276.8 | 151 449 | 34.4 | 11 | 7 567 772 | 2 026.2 | 667 223 | 52.3 |
Source: Source: Brezzi, M., L. Dijkstra and V. Ruiz (2011), “OECD Extended Regional Typology: The Economic Performance of Remote Rural Regions”, OECD Regional Development Working Papers, 2011/06, OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/5kg6z83tw7f4-en.
Source: Dijkstra, L., H. Poelman and P. Veneri (2019), "The EU-OECD definition of a functional urban area", OECD Regional Development Working Papers, No. 2019/11, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d58cb34d-en.
Source: Fadic, M., et al. (2019), "Classifying small (TL3) regions based on metropolitan population, low density and remoteness", OECD Regional Development Working Papers, No. 2019/06, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b902cc00-en.
Table A.4. Number of metropolitan areas and share of the national population in metropolitan areas, 2022 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Metropolitan areas (FUAs with a population above 250 000 inhabitants) | |||||||||
Total metropolitan areas | Population between 250 000 and 500 000 | Population between 500 000 and 1.5 million | Population above 1.5 million | Rest (non-metropolitan) | |||||
Country | Number | % of national population | Number | % of national population | Number | % of national population | Number | % of national population | % of national population |
Australia | 11 | 74 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 7.9 | 4 | 59.1 | 26 |
Austria | 6 | 59.7 | 3 | 11.1 | 2 | 14.8 | 1 | 33.8 | 40.3 |
Belgium | 7 | 60 | 2 | 4.5 | 4 | 26.8 | 1 | 28.7 | 40 |
Canada | 16 | 66.5 | 4 | 3.7 | 7 | 15.1 | 5 | 47.7 | 33.5 |
Chile | 10 | 65.5 | 6 | 10.9 | 3 | 13.4 | 1 | 41.2 | 34.5 |
Colombia | 22 | 56.8 | 8 | 5.4 | 10 | 14.9 | 4 | 36.5 | 43.2 |
Czech Republic | 4 | 37.3 | 1 | 3.2 | 2 | 13.4 | 1 | 20.7 | 62.7 |
Germany | 67 | 68.2 | 39 | 16.8 | 20 | 20.3 | 8 | 31 | 31.8 |
Denmark | 4 | 54.7 | 2 | 12.1 | 1 | 9.1 | 1 | 33.5 | 45.3 |
Spain | 26 | 55.4 | 13 | 9.7 | 9 | 13.3 | 4 | 32.4 | 44.6 |
Estonia | 1 | 30.1 | 1 | 30.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69.9 |
Finland | 4 | 47.8 | 3 | 19.7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 52.2 |
France | 46 | 56.5 | 29 | 14.7 | 14 | 17.3 | 3 | 24.5 | 43.5 |
United Kingdom | 46 | 69 | 25 | 13.7 | 15 | 18 | 6 | 37.3 | 31 |
Greece | 2 | 42.7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9.8 | 1 | 33 | 57.3 |
Hungary | 5 | 42.4 | 4 | 11.6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30.8 | 57.6 |
Ireland | 2 | 49.3 | 1 | 8.9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 40.4 | 50.7 |
Italy | 24 | 40.8 | 11 | 6.3 | 9 | 10.5 | 4 | 24 | 59.2 |
Japan | 54 | 78.9 | 18 | 5.2 | 30 | 19 | 6 | 54.6 | 21.1 |
Korea | 20 | 80 | 8 | 4.9 | 8 | 13 | 4 | 62 | 20 |
Lithuania | 2 | 29.8 | 1 | 10.4 | 1 | 19.4 | 0 | 0 | 70.2 |
Luxembourg | 1 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Latvia | 1 | 48.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 48.5 | 0 | 0 | 51.5 |
Mexico | 64 | 61.3 | 27 | 7.5 | 27 | 18.2 | 10 | 35.6 | 38.7 |
Netherlands | 16 | 66 | 11 | 22.6 | 3 | 16.2 | 2 | 27.2 | 34 |
Norway | 4 | 46.7 | 3 | 19.9 | 1 | 26.8 | 0 | 0 | 53.3 |
New Zealand | 3 | 51.5 | 1 | 8.8 | 1 | 9.8 | 1 | 32.9 | 48.5 |
Poland | 19 | 42.1 | 10 | 9.7 | 7 | 17.3 | 2 | 15 | 57.9 |
Portugal | 3 | 44.3 | 1 | 2.6 | 1 | 12.4 | 1 | 29.3 | 55.7 |
Slovak Republic | 1 | 8.3 | 1 | 8.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 91.7 |
Slovenia | 1 | 14 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 86 |
Sweden | 5 | 45.8 | 2 | 5.5 | 2 | 17.1 | 1 | 23.3 | 54.2 |
Switzerland | 5 | 39.6 | 2 | 9.9 | 3 | 29.7 | 0 | 0 | 60.4 |
Türkiye | 20 | 43.5 | 4 | 1.7 | 11 | 11.5 | 5 | 30.3 | 56.5 |
United States | 165 | 71.9 | 70 | 7.5 | 60 | 15.4 | 35 | 49 | 28.1 |
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