Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — Western Europe

Population in cities over 1 million in Western Europe in 2025 — 32,864,670 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 41.2%.

2025 32.86M people +0.5% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 32.86M people2025
Period minimum 23.27M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — Western Europe, 1960–202522.5M25M27.5M30M32.5M35M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 23,270,406 people1962: 23,808,616 people1964: 24,188,198 people1966: 24,547,896 people1968: 24,898,652 people1970: 25,202,007 people1972: 25,402,117 people1974: 25,591,168 people1976: 25,706,045 people1978: 25,791,198 people1980: 25,884,901 people1982: 26,032,382 people1984: 26,178,660 people1986: 26,443,434 people1988: 26,878,962 people1990: 27,361,086 people1992: 27,651,553 people1994: 27,880,300 people1996: 28,024,046 people1998: 28,106,016 people2000: 28,321,084 people2002: 28,666,594 people2004: 28,997,367 people2006: 29,383,286 people2008: 29,794,363 people2010: 30,186,899 people2012: 30,541,884 people2014: 30,907,427 people2016: 31,289,667 people2018: 31,681,745 people2020: 32,024,459 people2022: 32,368,010 people2024: 32,700,515 people2025: 32,864,670 people
Change over the period: +9.59M (+41.23%) Average annual rate: 0.53 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Western Europe 32.86M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — Western Europe, by year Western Europe All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 32.86M +164,155 +0.5%
2024 32.7M +164,576 +0.51%
2023 32.54M +167,929 +0.52%
2022 32.37M +170,915 +0.53%
2021 32.2M +172,636 +0.54%
2020 32.02M +172,551 +0.54%
2019 31.85M +170,163 +0.54%
2018 31.68M +196,848 +0.63%
2017 31.48M +195,230 +0.62%
2016 31.29M +193,746 +0.62%
2015 31.1M +188,494 +0.61%
2014 30.91M +183,592 +0.6%
2013 30.72M +181,951 +0.6%
2012 30.54M +179,204 +0.59%
2011 30.36M +175,781 +0.58%
2010 30.19M +195,371 +0.65%
2009 29.99M +197,165 +0.66%
2008 29.79M +204,345 +0.69%
2007 29.59M +206,732 +0.7%
2006 29.38M +205,186 +0.7%
2005 29.18M +180,733 +0.62%
2004 29M +164,319 +0.57%
2003 28.83M +166,454 +0.58%
2002 28.67M +177,558 +0.62%
2001 28.49M +167,952 +0.59%
2000 28.32M +140,305 +0.5%
1999 28.18M +74,763 +0.27%
1998 28.11M +33,750 +0.12%
1997 28.07M +48,220 +0.17%
1996 28.02M +69,649 +0.25%
1995 27.95M +74,097 +0.27%
1994 27.88M +94,347 +0.34%
1993 27.79M +134,400 +0.49%
1992 27.65M +137,660 +0.5%
1991 27.51M +152,807 +0.56%
1990 27.36M +214,761 +0.79%
1989 27.15M +267,363 +0.99%
1988 26.88M +80,025 +0.3%
1987 26.8M +355,503 +1.34%
1986 26.44M +157,731 +0.6%
1985 26.29M +107,043 +0.41%
1984 26.18M +72,454 +0.28%
1983 26.11M +73,824 +0.28%
1982 26.03M +78,538 +0.3%
1981 25.95M +68,943 +0.27%
1980 25.88M +49,100 +0.19%
1979 25.84M +44,603 +0.17%
1978 25.79M +43,265 +0.17%
1977 25.75M +41,888 +0.16%
1976 25.71M +40,695 +0.16%
1975 25.67M +74,182 +0.29%
1974 25.59M +95,429 +0.37%
1973 25.5M +93,622 +0.37%
1972 25.4M +92,204 +0.36%
1971 25.31M +107,906 +0.43%
1970 25.2M +152,632 +0.61%
1969 25.05M +150,723 +0.61%
1968 24.9M +171,430 +0.69%
1967 24.73M +179,326 +0.73%
1966 24.55M +176,156 +0.72%
1965 24.37M +183,542 +0.76%
1964 24.19M +191,489 +0.8%
1963 24M +188,093 +0.79%
1962 23.81M +238,396 +1.01%
1961 23.57M +299,814 +1.29%
1960 23.27M

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.