An urban indicator is a unit of information measured over time that documents changes in a specific condition in an urban context. The indicators have the objective of representing reality in a quantitative, simple and direct way, in order to prepare a clear analysis.

There are simple indicators and complex indicators. For example, the illiteracy rate and access to drinking water are simple indicators, since they refer to attributes whose presence or quality level can be verified in a simple and empirical way. The case of indicators such as the social indicator is different, which require a more complex conceptual framework, as both are a theoretical construct and do not have a concrete empirical equivalence. In the composition of indicators, clear and precise concepts must be present, which do not require great mathematical or statistical development.

Various classifications of urban indicators can be made according to the criteria chosen for it (a universal system has not been imposed). According to the Special Plan of Environmental Sustainability Indicators of the Urban Planning Activity of Seville,[1]​ the urban indicators can be differentiated: