Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Europe & Central Asia

Share of population in cities over 1 million in Europe & Central Asia in 2025 — 21.28%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 6.18 pp.

2025 21.28% +0.04 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 21.28%2025
Period minimum 15.1%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Europe & Central Asia, 1960–2025141618202219601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 15.1%1962: 15.3%1964: 15.49%1966: 15.72%1968: 15.99%1970: 16.29%1972: 16.45%1974: 16.58%1976: 16.74%1978: 16.9%1980: 17.01%1982: 17.1%1984: 17.2%1986: 17.3%1988: 17.43%1990: 17.5%1992: 17.54%1994: 17.59%1996: 17.72%1998: 17.88%2000: 18.06%2002: 18.31%2004: 18.57%2006: 18.84%2008: 19.14%2010: 19.45%2012: 19.79%2014: 20.04%2016: 20.26%2018: 20.52%2020: 20.74%2022: 21.05%2024: 21.24%2025: 21.28%
Change over the period: +6.18 pp Annual average: 0.1 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Europe & Central Asia

Europe & Central Asia 21.28%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — Europe & Central Asia, by year Europe & Central Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 21.28 +0.04 pp
2024 21.24 +0.05 pp
2023 21.19 +0.14 pp
2022 21.05 +0.16 pp
2021 20.89 +0.15 pp
2020 20.74 +0.13 pp
2019 20.61 +0.09 pp
2018 20.52 +0.13 pp
2017 20.39 +0.12 pp
2016 20.26 +0.11 pp
2015 20.15 +0.11 pp
2014 20.04 +0.12 pp
2013 19.92 +0.13 pp
2012 19.79 +0.14 pp
2011 19.65 +0.2 pp
2010 19.45 +0.16 pp
2009 19.29 +0.15 pp
2008 19.14 +0.14 pp
2007 19 +0.16 pp
2006 18.84 +0.14 pp
2005 18.7 +0.13 pp
2004 18.57 +0.13 pp
2003 18.44 +0.13 pp
2002 18.31 +0.13 pp
2001 18.17 +0.11 pp
2000 18.06 +0.1 pp
1999 17.96 +0.08 pp
1998 17.88 +0.08 pp
1997 17.8 +0.08 pp
1996 17.72 +0.07 pp
1995 17.65 +0.06 pp
1994 17.59 +0.04 pp
1993 17.55 +0.01 pp
1992 17.54 +0.01 pp
1991 17.53 +0.02 pp
1990 17.5 +0.03 pp
1989 17.47 +0.05 pp
1988 17.43 +0.05 pp
1987 17.38 +0.08 pp
1986 17.3 +0.06 pp
1985 17.25 +0.05 pp
1984 17.2 +0.05 pp
1983 17.15 +0.05 pp
1982 17.1 +0.05 pp
1981 17.05 +0.05 pp
1980 17.01 +0.04 pp
1979 16.97 +0.07 pp
1978 16.9 +0.08 pp
1977 16.82 +0.08 pp
1976 16.74 +0.08 pp
1975 16.66 +0.08 pp
1974 16.58 +0.07 pp
1973 16.51 +0.06 pp
1972 16.45 +0.06 pp
1971 16.39 +0.1 pp
1970 16.29 +0.16 pp
1969 16.13 +0.14 pp
1968 15.99 +0.14 pp
1967 15.85 +0.13 pp
1966 15.72 +0.12 pp
1965 15.6 +0.11 pp
1964 15.49 +0.1 pp
1963 15.39 +0.09 pp
1962 15.3 +0.1 pp
1961 15.21 +0.11 pp
1960 15.1

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.