Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in European Union
European Union: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 17.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in European Union, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in European Union stood at 17.8%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in European Union peaked at 17.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 14.3%, in 1960.
That places European Union 25th 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 European Union, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 14.3% | — |
| 1961 | 14.4% | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 14.5% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 14.6% | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 14.8% | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 14.9% | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 15.0% | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 15.1% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 15.2% | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 15.4% | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 15.5% | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 15.6% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 15.6% | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 15.7% | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 15.7% | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 15.7% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 15.8% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 15.8% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 15.9% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 15.9% | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 15.9% | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 16.0% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 16.0% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 16.0% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 16.0% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 16.0% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 16.0% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 16.1% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 16.1% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 16.1% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 16.1% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 16.1% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 16.1% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 16.1% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 16.1% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 16.2% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 16.2% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 16.2% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 16.2% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 16.2% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 16.2% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 16.3% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 16.3% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 16.3% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 16.4% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 16.4% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 16.5% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 16.5% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 16.6% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 16.6% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 16.7% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 16.8% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 16.9% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 17.0% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 17.1% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 17.2% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 17.3% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 17.4% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 17.4% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 17.5% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 17.6% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 17.7% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 17.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 17.8% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 17.8% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 17.8% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.8% | 14.3% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.7% | 15.5% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.0% | 15.9% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.2% | 16.1% | 16.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.4% | 16.2% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.1% | 16.7% | 17.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.7% | 17.6% | 17.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near European Union
More climate change data for European Union
- Urban population 339.13 million (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.1997 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.3919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.7517 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 75.2% (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Population, total 451.13 million (2025)
- Population growth 0.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in European Union?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in European Union was 17.8% 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 European Union?
- The highest recorded value was 17.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in European Union?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.3% in 1960.
- How does European Union rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- European Union ranks 25th out of 37 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in European Union?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this European Union 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.