Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income): Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 20.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) stood at 20.1%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) peaked at 20.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 13.6%, in 1960.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 19th of 37 groups on this measure, 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 13.6% | — |
| 1961 | 14.0% | +2.5% |
| 1962 | 14.3% | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 14.6% | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 15.0% | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 15.3% | +2.4% |
| 1966 | 15.6% | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 15.9% | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 16.1% | +1.4% |
| 1969 | 16.3% | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 16.5% | +1.4% |
| 1971 | 16.8% | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 17.1% | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 17.4% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 17.6% | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 17.9% | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 18.0% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 18.2% | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 18.3% | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 18.4% | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 18.5% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 18.6% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 18.6% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 18.6% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 18.6% | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 18.6% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 18.7% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 18.6% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 18.6% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 18.6% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 18.6% | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 18.6% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 18.6% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 18.7% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 18.7% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 18.8% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 18.8% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 18.9% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 18.9% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 18.9% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 19.0% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 19.0% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 19.1% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 19.1% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 19.1% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 19.1% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 19.0% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 19.0% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 19.1% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 19.1% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 19.2% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 19.0% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 18.9% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 18.9% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 18.9% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 19.0% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 19.3% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 19.4% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 19.5% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 19.6% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 19.6% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 19.7% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 19.8% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 19.9% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 20.0% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 20.1% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.1% | 13.6% | 16.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 17.6% | 16.5% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 18.6% | 18.5% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.8% | 18.6% | 18.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.1% | 19.0% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.2% | 18.9% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.9% | 19.6% | 20.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
More climate change data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
- Urban population 398.54 million (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 1.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 2.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.5286 units per person (2025)
- Urban population growth 2.1% (2025)
- Population, total 753.90 million (2025)
- Population growth 1.6% (2025)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 38 units per square kilometre (2023)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) was 20.1% 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 20.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.6% in 1960.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 19th out of 37 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 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.
Download this data
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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.