Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North America
North America: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 46.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North America, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
North America recorded 46.7% for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in 2025.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North America peaked at 46.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 38.0%, in 1960.
North America ranks 1st of 37 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 North America, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 38.0% | — |
| 1961 | 38.1% | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 38.3% | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 38.6% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 38.8% | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 39.1% | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 39.5% | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 39.9% | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 40.3% | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 40.8% | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 41.1% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 40.9% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 40.8% | -0.2% |
| 1973 | 40.8% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 40.8% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 40.7% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 40.7% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 40.7% | -0.0% |
| 1978 | 40.7% | -0.0% |
| 1979 | 40.7% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 40.7% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 40.8% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 40.8% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 41.0% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 41.1% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 41.2% | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 41.4% | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 41.5% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 41.7% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 41.8% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 41.9% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 42.0% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 42.1% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 42.2% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 42.4% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 42.6% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 42.8% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 43.0% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 43.2% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 43.4% | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 43.6% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 43.7% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 43.7% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 43.8% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 43.9% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 44.0% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 44.1% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 44.2% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 44.3% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 44.4% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 44.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 44.7% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 44.8% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 45.0% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 45.2% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 45.4% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 45.6% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 45.8% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 46.1% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 46.2% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 46.3% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 46.6% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 46.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 46.7% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 46.5% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 46.7% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 39.1% | 38.0% | 40.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 40.8% | 40.7% | 41.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 41.2% | 40.7% | 41.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.6% | 41.9% | 43.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.0% | 43.6% | 44.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.3% | 44.5% | 46.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.6% | 46.3% | 46.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
- 1 Hong Kong, China 100.0% compare
- 1 Singapore 100.0% compare
- 3 Puerto Rico 76.4% compare
- 4 Kuwait 70.0% compare
More climate change data for North America
- Urban population 80.5% (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.5691 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6692 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8049 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 308.67 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Population, total 383.50 million (2025)
- Population growth 0.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North America?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in North America was 46.7% 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 North America?
- The highest recorded value was 46.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.0% in 1960.
- How does North America rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- North America ranks 1st out of 37 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America 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.