Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — South Asia

Population in cities over 1 million in South Asia in 2025 — 336,405,077 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 731.2%.

2025 336M people +2.49% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 336M people2025
Period minimum 40.47M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — South Asia, 1960–20250100M200M300M400M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 40,470,413 people1962: 43,522,520 people1964: 46,885,067 people1966: 50,547,113 people1968: 54,549,807 people1970: 58,920,063 people1972: 63,750,981 people1974: 69,004,914 people1976: 74,647,075 people1978: 80,823,998 people1980: 87,580,280 people1982: 94,181,599 people1984: 100,962,773 people1986: 108,308,233 people1988: 116,283,843 people1990: 124,938,404 people1992: 133,526,972 people1994: 142,323,721 people1996: 151,796,872 people1998: 161,943,732 people2000: 172,709,203 people2002: 182,656,895 people2004: 192,453,261 people2006: 202,792,090 people2008: 213,825,339 people2010: 225,574,154 people2012: 238,119,651 people2014: 251,510,149 people2016: 265,818,492 people2018: 281,108,562 people2020: 296,322,157 people2022: 312,083,977 people2024: 328,218,584 people2025: 336,405,077 people
Change over the period: +296M (+731.24%) Average annual rate: 3.31 %

Comparison, 2025

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

South Asia 336M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — South Asia, by year South Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 336M +8.19M +2.49%
2024 328M +8.11M +2.53%
2023 320M +8.03M +2.57%
2022 312M +7.94M +2.61%
2021 304M +7.83M +2.64%
2020 296M +7.69M +2.66%
2019 289M +7.52M +2.68%
2018 281M +7.77M +2.84%
2017 273M +7.52M +2.83%
2016 266M +7.27M +2.81%
2015 259M +7.03M +2.8%
2014 252M +6.81M +2.78%
2013 245M +6.58M +2.77%
2012 238M +6.38M +2.75%
2011 232M +6.17M +2.74%
2010 226M +5.97M +2.72%
2009 220M +5.78M +2.7%
2008 214M +5.61M +2.69%
2007 208M +5.42M +2.67%
2006 203M +5.25M +2.66%
2005 198M +5.08M +2.64%
2004 192M +4.97M +2.65%
2003 187M +4.83M +2.64%
2002 183M +4.68M +2.63%
2001 178M +5.27M +3.05%
2000 173M +5.49M +3.28%
1999 167M +5.28M +3.26%
1998 162M +5.15M +3.29%
1997 157M +4.99M +3.29%
1996 152M +4.83M +3.28%
1995 147M +4.65M +3.26%
1994 142M +4.48M +3.25%
1993 138M +4.32M +3.23%
1992 134M +4.17M +3.23%
1991 129M +4.41M +3.53%
1990 125M +4.42M +3.67%
1989 121M +4.23M +3.64%
1988 116M +4.07M +3.63%
1987 112M +3.9M +3.6%
1986 108M +3.75M +3.59%
1985 105M +3.6M +3.56%
1984 101M +3.46M +3.55%
1983 97.5M +3.32M +3.52%
1982 94.18M +3.19M +3.5%
1981 90.99M +3.41M +3.9%
1980 87.58M +3.44M +4.09%
1979 84.14M +3.31M +4.1%
1978 80.82M +3.16M +4.07%
1977 77.66M +3.01M +4.04%
1976 74.65M +2.89M +4.02%
1975 71.76M +2.75M +3.99%
1974 69M +2.68M +4.03%
1973 66.33M +2.58M +4.04%
1972 63.75M +2.49M +4.06%
1971 61.26M +2.34M +3.98%
1970 58.92M +2.24M +3.94%
1969 56.68M +2.13M +3.91%
1968 54.55M +2.05M +3.9%
1967 52.5M +1.96M +3.87%
1966 50.55M +1.87M +3.85%
1965 48.67M +1.79M +3.82%
1964 46.89M +1.72M +3.81%
1963 45.17M +1.64M +3.78%
1962 43.52M +1.58M +3.76%
1961 41.95M +1.48M +3.65%
1960 40.47M

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.