Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — Southern Asia

Population in cities over 1 million in Southern Asia in 2025 — 359,714,782 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 722.2%.

2025 360M people +2.41% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 360M people2025
Period minimum 43.75M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — Southern Asia, 1960–20250100M200M300M400M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 43,750,156 people1962: 47,171,362 people1964: 50,946,808 people1966: 55,069,680 people1968: 59,559,173 people1970: 64,462,250 people1972: 69,885,214 people1974: 75,795,532 people1976: 82,167,842 people1978: 89,044,819 people1980: 96,561,016 people1982: 104,017,781 people1984: 111,769,671 people1986: 120,219,917 people1988: 128,860,965 people1990: 138,148,891 people1992: 147,306,638 people1994: 156,517,940 people1996: 166,421,679 people1998: 177,116,085 people2000: 188,468,430 people2002: 199,027,791 people2004: 209,463,594 people2006: 220,469,228 people2008: 232,147,397 people2010: 244,559,159 people2012: 257,735,555 people2014: 271,656,170 people2016: 286,512,600 people2018: 302,367,406 people2020: 318,172,333 people2022: 334,542,892 people2024: 351,251,673 people2025: 359,714,782 people
Change over the period: +316M (+722.2%) Average annual rate: 3.29 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Southern Asia 360M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — Southern Asia, by year Southern Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 360M +8.46M +2.41%
2024 351M +8.39M +2.45%
2023 343M +8.32M +2.49%
2022 335M +8.24M +2.52%
2021 326M +8.13M +2.56%
2020 318M +7.99M +2.58%
2019 310M +7.82M +2.59%
2018 302M +8.06M +2.74%
2017 294M +7.8M +2.72%
2016 287M +7.55M +2.71%
2015 279M +7.31M +2.69%
2014 272M +7.07M +2.67%
2013 265M +6.85M +2.66%
2012 258M +6.66M +2.65%
2011 251M +6.51M +2.66%
2010 245M +6.31M +2.65%
2009 238M +6.1M +2.63%
2008 232M +5.93M +2.62%
2007 226M +5.75M +2.61%
2006 220M +5.59M +2.6%
2005 215M +5.41M +2.58%
2004 209M +5.29M +2.59%
2003 204M +5.15M +2.59%
2002 199M +4.99M +2.57%
2001 194M +5.57M +2.96%
2000 188M +5.78M +3.17%
1999 183M +5.57M +3.14%
1998 177M +5.44M +3.17%
1997 172M +5.26M +3.16%
1996 166M +5.04M +3.13%
1995 161M +4.86M +3.11%
1994 157M +4.69M +3.09%
1993 152M +4.52M +3.07%
1992 147M +4.41M +3.09%
1991 143M +4.75M +3.44%
1990 138M +4.74M +3.55%
1989 133M +4.55M +3.53%
1988 129M +4.38M +3.52%
1987 124M +4.27M +3.55%
1986 120M +4.32M +3.73%
1985 116M +4.13M +3.69%
1984 112M +3.96M +3.68%
1983 108M +3.79M +3.64%
1982 104M +3.63M +3.62%
1981 100M +3.83M +3.96%
1980 96.56M +3.84M +4.14%
1979 92.73M +3.68M +4.13%
1978 89.04M +3.51M +4.1%
1977 85.53M +3.37M +4.1%
1976 82.17M +3.26M +4.13%
1975 78.91M +3.11M +4.1%
1974 75.8M +3.01M +4.14%
1973 72.78M +2.9M +4.15%
1972 69.89M +2.79M +4.16%
1971 67.1M +2.63M +4.08%
1970 64.46M +2.51M +4.05%
1969 61.95M +2.39M +4.02%
1968 59.56M +2.29M +4.01%
1967 57.27M +2.2M +3.99%
1966 55.07M +2.11M +3.98%
1965 52.96M +2.01M +3.95%
1964 50.95M +1.93M +3.94%
1963 49.02M +1.84M +3.91%
1962 47.17M +1.76M +3.89%
1961 45.41M +1.66M +3.79%
1960 43.75M

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.