Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Asia
South Asia: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 16.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Asia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
South Asia recorded 16.8% for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and up 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Asia peaked at 16.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 7.0%, in 1960.
South Asia ranks 27th 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 South Asia, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.0% | — |
| 1961 | 7.1% | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 7.2% | +1.1% |
| 1963 | 7.3% | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 7.3% | +1.2% |
| 1965 | 7.4% | +1.3% |
| 1966 | 7.5% | +1.4% |
| 1967 | 7.7% | +1.4% |
| 1968 | 7.8% | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 7.9% | +1.5% |
| 1970 | 8.0% | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 8.1% | +1.6% |
| 1972 | 8.3% | +1.7% |
| 1973 | 8.4% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 8.5% | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 8.6% | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 8.8% | +1.5% |
| 1977 | 8.9% | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 9.0% | +1.6% |
| 1979 | 9.2% | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 9.3% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 9.5% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 9.6% | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 9.7% | +1.1% |
| 1984 | 9.8% | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 9.9% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 10.0% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 10.1% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 10.3% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 10.4% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 10.6% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 10.7% | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 10.8% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 10.9% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 11.1% | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 11.2% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 11.3% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 11.5% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 11.6% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 11.8% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 11.9% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 12.1% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 12.2% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 12.3% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 12.4% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 12.5% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 12.6% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 12.8% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 12.9% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 13.1% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 13.3% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 13.4% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 13.6% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 14.0% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 14.3% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 14.5% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 14.7% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 15.0% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 15.2% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 15.5% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 15.7% | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 16.0% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 16.3% | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 16.5% | +1.6% |
| 2025 | 16.8% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.4% | 7.0% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.6% | 8.0% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.9% | 9.3% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.2% | 10.6% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.5% | 11.9% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.2% | 13.3% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.1% | 15.5% | 16.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More climate change data for South Asia
- Urban population 605.70 million (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.8865 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 1.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.3579 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 35.8% (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Population, total 1.69 billion (2025)
- Population growth 0.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Asia?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in South Asia was 16.8% 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 South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 16.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.0% in 1960.
- How does South Asia rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- South Asia ranks 27th out of 37 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Asia 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.