Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in World
World: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 25.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in World, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
World recorded 25.3% for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in World peaked at 25.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 14.2%, in 1960.
That places World 10th 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 World, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 14.2% | — |
| 1961 | 14.4% | +1.8% |
| 1962 | 14.6% | +1.3% |
| 1963 | 14.8% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 14.9% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 15.1% | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 15.2% | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 15.3% | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 15.5% | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 15.6% | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 15.7% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 15.8% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 15.9% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 16.0% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 16.1% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 16.2% | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 16.3% | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 16.4% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 16.6% | +0.8% |
| 1979 | 16.7% | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 16.8% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 16.9% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 17.0% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 17.1% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 17.2% | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 17.3% | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 17.5% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 17.6% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 17.7% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 17.9% | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 18.0% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 18.2% | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 18.4% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 18.5% | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 18.7% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 18.9% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 19.1% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 19.3% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 19.6% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 19.8% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 20.1% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 20.3% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 20.5% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 20.7% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 20.8% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 21.0% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 21.2% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 21.4% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 21.6% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 21.8% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 22.1% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 22.2% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 22.4% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 22.6% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 22.8% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 23.0% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 23.2% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 23.4% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 23.7% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 23.9% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 24.1% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 24.4% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 24.6% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 24.9% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 25.1% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 25.3% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.0% | 14.2% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 16.2% | 15.7% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 17.3% | 16.8% | 17.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.9% | 18.0% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.0% | 20.1% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.9% | 22.1% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.7% | 24.1% | 25.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
More climate change data for World
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 135.91 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 4.94 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 1.27 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.67 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 4,791 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 130,918 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 1.64 million kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 957,726 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 685,096 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 3,614 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in World?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in World was 25.3% 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 25.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.2% in 1960.
- How does World rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- World ranks 10th out of 37 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this World 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.