Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population, annual growth rate by country
The year-on-year percentage change in Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Countries reporting
226
Highest
5.47 % change on previous year
Ethiopia PDR
Lowest
-0.8316 % change on previous year
United States Virgin Islands
Median
0.6785 % change on previous year
Years covered
100
1951β2050
Data points
25,267
What the numbers show
Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population, annual growth rate is currently reported for 226 countries. The highest value is 5.47 % change on previous year in Ethiopia PDR; the lowest is -0.8316 % change on previous year in United States Virgin Islands.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.6785 % change on previous year, and the mean is 1.06 % change on previous year.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 7.
Over the past decade 9 countries rose and 217 fell. The largest increase was in Netherlands Antilles (former) (up 429.2%), and the largest decrease in China, Taiwan Province of (down 5,302.5%).
Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population, annual growth rate: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ethiopia PDR | 5.47 % change on previous year | 1992 | up 15.6% | falling |
| 2 | Niger | 5.26 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 3 | Pacific Islands Trust Territory | 4.45 % change on previous year | 1990 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 4 | Burundi | 4.44 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 9.6% | flat |
| 5 | Malawi | 4.02 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 11.4% | falling |
| 6 | Uganda | 3.77 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 7 | Chad | 3.72 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 8 | South Sudan | 3.59 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 9 | Papua New Guinea | 3.49 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 10.8% | volatile |
| 10 | Burkina Faso | 3.33 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.9% | falling |
| 11 | Rwanda | 3.32 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.8% | volatile |
| 11 | Mayotte | 2.33 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 16.7% | volatile |
| 12 | Zambia | 3.24 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 13 | Mozambique | 3.23 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.2% | falling |
| 13 | Montserrat | 1.53 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.5% | volatile |
| 14 | Somalia | 3.22 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 11.2% | volatile |
| 15 | Guinea | 3.08 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 16 | Mali | 3.02 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.4% | flat |
| 17 | Kenya | 2.98 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 18 | Ethiopia | 2.96 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.8% | falling |
| 19 | Sudan | 2.95 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.5% | flat |
| 20 | Madagascar | 2.93 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 21 | Sudan (former) | 2.93 % change on previous year | 2011 | down 0.9% | falling |
| 22 | Zimbabwe | 2.81 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.3% | falling |
| 23 | Angola | 2.8 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 24 | Senegal | 2.78 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.1% | falling |
| 25 | Benin | 2.72 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.5% | falling |
| 26 | Nigeria | 2.71 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.6% | falling |
| 27 | Afghanistan | 2.67 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 28 | Tajikistan | 2.66 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.3% | rising |
| 28 | Niue | 0.7353 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 27.6% | volatile |
| 29 | Central African Republic | 2.62 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.8% | falling |
| 30 | Togo | 2.6 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.8% | volatile |
| 31 | Liberia | 2.59 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.5% | volatile |
| 32 | Netherlands Antilles (former) | 2.59 % change on previous year | 2010 | up 429.2% | volatile |
| 33 | Eritrea | 2.52 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 34 | Cameroon | 2.48 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 35 | Comoros | 2.47 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 36 | Congo | 2.46 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.5% | falling |
| 36 | Cook Islands | 0.324 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 10.5% | volatile |
| 37 | Vanuatu | 2.46 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 8.6% | falling |
| 38 | Guinea-Bissau | 2.39 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.7% | falling |
| 39 | Solomon Islands | 2.37 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 13.3% | falling |
| 40 | Lesotho | 2.37 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 11.1% | volatile |
| 41 | Mauritania | 2.32 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.3% | volatile |
| 42 | Iraq | 2.31 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.9% | falling |
| 43 | Gambia | 2.22 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 18.7% | falling |
| 44 | Cambodia | 2.17 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 17.2% | volatile |
| 44 | Anguilla | -0.3185 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 239.2% | volatile |
| 45 | Sierra Leone | 2.17 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 17.2% | falling |
| 46 | Eswatini | 2.13 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 11.8% | volatile |
| 47 | Egypt | 2.13 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.7% | falling |
| 48 | Yemen | 2.12 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 21.3% | falling |
| 49 | Pakistan | 2.11 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.9% | falling |
