Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — High-income countries

Population in cities over 1 million in high-income countries in 2025 — 499,239,839 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 128.6%.

2025 499M people +0.61% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 499M people2025
Period minimum 218M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — High-income countries, 1960–2025200M300M400M500M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 218,425,300 people1962: 229,268,910 people1964: 240,637,028 people1966: 252,182,188 people1968: 263,796,216 people1970: 275,921,690 people1972: 284,708,617 people1974: 293,212,835 people1976: 301,536,962 people1978: 309,103,012 people1980: 316,797,972 people1982: 324,377,080 people1984: 332,051,162 people1986: 340,393,856 people1988: 349,793,717 people1990: 359,270,184 people1992: 367,348,348 people1994: 374,759,252 people1996: 382,387,785 people1998: 389,660,103 people2000: 397,183,952 people2002: 404,334,651 people2004: 412,152,839 people2006: 420,556,081 people2008: 429,353,525 people2010: 438,402,675 people2012: 447,369,189 people2014: 456,708,472 people2016: 466,550,266 people2018: 476,728,766 people2020: 483,472,407 people2022: 489,961,186 people2024: 496,193,740 people2025: 499,239,839 people
Change over the period: +281M (+128.56%) Average annual rate: 1.28 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: High-income countries

High-income countries 499M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — High-income countries, by year High-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 499M +3.05M +0.61%
2024 496M +3.09M +0.63%
2023 493M +3.14M +0.64%
2022 490M +3.21M +0.66%
2021 487M +3.28M +0.68%
2020 483M +3.35M +0.7%
2019 480M +3.4M +0.71%
2018 477M +5.15M +1.09%
2017 472M +5.03M +1.08%
2016 467M +4.99M +1.08%
2015 462M +4.85M +1.06%
2014 457M +4.73M +1.05%
2013 452M +4.61M +1.03%
2012 447M +4.5M +1.02%
2011 443M +4.47M +1.02%
2010 438M +4.57M +1.05%
2009 434M +4.47M +1.04%
2008 429M +4.4M +1.04%
2007 425M +4.4M +1.05%
2006 421M +4.21M +1.01%
2005 416M +4.2M +1.02%
2004 412M +3.96M +0.97%
2003 408M +3.85M +0.95%
2002 404M +3.76M +0.94%
2001 401M +3.39M +0.85%
2000 397M +3.74M +0.95%
1999 393M +3.78M +0.97%
1998 390M +3.67M +0.95%
1997 386M +3.6M +0.94%
1996 382M +3.76M +0.99%
1995 379M +3.87M +1.03%
1994 375M +3.72M +1%
1993 371M +3.69M +1%
1992 367M +3.84M +1.06%
1991 364M +4.24M +1.18%
1990 359M +4.73M +1.33%
1989 355M +4.75M +1.36%
1988 350M +4.6M +1.33%
1987 345M +4.8M +1.41%
1986 340M +4.33M +1.29%
1985 336M +4.01M +1.21%
1984 332M +3.89M +1.18%
1983 328M +3.79M +1.17%
1982 324M +3.76M +1.17%
1981 321M +3.81M +1.2%
1980 317M +3.86M +1.23%
1979 313M +3.84M +1.24%
1978 309M +3.83M +1.25%
1977 305M +3.74M +1.24%
1976 302M +3.89M +1.31%
1975 298M +4.43M +1.51%
1974 293M +4.34M +1.5%
1973 289M +4.17M +1.46%
1972 285M +4.09M +1.46%
1971 281M +4.7M +1.7%
1970 276M +6.02M +2.23%
1969 270M +6.11M +2.31%
1968 264M +5.92M +2.3%
1967 258M +5.69M +2.26%
1966 252M +5.54M +2.25%
1965 247M +6M +2.49%
1964 241M +5.8M +2.47%
1963 235M +5.56M +2.43%
1962 229M +5.41M +2.42%
1961 224M +5.43M +2.49%
1960 218M

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.