Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — European Union

Share of population in cities over 1 million in the European Union in 2025 — 17.8%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 3.55 pp.

2025 17.8% +0.03 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 17.8%2025
Period minimum 14.26%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — European Union, 1960–2025141516171819601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 14.26%1962: 14.54%1964: 14.76%1966: 14.99%1968: 15.23%1970: 15.5%1972: 15.63%1974: 15.69%1976: 15.77%1978: 15.86%1980: 15.94%1982: 15.97%1984: 15.98%1986: 16.01%1988: 16.07%1990: 16.12%1992: 16.15%1994: 16.15%1996: 16.16%1998: 16.18%2000: 16.23%2002: 16.31%2004: 16.37%2006: 16.45%2008: 16.55%2010: 16.7%2012: 16.92%2014: 17.11%2016: 17.26%2018: 17.44%2020: 17.59%2022: 17.74%2024: 17.77%2025: 17.8%
Change over the period: +3.55 pp Annual average: 0.05 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

European Union 17.8%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — European Union, by year European Union All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 17.8 +0.03 pp
2024 17.77 +0.02 pp
2023 17.75 +0.01 pp
2022 17.74 +0.04 pp
2021 17.7 +0.11 pp
2020 17.59 +0.09 pp
2019 17.5 +0.06 pp
2018 17.44 +0.09 pp
2017 17.35 +0.09 pp
2016 17.26 +0.08 pp
2015 17.18 +0.08 pp
2014 17.11 +0.09 pp
2013 17.01 +0.1 pp
2012 16.92 +0.08 pp
2011 16.83 +0.13 pp
2010 16.7 +0.08 pp
2009 16.62 +0.07 pp
2008 16.55 +0.05 pp
2007 16.5 +0.05 pp
2006 16.45 +0.05 pp
2005 16.4 +0.04 pp
2004 16.37 +0.03 pp
2003 16.34 +0.03 pp
2002 16.31 +0.05 pp
2001 16.26 +0.03 pp
2000 16.23 +0.04 pp
1999 16.19 +0.01 pp
1998 16.18 +0.01 pp
1997 16.17 +0.01 pp
1996 16.16 +0.01 pp
1995 16.16 +0.01 pp
1994 16.15 +0 pp
1993 16.14 −0 pp
1992 16.15 +0.01 pp
1991 16.14 +0.01 pp
1990 16.12 +0.02 pp
1989 16.11 +0.03 pp
1988 16.07 −0.01 pp
1987 16.08 +0.07 pp
1986 16.01 +0.02 pp
1985 15.99 +0.01 pp
1984 15.98 +0.01 pp
1983 15.97 +0 pp
1982 15.97 −0 pp
1981 15.97 +0.02 pp
1980 15.94 +0.04 pp
1979 15.91 +0.04 pp
1978 15.86 +0.04 pp
1977 15.82 +0.05 pp
1976 15.77 +0.04 pp
1975 15.73 +0.04 pp
1974 15.69 +0.03 pp
1973 15.66 +0.03 pp
1972 15.63 +0.03 pp
1971 15.6 +0.1 pp
1970 15.5 +0.15 pp
1969 15.36 +0.12 pp
1968 15.23 +0.13 pp
1967 15.11 +0.12 pp
1966 14.99 +0.12 pp
1965 14.88 +0.12 pp
1964 14.76 +0.11 pp
1963 14.65 +0.11 pp
1962 14.54 +0.13 pp
1961 14.41 +0.15 pp
1960 14.26

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.