| 50 | Equatorial Guinea | 2.07 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 16.9% | volatile |
| 51 | Nepal | 1.99 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 17.3% | falling |
| 52 | Ghana | 1.99 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.3% | falling |
| 53 | Samoa | 1.92 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 1.8% | volatile |
| 54 | Namibia | 1.88 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 55 | Palestine, State of | 1.86 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.8% | falling |
| 56 | Kyrgyzstan | 1.79 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 18.0% | rising |
| 57 | Tonga | 1.78 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 9.8% | volatile |
| 58 | Sao Tome and Principe | 1.73 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.6% | falling |
| 59 | Guatemala | 1.73 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 19.0% | falling |
| 60 | Philippines | 1.65 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 61 | French Guiana | 1.64 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 17.9% | falling |
| 62 | Liechtenstein | 1.63 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 9.2% | volatile |
| 63 | Belize | 1.62 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 18.2% | falling |
| 64 | Sri Lanka | 1.6 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 21.7% | volatile |
| 65 | Kiribati | 1.56 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 11.4% | falling |
| 66 | Antigua and Barbuda | 1.48 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.4% | volatile |
| 67 | India | 1.47 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 21.5% | falling |
| 68 | Myanmar | 1.46 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 22.1% | falling |
| 69 | Nicaragua | 1.45 % change on previous year | 2023 | down 4.0% | falling |
| 70 | Gabon | 1.39 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 16.5% | volatile |
| 71 | Turkmenistan | 1.3 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 22.9% | falling |
| 72 | Western Sahara | 1.29 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 20.4% | volatile |
| 73 | Kazakhstan | 1.25 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 10.1% | volatile |
| 74 | Maldives | 1.23 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 19.5% | volatile |
| 75 | Bangladesh | 1.22 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 25.6% | volatile |
| 76 | Uzbekistan | 1.22 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 19.5% | falling |
| 77 | Honduras | 1.17 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 24.6% | falling |
| 78 | Channel Islands | 1.17 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 8.5% | volatile |
| 79 | Ecuador | 1.13 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 20.4% | falling |
| 80 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1.1 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 21.1% | volatile |
| 81 | Israel | 1.1 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.2% | volatile |
| 82 | Panama | 1.09 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 22.4% | falling |
| 83 | Botswana | 1.07 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 26.3% | volatile |
| 84 | Jordan | 1.06 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 27.0% | volatile |
| 85 | Mongolia | 1.05 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 11.5% | volatile |
| 86 | Saint Lucia | 1.03 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 21.9% | volatile |
| 87 | Algeria | 0.9922 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 17.7% | volatile |
| 88 | Paraguay | 0.9753 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 23.4% | falling |
| 89 | Tuvalu | 0.9551 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.8% | volatile |
| 90 | New Caledonia | 0.9545 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 19.4% | volatile |
| 91 | Faroe Islands | 0.9506 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.1% | volatile |
| 92 | Bhutan | 0.9406 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 25.1% | volatile |
| 93 | Ireland | 0.9335 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 21.1% | volatile |
| 94 | Guyana | 0.9156 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 25.7% | volatile |
| 95 | Australia | 0.8931 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 96 | Isle of Man | 0.882 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 18.0% | volatile |
| 97 | South Africa | 0.8748 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 22.2% | falling |
| 98 | Haiti | 0.86 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 31.5% | falling |
| 99 | Morocco | 0.834 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 27.3% | falling |
| 100 | Australia and New Zealand | 0.8335 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 11.9% | falling |
| 101 | Barbados | 0.8257 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.4% | volatile |
| 102 | British Virgin Islands | 0.8086 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 23.5% | volatile |
| 103 | Indonesia | 0.8065 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 30.2% | falling |
| 104 | United Arab Emirates | 0.7766 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 28.3% | volatile |
| 105 | Luxembourg | 0.7733 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 16.3% | falling |
| 106 | Norway | 0.7506 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.2% | volatile |
| 107 | Yugoslav SFR | 0.7059 % change on previous year | 1991 | down 69.1% | falling |
| 108 | Malaysia | 0.6933 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 24.9% | volatile |
| 109 | Djibouti | 0.6901 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 32.3% | volatile |
| 110 | Peru | 0.6786 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 28.6% | volatile |
| 111 | Oman | 0.6784 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 16.5% | volatile |
