Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — BRICS

Population in cities over 1 million in BRICS in 2025 — 931,619,029 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 582.5%.

2025 932M people +1.91% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 932M people2025
Period minimum 137M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — BRICS, 1960–20250250M500M750M1B19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 136,503,368 people1962: 145,238,266 people1964: 153,998,064 people1966: 163,593,101 people1968: 172,860,434 people1970: 182,760,827 people1972: 193,581,940 people1974: 205,637,015 people1976: 218,730,923 people1978: 233,248,662 people1980: 249,189,309 people1982: 264,034,614 people1984: 280,968,531 people1986: 299,503,867 people1988: 319,269,182 people1990: 340,508,386 people1992: 365,578,478 people1994: 392,722,256 people1996: 423,760,421 people1998: 459,263,972 people2000: 500,148,913 people2002: 530,282,179 people2004: 559,308,087 people2006: 590,467,730 people2008: 623,939,789 people2010: 659,902,817 people2012: 693,333,413 people2014: 727,686,653 people2016: 763,893,171 people2018: 801,804,790 people2020: 839,518,667 people2022: 877,512,650 people2024: 914,165,369 people2025: 931,619,029 people
Change over the period: +795M (+582.49%) Average annual rate: 3 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: BRICS

BRICS 932M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — BRICS, by year BRICS All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 932M +17.45M +1.91%
2024 914M +18.07M +2.02%
2023 896M +18.58M +2.12%
2022 878M +18.93M +2.2%
2021 859M +19.07M +2.27%
2020 840M +18.99M +2.31%
2019 821M +18.72M +2.33%
2018 802M +19.26M +2.46%
2017 783M +18.65M +2.44%
2016 764M +18.3M +2.45%
2015 746M +17.91M +2.46%
2014 728M +17.42M +2.45%
2013 710M +16.93M +2.44%
2012 693M +16.47M +2.43%
2011 677M +16.96M +2.57%
2010 660M +18.32M +2.86%
2009 642M +17.64M +2.83%
2008 624M +17.05M +2.81%
2007 607M +16.42M +2.78%
2006 590M +15.87M +2.76%
2005 575M +15.29M +2.73%
2004 559M +14.79M +2.72%
2003 545M +14.24M +2.68%
2002 530M +13.73M +2.66%
2001 517M +16.4M +3.28%
2000 500M +21.21M +4.43%
1999 479M +19.68M +4.28%
1998 459M +18.36M +4.16%
1997 441M +17.15M +4.05%
1996 424M +16.06M +3.94%
1995 408M +14.98M +3.81%
1994 393M +14.02M +3.7%
1993 379M +13.12M +3.59%
1992 366M +12.54M +3.55%
1991 353M +12.53M +3.68%
1990 341M +10.82M +3.28%
1989 330M +10.42M +3.26%
1988 319M +10.07M +3.26%
1987 309M +9.69M +3.24%
1986 300M +9.5M +3.27%
1985 290M +9.04M +3.22%
1984 281M +8.66M +3.18%
1983 272M +8.28M +3.14%
1982 264M +7.34M +2.86%
1981 257M +7.51M +3.01%
1980 249M +8.1M +3.36%
1979 241M +7.84M +3.36%
1978 233M +7.48M +3.31%
1977 226M +7.04M +3.22%
1976 219M +6.67M +3.15%
1975 212M +6.42M +3.12%
1974 206M +6.16M +3.09%
1973 199M +5.9M +3.05%
1972 194M +5.66M +3.01%
1971 188M +5.16M +2.83%
1970 183M +5.03M +2.83%
1969 178M +4.87M +2.82%
1968 173M +4.72M +2.8%
1967 168M +4.55M +2.78%
1966 164M +4.72M +2.97%
1965 159M +4.88M +3.17%
1964 154M +4.52M +3.03%
1963 149M +4.24M +2.92%
1962 145M +4.15M +2.94%
1961 141M +4.58M +3.36%
1960 137M

About the indicator

The population of urban agglomerations with more than one million residents. The unit of count is the agglomeration, not the city within its administrative boundaries, and that is essential: along administrative lines many of the largest concentrations of people break up into dozens of municipalities. The indicator measures not urbanization as such but its concentration in large centers — a country can be highly urbanized without a single million-plus city.

Important: The table covers about 120 territories — the rest have no agglomerations of this size, and that is a zero, not a gap. Aggregates for groups of countries are therefore calculated at a lowered coverage threshold.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.