Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — BRICS

Share of population in cities over 1 million in BRICS in 2025 — 25.31%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 15.71 pp.

2025 25.31% +0.37 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 25.31%2025
Period minimum 9.6%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — BRICS, 1960–20255101520253019601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 9.6%1962: 9.97%1964: 10.09%1966: 10.23%1968: 10.32%1970: 10.4%1972: 10.51%1974: 10.69%1976: 10.94%1978: 11.26%1980: 11.6%1982: 11.84%1984: 12.15%1986: 12.48%1988: 12.81%1990: 13.19%1992: 13.71%1994: 14.31%1996: 15.01%1998: 15.83%2000: 16.82%2002: 17.42%2004: 17.98%2006: 18.59%2008: 19.26%2010: 19.99%2012: 20.6%2014: 21.2%2016: 21.86%2018: 22.57%2020: 23.32%2022: 24.15%2024: 24.94%2025: 25.31%
Change over the period: +15.71 pp Annual average: 0.24 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

BRICS 25.31%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — BRICS, by year BRICS All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 25.31 +0.37 pp
2024 24.94 +0.38 pp
2023 24.56 +0.4 pp
2022 24.15 +0.42 pp
2021 23.74 +0.42 pp
2020 23.32 +0.39 pp
2019 22.93 +0.36 pp
2018 22.57 +0.37 pp
2017 22.2 +0.34 pp
2016 21.86 +0.33 pp
2015 21.52 +0.33 pp
2014 21.2 +0.31 pp
2013 20.89 +0.29 pp
2012 20.6 +0.29 pp
2011 20.31 +0.32 pp
2010 19.99 +0.37 pp
2009 19.62 +0.36 pp
2008 19.26 +0.35 pp
2007 18.92 +0.33 pp
2006 18.59 +0.31 pp
2005 18.28 +0.3 pp
2004 17.98 +0.29 pp
2003 17.7 +0.28 pp
2002 17.42 +0.26 pp
2001 17.16 +0.35 pp
2000 16.82 +0.52 pp
1999 16.3 +0.47 pp
1998 15.83 +0.43 pp
1997 15.4 +0.39 pp
1996 15.01 +0.37 pp
1995 14.64 +0.34 pp
1994 14.31 +0.31 pp
1993 13.99 +0.28 pp
1992 13.71 +0.26 pp
1991 13.45 +0.26 pp
1990 13.19 +0.19 pp
1989 12.99 +0.18 pp
1988 12.81 +0.17 pp
1987 12.64 +0.16 pp
1986 12.48 +0.17 pp
1985 12.31 +0.16 pp
1984 12.15 +0.16 pp
1983 11.99 +0.15 pp
1982 11.84 +0.11 pp
1981 11.73 +0.13 pp
1980 11.6 +0.17 pp
1979 11.43 +0.17 pp
1978 11.26 +0.16 pp
1977 11.09 +0.15 pp
1976 10.94 +0.13 pp
1975 10.81 +0.12 pp
1974 10.69 +0.1 pp
1973 10.6 +0.08 pp
1972 10.51 +0.07 pp
1971 10.44 +0.04 pp
1970 10.4 +0.04 pp
1969 10.36 +0.04 pp
1968 10.32 +0.05 pp
1967 10.28 +0.05 pp
1966 10.23 +0.06 pp
1965 10.17 +0.08 pp
1964 10.09 +0.07 pp
1963 10.02 +0.05 pp
1962 9.97 +0.13 pp
1961 9.85 +0.25 pp
1960 9.6

About the indicator

The share of a country's population living in urban agglomerations larger than one million people. The indicator separates countries with the same level of urbanization: in some the urban population is spread across many mid-sized cities, in others it is concentrated in one or two agglomerations. The highest values come from small countries with a single dominant city, where the capital agglomeration holds more than half of the country.

Important: Countries without agglomerations of this size are absent from the series rather than entered as zero. The aggregate for a group of countries is therefore calculated only where coverage is sufficient: averaging the countries that do have million-plus cities would overstate the share.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.