| 112 | Tunisia | 0.6752 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 23.6% | volatile |
| 113 | Cyprus | 0.6588 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 25.9% | volatile |
| 114 | Canada | 0.6552 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 15.7% | volatile |
| 115 | China, Macao SAR | 0.6462 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 16.4% | volatile |
| 116 | Switzerland | 0.6452 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 14.7% | volatile |
| 117 | Azerbaijan | 0.6087 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 37.9% | falling |
| 118 | Grenada | 0.6059 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 35.7% | volatile |
| 119 | French Polynesia | 0.6032 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 25.6% | volatile |
| 120 | Saudi Arabia | 0.5985 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 30.5% | volatile |
| 121 | Qatar | 0.5742 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 21.4% | volatile |
| 122 | Marshall Islands | 0.5557 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 57.2% | falling |
| 123 | Bahrain | 0.5428 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 34.0% | volatile |
| 124 | Sweden | 0.5427 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 1.3% | volatile |
| 125 | Monaco | 0.5392 % change on previous year | 2050 | up 17.9% | volatile |
| 126 | Mexico | 0.5363 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 34.9% | volatile |
| 127 | Palau | 0.5354 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 26.3% | falling |
| 128 | Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba | 0.5275 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 21.2% | volatile |
| 129 | Ascension, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha | 0.5143 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 31.2% | volatile |
| 130 | Argentina | 0.514 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 24.0% | falling |
| 131 | Austria | 0.5124 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 24.3% | volatile |
| 132 | Sint Maarten | 0.5079 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 17.3% | volatile |
| 133 | Aruba | 0.5076 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 31.1% | volatile |
| 134 | Holy See | 0.4988 % change on previous year | 2050 | up 200.0% | volatile |
| 135 | New Zealand | 0.4877 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 24.2% | volatile |
| 136 | Suriname | 0.4854 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 35.8% | volatile |
| 137 | Cayman Islands | 0.4821 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 29.9% | volatile |
| 138 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 0.4733 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 40.2% | volatile |
| 139 | Libya | 0.4664 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 42.5% | volatile |
| 140 | Fiji | 0.4647 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 38.4% | volatile |
| 141 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 0.4593 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 17.4% | volatile |
| 142 | Mauritius | 0.4521 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 32.3% | volatile |
| 143 | Kuwait | 0.4407 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 42.1% | volatile |
| 144 | Brunei Darussalam | 0.4349 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 40.8% | volatile |
| 145 | Bahamas | 0.4187 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 29.2% | volatile |
| 146 | Dominican Republic | 0.3757 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 46.0% | volatile |
| 147 | USSR | 0.3658 % change on previous year | 1991 | down 75.8% | falling |
| 148 | Slovak Republic | 0.3502 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 31.0% | volatile |
| 149 | Slovenia | 0.3442 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 35.7% | volatile |
| 150 | Denmark | 0.3351 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 12.7% | volatile |
| 151 | France | 0.3323 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 30.2% | volatile |
| 152 | Curaçao | 0.3059 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 22.8% | falling |
| 153 | Belgium-Luxembourg | 0.3054 % change on previous year | 1999 | down 6.2% | falling |
| 154 | Finland | 0.2994 % change on previous year | 2050 | up 3.1% | volatile |
| 155 | Costa Rica | 0.29 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 47.7% | volatile |
| 156 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 0.278 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 44.5% | volatile |
| 157 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 0.2601 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 56.6% | volatile |
| 158 | Seychelles | 0.2594 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 54.1% | volatile |
| 159 | El Salvador | 0.2563 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 51.9% | volatile |
| 160 | Chile | 0.2334 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 48.5% | volatile |
| 161 | Iceland | 0.2312 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 42.4% | volatile |
| 162 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.2135 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 48.9% | volatile |
| 163 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.2012 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 54.9% | volatile |
| 164 | North Macedonia | 0.1782 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 51.1% | volatile |
| 165 | Czechia | 0.1601 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 5.0% | volatile |
| 166 | Guam | 0.1509 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 59.9% | volatile |
| 167 | Thailand | 0.1451 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 73.9% | volatile |
| 168 | Colombia | 0.1417 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 66.1% | volatile |
| 169 | Belgium | 0.1395 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 38.4% | falling |
