Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — South America

Population in cities over 1 million in South America in 2025 — 182,960,796 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 404.3%.

2025 183M people +0.99% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 183M people2025
Period minimum 36.28M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — South America, 1960–2025050M100M150M200M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 36,277,477 people1962: 39,595,454 people1964: 43,229,356 people1966: 47,131,670 people1968: 51,456,693 people1970: 56,249,716 people1972: 60,808,274 people1974: 65,389,552 people1976: 70,172,829 people1978: 75,380,465 people1980: 81,071,801 people1982: 85,399,949 people1984: 89,539,992 people1986: 93,892,705 people1988: 98,481,392 people1990: 103,346,001 people1992: 108,121,433 people1994: 112,727,154 people1996: 117,538,736 people1998: 122,580,707 people2000: 127,896,777 people2002: 132,354,517 people2004: 136,701,639 people2006: 141,184,231 people2008: 145,803,673 people2010: 150,487,357 people2012: 155,035,824 people2014: 159,708,942 people2016: 164,559,431 people2018: 169,579,041 people2020: 173,549,495 people2022: 177,431,492 people2024: 181,161,731 people2025: 182,960,796 people
Change over the period: +147M (+404.34%) Average annual rate: 2.52 %

Comparison, 2025

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

South America 183M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — South America, by year South America All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 183M +1.8M +0.99%
2024 181M +1.84M +1.03%
2023 179M +1.89M +1.06%
2022 177M +1.92M +1.1%
2021 176M +1.96M +1.13%
2020 174M +1.98M +1.16%
2019 172M +1.99M +1.17%
2018 170M +2.53M +1.52%
2017 167M +2.49M +1.51%
2016 165M +2.45M +1.51%
2015 162M +2.4M +1.5%
2014 160M +2.36M +1.5%
2013 157M +2.31M +1.49%
2012 155M +2.28M +1.49%
2011 153M +2.27M +1.51%
2010 150M +2.36M +1.6%
2009 148M +2.32M +1.59%
2008 146M +2.33M +1.62%
2007 143M +2.29M +1.62%
2006 141M +2.25M +1.62%
2005 139M +2.24M +1.64%
2004 137M +2.2M +1.63%
2003 135M +2.15M +1.62%
2002 132M +2.19M +1.68%
2001 130M +2.27M +1.77%
2000 128M +2.69M +2.15%
1999 125M +2.62M +2.14%
1998 123M +2.56M +2.13%
1997 120M +2.49M +2.12%
1996 118M +2.44M +2.12%
1995 115M +2.37M +2.11%
1994 113M +2.32M +2.1%
1993 110M +2.29M +2.12%
1992 108M +2.29M +2.16%
1991 106M +2.49M +2.41%
1990 103M +2.47M +2.45%
1989 101M +2.39M +2.43%
1988 98.48M +2.33M +2.42%
1987 96.15M +2.26M +2.41%
1986 93.89M +2.2M +2.4%
1985 91.69M +2.15M +2.4%
1984 89.54M +2.1M +2.4%
1983 87.44M +2.04M +2.39%
1982 85.4M +2.07M +2.48%
1981 83.33M +2.26M +2.79%
1980 81.07M +2.91M +3.72%
1979 78.16M +2.78M +3.69%
1978 75.38M +2.66M +3.66%
1977 72.72M +2.55M +3.63%
1976 70.17M +2.45M +3.61%
1975 67.73M +2.34M +3.58%
1974 65.39M +2.29M +3.63%
1973 63.1M +2.29M +3.77%
1972 60.81M +2.27M +3.88%
1971 58.54M +2.29M +4.06%
1970 56.25M +2.46M +4.58%
1969 53.79M +2.33M +4.53%
1968 51.46M +2.22M +4.51%
1967 49.24M +2.11M +4.47%
1966 47.13M +2M +4.43%
1965 45.13M +1.9M +4.4%
1964 43.23M +1.86M +4.51%
1963 41.37M +1.77M +4.47%
1962 39.6M +1.69M +4.45%
1961 37.91M +1.63M +4.5%
1960 36.28M

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.