Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — Northern Europe

Population in cities over 1 million in Northern Europe in 2025 — 25,961,445 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 28.3%.

2025 25.96M people +0.87% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 25.96M people2025
Period minimum 18.92M people1981

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — Northern Europe, 1960–202518M20M22M24M26M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 20,238,360 people1962: 20,283,523 people1964: 20,297,742 people1966: 20,293,562 people1968: 20,210,354 people1970: 20,131,931 people1972: 19,840,774 people1974: 19,577,378 people1976: 19,341,398 people1978: 19,157,932 people1980: 18,982,702 people1982: 18,938,412 people1984: 18,967,721 people1986: 19,009,080 people1988: 19,083,784 people1990: 19,169,709 people1992: 19,356,890 people1994: 19,566,163 people1996: 19,784,045 people1998: 19,993,890 people2000: 20,200,644 people2002: 20,443,807 people2004: 20,734,141 people2006: 21,043,319 people2008: 21,547,630 people2010: 22,072,698 people2012: 22,606,457 people2014: 23,133,386 people2016: 23,673,490 people2018: 24,228,156 people2020: 24,757,647 people2022: 25,264,617 people2024: 25,738,251 people2025: 25,961,445 people
Change over the period: +5.72M (+28.28%) Average annual rate: 0.38 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Northern Europe 25.96M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — Northern Europe, by year Northern Europe All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 25.96M +223,194 +0.87%
2024 25.74M +232,266 +0.91%
2023 25.51M +241,368 +0.96%
2022 25.26M +249,816 +1%
2021 25.01M +257,154 +1.04%
2020 24.76M +263,869 +1.08%
2019 24.49M +265,622 +1.1%
2018 24.23M +279,164 +1.17%
2017 23.95M +275,502 +1.16%
2016 23.67M +272,016 +1.16%
2015 23.4M +268,088 +1.16%
2014 23.13M +264,584 +1.16%
2013 22.87M +262,345 +1.16%
2012 22.61M +261,155 +1.17%
2011 22.35M +272,604 +1.24%
2010 22.07M +266,238 +1.22%
2009 21.81M +258,830 +1.2%
2008 21.55M +255,336 +1.2%
2007 21.29M +248,975 +1.18%
2006 21.04M +160,544 +0.77%
2005 20.88M +148,634 +0.72%
2004 20.73M +145,823 +0.71%
2003 20.59M +144,511 +0.71%
2002 20.44M +137,698 +0.68%
2001 20.31M +105,465 +0.52%
2000 20.2M +103,023 +0.51%
1999 20.1M +103,731 +0.52%
1998 19.99M +104,627 +0.53%
1997 19.89M +105,218 +0.53%
1996 19.78M +108,242 +0.55%
1995 19.68M +109,640 +0.56%
1994 19.57M +106,327 +0.55%
1993 19.46M +102,946 +0.53%
1992 19.36M +100,963 +0.52%
1991 19.26M +86,218 +0.45%
1990 19.17M +44,984 +0.24%
1989 19.12M +40,941 +0.21%
1988 19.08M +38,123 +0.2%
1987 19.05M +36,581 +0.19%
1986 19.01M +26,131 +0.14%
1985 18.98M +15,228 +0.08%
1984 18.97M +14,867 +0.08%
1983 18.95M +14,442 +0.08%
1982 18.94M +14,041 +0.07%
1981 18.92M −58,331 −0.31%
1980 18.98M −86,613 −0.45%
1979 19.07M −88,617 −0.46%
1978 19.16M −90,741 −0.47%
1977 19.25M −92,725 −0.48%
1976 19.34M −109,443 −0.56%
1975 19.45M −126,537 −0.65%
1974 19.58M −130,022 −0.66%
1973 19.71M −133,374 −0.67%
1972 19.84M −137,344 −0.69%
1971 19.98M −153,813 −0.76%
1970 20.13M −38,655 −0.19%
1969 20.17M −39,768 −0.2%
1968 20.21M −41,047 −0.2%
1967 20.25M −42,161 −0.21%
1966 20.29M −16,653 −0.08%
1965 20.31M +12,473 +0.06%
1964 20.3M +8,875 +0.04%
1963 20.29M +5,344 +0.03%
1962 20.28M +1,930 +0.01%
1961 20.28M +43,233 +0.21%
1960 20.24M

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.