Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in OECD members
OECD members: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 38.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in OECD members, 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 OECD members stood at 38.1%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in OECD members peaked at 38.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 26.1%, in 1960.
That places OECD members 5th out of 37 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
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 OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 26.1% | — |
| 1961 | 26.5% | +1.3% |
| 1962 | 26.8% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 27.2% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 27.5% | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 27.9% | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 28.3% | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 28.6% | +1.3% |
| 1968 | 29.0% | +1.4% |
| 1969 | 29.4% | +1.4% |
| 1970 | 29.8% | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 30.0% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 30.1% | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 30.3% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 30.5% | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 30.7% | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 30.8% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 30.9% | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 31.1% | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 31.2% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 31.4% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 31.6% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 31.7% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 31.9% | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 32.0% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 32.2% | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 32.4% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 32.7% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 32.9% | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 33.1% | +0.7% |
| 1990 | 33.3% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 33.4% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 33.5% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 33.7% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 33.8% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 34.0% | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 34.1% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 34.2% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 34.4% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 34.5% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 34.6% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 34.7% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 34.9% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 35.0% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 35.1% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 35.3% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 35.4% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 35.5% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 35.7% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 35.8% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 36.0% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 36.2% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 36.4% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 36.5% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 36.7% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 36.9% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 37.0% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 37.2% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 37.3% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 37.4% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 37.6% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 37.8% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 37.9% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 37.9% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 37.9% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 38.1% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 27.7% | 26.1% | 29.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 30.5% | 29.8% | 31.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 32.2% | 31.4% | 33.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.9% | 33.3% | 34.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.2% | 34.6% | 35.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.8% | 36.0% | 37.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.9% | 37.6% | 38.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More climate change data for OECD members
- Population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Population, total 1.40 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.5% (2025)
- Urban population 1.14 billion (2025)
- Urban population 81.3% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 1,013 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 7.9% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 17.0% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 21.1% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 24.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in OECD members?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in OECD members was 38.1% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 38.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.1% in 1960.
- How does OECD members rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- OECD members ranks 5th out of 37 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this OECD members 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.