| 170 | Russian Federation | 0.1394 % change on previous year | 2050 | up 30.9% | volatile |
| 171 | Dominica | 0.1305 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 60.2% | volatile |
| 172 | Romania | 0.1264 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 59.6% | volatile |
| 173 | Serbia | 0.1128 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 42.9% | volatile |
| 174 | Lebanon | 0.1062 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 69.8% | volatile |
| 175 | Brazil | 0.1001 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 70.0% | volatile |
| 176 | Gibraltar | 0.0973 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 40.9% | volatile |
| 177 | Armenia | 0.0634 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 80.2% | volatile |
| 178 | RΓ©union | 0.0395 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 87.0% | volatile |
| 179 | China, Hong Kong SAR | 0.0392 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 69.6% | volatile |
| 180 | Germany | 0.0388 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 79.3% | volatile |
| 181 | Uruguay | 0.0269 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 82.5% | volatile |
| 182 | Georgia | 0.0234 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 89.1% | volatile |
| 183 | Croatia | 0.0158 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 91.1% | volatile |
| 184 | Jamaica | 0.0152 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 96.1% | volatile |
| 185 | Italy | 0.0094 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 95.3% | volatile |
| 186 | Serbia and Montenegro | 0.0015 % change on previous year | 2005 | down 99.8% | volatile |
| 187 | Czechoslovakia | -0.0028 % change on previous year | 1992 | down 100.7% | volatile |
| 188 | Montenegro | -0.0301 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 123.4% | volatile |
| 189 | Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | -0.0407 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 124.8% | volatile |
| 190 | Poland | -0.0452 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 133.4% | volatile |
| 191 | China, mainland | -0.0577 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 118.2% | volatile |
| 192 | China | -0.0615 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 119.8% | volatile |
| 193 | Belarus | -0.0716 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 35.3% | volatile |
| 194 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | -0.0791 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 239.9% | volatile |
| 195 | Estonia | -0.1039 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 334.2% | volatile |
| 196 | Singapore | -0.1059 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 156.8% | volatile |
| 197 | Spain | -0.1207 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 200.4% | volatile |
| 198 | San Marino | -0.1221 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 802.9% | volatile |
| 199 | Lithuania | -0.1248 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 39.6% | volatile |
| 200 | American Samoa | -0.1454 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 217.4% | volatile |
| 201 | Ukraine | -0.1458 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 11.5% | volatile |
| 202 | Andorra | -0.1734 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 220.7% | volatile |
| 203 | Cuba | -0.1738 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 378.0% | volatile |
| 204 | Hungary | -0.1776 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 41.1% | volatile |
| 205 | Portugal | -0.1795 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 336.7% | volatile |
| 206 | Malta | -0.2041 % change on previous year | 2050 | up 4.5% | volatile |
| 207 | Republic of Korea | -0.2155 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 426.9% | volatile |
| 208 | Albania | -0.217 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 487.1% | volatile |
| 209 | Nauru | -0.2288 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 427.5% | volatile |
| 210 | Latvia | -0.2718 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 9.4% | volatile |
| 211 | Greenland | -0.2897 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 49.0% | volatile |
| 212 | China, Taiwan Province of | -0.2929 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 5,302.5% | volatile |
| 213 | Greece | -0.3231 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 430.5% | volatile |
| 214 | Japan | -0.4618 % change on previous year | 2050 | up 0.0% | volatile |
| 215 | Guadeloupe | -0.4893 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 108.8% | volatile |
| 216 | Martinique | -0.4934 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 153.4% | volatile |
| 217 | Bulgaria | -0.5166 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 3.7% | volatile |
| 218 | Puerto Rico | -0.5786 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 65.7% | volatile |
| 219 | Bermuda | -0.6736 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 31.9% | volatile |
| 220 | Northern Mariana Islands | -0.7575 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 168.6% | volatile |
| 221 | United States Virgin Islands | -0.8316 % change on previous year | 2050 | down 30.0% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) 2.88 % change on previous year
- Eastern Africa 3.24 % change on previous year
- Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDCs) 2.81 % change on previous year
- Net Food Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) 2.41 % change on previous year
- World 1.1 % change on previous year
- Northern America 0.6023 % change on previous year
- Western Africa 2.78 % change on previous year
- United States of America 0.5966 % change on previous year
- Americas 0.4885 % change on previous year
- CΓ΄te d'Ivoire 2.76 % change on previous year
- Northern Europe 0.4664 % change on previous year
- Africa 2.68 % change on previous year
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.