Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Arab World
Arab World: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 22.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Arab World, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Arab World is 22.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Arab World peaked at 22.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 14.5%, in 1960.
That places Arab World 15th out of 37 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Arab World, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 14.5% | — |
| 1961 | 14.8% | +2.4% |
| 1962 | 15.2% | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 15.6% | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 16.0% | +2.8% |
| 1965 | 16.5% | +2.9% |
| 1966 | 16.9% | +2.4% |
| 1967 | 17.1% | +1.6% |
| 1968 | 17.4% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 17.7% | +1.7% |
| 1970 | 18.0% | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 18.3% | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 18.7% | +1.9% |
| 1973 | 19.0% | +1.8% |
| 1974 | 19.3% | +1.7% |
| 1975 | 19.6% | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 19.7% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 19.9% | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 19.9% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 20.0% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 20.0% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 20.1% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 20.1% | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 20.1% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 20.2% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 20.3% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 20.3% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 20.5% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 20.7% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 20.9% | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 21.2% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 21.5% | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 21.7% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 21.8% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 21.8% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 21.8% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 21.9% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 21.9% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 22.1% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 22.1% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 22.1% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 22.1% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 22.1% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 22.0% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 22.0% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 22.2% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 22.3% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 22.1% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 21.9% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 21.8% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 21.8% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 22.0% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 22.2% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 22.4% | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 22.6% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 22.7% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 22.7% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 22.9% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 22.8% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 22.8% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 22.8% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 22.8% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.2% | 14.5% | 17.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.2% | 18.0% | 20.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.3% | 20.0% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 21.8% | 21.2% | 22.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.1% | 22.0% | 22.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.2% | 21.8% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.8% | 22.7% | 22.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
More climate change data for Arab World
- Population growth 2.2% (2025)
- Population, total 503.36 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 2.5% (2025)
- Urban population 302.20 million (2025)
- Urban population 60.0% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 230.73 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 205.4% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 6.4% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 5.8% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 3.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Arab World?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Arab World was 22.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 22.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.5% in 1960.
- How does Arab World rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Arab World ranks 15th out of 37 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Arab World data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.