Urban population in South Asia
South Asia: Urban population was 605.70 million in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population in South Asia, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population in South Asia is 605.70 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population in South Asia peaked at 605.70 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 82.87 million, in 1960.
That places South Asia 18th out of 49 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 96.45 million | 82.87 million | 111.86 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 141.58 million | 115.97 million | 172.61 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 211.26 million | 180.07 million | 242.91 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 286.65 million | 250.41 million | 325.03 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 383.43 million | 334.55 million | 435.32 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 496.30 million | 447.42 million | 544.01 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 579.50 million | 554.41 million | 605.70 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 15 Bangladesh 58.40 million compare
- 16 United Kingdom 57.90 million compare
- 17 France 54.18 million compare
- 18 Democratic Republic of Congo 50.90 million compare
- 19 Egypt 50.78 million compare
- 20 Thailand 44.98 million compare
- 21 Argentina 42.34 million compare
More climate change data for South Asia
- Population growth 0.9% (2025)
- Population, total 1.69 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 1.8% (2025)
- Urban population 35.8% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 16.8% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 706.16 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 37.6% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 9.2% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 4.6% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 0.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population in South Asia?
- Urban population in South Asia was 605.70 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 605.70 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.87 million in 1960.
- How does South Asia rank for urban population?
- South Asia ranks 18th out of 49 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Asia data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.