Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — NATO

Population in cities over 1 million in NATO in 2025 — 306,361,952 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 115.7%.

2025 306M people +0.82% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 306M people2025
Period minimum 142M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — NATO, 1960–2025100M150M200M250M300M350M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 142,029,363 people1962: 147,383,551 people1964: 152,807,957 people1966: 158,491,462 people1968: 164,365,310 people1970: 170,298,302 people1972: 173,649,191 people1974: 176,709,275 people1976: 179,893,898 people1978: 183,165,913 people1980: 186,607,736 people1982: 190,298,401 people1984: 194,086,450 people1986: 198,158,825 people1988: 202,638,986 people1990: 207,464,880 people1992: 212,747,085 people1994: 218,018,197 people1996: 223,457,361 people1998: 229,051,983 people2000: 234,769,428 people2002: 239,755,197 people2004: 245,192,536 people2006: 250,931,039 people2008: 257,149,623 people2010: 263,621,216 people2012: 270,091,974 people2014: 276,142,094 people2016: 282,344,615 people2018: 288,758,608 people2020: 293,776,249 people2022: 298,850,350 people2024: 303,877,141 people2025: 306,361,952 people
Change over the period: +164M (+115.7%) Average annual rate: 1.19 %

Comparison, 2025

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

NATO 306M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — NATO, by year NATO All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 306M +2.48M +0.82%
2024 304M +2.5M +0.83%
2023 301M +2.52M +0.84%
2022 299M +2.54M +0.86%
2021 296M +2.54M +0.86%
2020 294M +2.52M +0.87%
2019 291M +2.49M +0.86%
2018 289M +3.24M +1.13%
2017 286M +3.18M +1.12%
2016 282M +3.12M +1.12%
2015 279M +3.08M +1.12%
2014 276M +3.05M +1.12%
2013 273M +3M +1.11%
2012 270M +3.15M +1.18%
2011 267M +3.32M +1.26%
2010 264M +3.27M +1.26%
2009 260M +3.2M +1.24%
2008 257M +3.14M +1.24%
2007 254M +3.08M +1.23%
2006 251M +2.92M +1.18%
2005 248M +2.82M +1.15%
2004 245M +2.75M +1.13%
2003 242M +2.69M +1.12%
2002 240M +2.6M +1.1%
2001 237M +2.38M +1.02%
2000 235M +2.83M +1.22%
1999 232M +2.89M +1.26%
1998 229M +2.81M +1.24%
1997 226M +2.79M +1.25%
1996 223M +2.75M +1.25%
1995 221M +2.69M +1.23%
1994 218M +2.65M +1.23%
1993 215M +2.63M +1.23%
1992 213M +2.61M +1.24%
1991 210M +2.67M +1.29%
1990 207M +2.46M +1.2%
1989 205M +2.37M +1.17%
1988 203M +2.13M +1.06%
1987 201M +2.35M +1.19%
1986 198M +2.07M +1.06%
1985 196M +2M +1.03%
1984 194M +1.92M +1%
1983 192M +1.87M +0.98%
1982 190M +1.84M +0.98%
1981 188M +1.85M +0.99%
1980 187M +1.75M +0.95%
1979 185M +1.69M +0.92%
1978 183M +1.65M +0.91%
1977 182M +1.62M +0.9%
1976 180M +1.59M +0.89%
1975 178M +1.59M +0.9%
1974 177M +1.56M +0.89%
1973 175M +1.5M +0.87%
1972 174M +1.51M +0.88%
1971 172M +1.84M +1.08%
1970 170M +2.88M +1.72%
1969 167M +3.05M +1.85%
1968 164M +2.98M +1.85%
1967 161M +2.89M +1.83%
1966 158M +2.85M +1.83%
1965 156M +2.83M +1.85%
1964 153M +2.76M +1.84%
1963 150M +2.67M +1.81%
1962 147M +2.64M +1.83%
1961 145M +2.71M +1.91%
1960 142M

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.