Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — OECD

Population in cities over 1 million in the OECD in 2025 — 528,270,920 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 153.7%.

2025 528M people +0.73% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 528M people2025
Period minimum 208M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — OECD, 1960–2025200M300M400M500M600M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 208,218,196 people1962: 219,678,723 people1964: 231,824,524 people1966: 244,137,762 people1968: 256,562,499 people1970: 269,653,045 people1972: 279,424,296 people1974: 288,853,959 people1976: 298,011,239 people1978: 306,508,883 people1980: 315,548,597 people1982: 324,145,101 people1984: 332,977,974 people1986: 342,457,136 people1988: 352,833,807 people1990: 363,812,170 people1992: 373,360,916 people1994: 382,980,727 people1996: 392,662,750 people1998: 401,808,310 people2000: 411,176,241 people2002: 419,992,029 people2004: 429,482,242 people2006: 439,256,395 people2008: 449,435,896 people2010: 460,020,332 people2012: 470,343,644 people2014: 480,372,609 people2016: 490,555,123 people2018: 500,922,358 people2020: 508,803,052 people2022: 516,693,173 people2024: 524,454,660 people2025: 528,270,920 people
Change over the period: +320M (+153.71%) Average annual rate: 1.44 %

Comparison, 2025

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

OECD 528M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — OECD, by year OECD All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 528M +3.82M +0.73%
2024 524M +3.86M +0.74%
2023 521M +3.9M +0.76%
2022 517M +3.94M +0.77%
2021 513M +3.95M +0.78%
2020 509M +3.95M +0.78%
2019 505M +3.93M +0.78%
2018 501M +5.23M +1.06%
2017 496M +5.13M +1.05%
2016 491M +5.04M +1.04%
2015 486M +5.14M +1.07%
2014 480M +5.07M +1.07%
2013 475M +4.96M +1.05%
2012 470M +5.06M +1.09%
2011 465M +5.26M +1.14%
2010 460M +5.35M +1.18%
2009 455M +5.23M +1.16%
2008 449M +5.15M +1.16%
2007 444M +5.03M +1.15%
2006 439M +4.85M +1.12%
2005 434M +4.92M +1.15%
2004 429M +4.8M +1.13%
2003 425M +4.69M +1.12%
2002 420M +4.62M +1.11%
2001 415M +4.19M +1.02%
2000 411M +4.62M +1.14%
1999 407M +4.75M +1.18%
1998 402M +4.61M +1.16%
1997 397M +4.53M +1.15%
1996 393M +4.73M +1.22%
1995 388M +4.96M +1.29%
1994 383M +4.85M +1.28%
1993 378M +4.77M +1.28%
1992 373M +4.63M +1.26%
1991 369M +4.92M +1.35%
1990 364M +5.54M +1.54%
1989 358M +5.44M +1.54%
1988 353M +5.12M +1.47%
1987 348M +5.25M +1.53%
1986 342M +4.86M +1.44%
1985 338M +4.62M +1.39%
1984 333M +4.48M +1.36%
1983 328M +4.35M +1.34%
1982 324M +4.3M +1.35%
1981 320M +4.29M +1.36%
1980 316M +4.59M +1.48%
1979 311M +4.45M +1.45%
1978 307M +4.32M +1.43%
1977 302M +4.18M +1.4%
1976 298M +4.3M +1.47%
1975 294M +4.85M +1.68%
1974 289M +4.75M +1.67%
1973 284M +4.68M +1.67%
1972 279M +4.57M +1.66%
1971 275M +5.2M +1.93%
1970 270M +6.53M +2.48%
1969 263M +6.57M +2.56%
1968 257M +6.35M +2.54%
1967 250M +6.08M +2.49%
1966 244M +5.92M +2.49%
1965 238M +6.39M +2.76%
1964 232M +6.21M +2.75%
1963 226M +5.94M +2.7%
1962 220M +5.76M +2.69%
1961 214M +5.7M +2.74%
1960 208M

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.