Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — NATO

Share of population in cities over 1 million in NATO in 2025 — 31.89%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 8.74 pp.

2025 31.89% +0.14 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 31.89%2025
Period minimum 23.15%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — NATO, 1960–202522.52527.53032.519601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 23.15%1962: 23.46%1964: 23.78%1966: 24.17%1968: 24.6%1970: 25.05%1972: 25.09%1974: 25.13%1976: 25.21%1978: 25.3%1980: 25.41%1982: 25.58%1984: 25.78%1986: 26.01%1988: 26.26%1990: 26.51%1992: 26.76%1994: 27.02%1996: 27.33%1998: 27.66%2000: 28.01%2002: 28.27%2004: 28.53%2006: 28.82%2008: 29.15%2010: 29.52%2012: 29.95%2014: 30.3%2016: 30.63%2018: 31.02%2020: 31.32%2022: 31.66%2024: 31.75%2025: 31.89%
Change over the period: +8.74 pp Annual average: 0.13 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

NATO 31.89%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — NATO, by year NATO All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 31.89 +0.14 pp
2024 31.75 +0.04 pp
2023 31.71 +0.05 pp
2022 31.66 +0.11 pp
2021 31.55 +0.24 pp
2020 31.32 +0.18 pp
2019 31.13 +0.12 pp
2018 31.02 +0.2 pp
2017 30.82 +0.19 pp
2016 30.63 +0.16 pp
2015 30.47 +0.17 pp
2014 30.3 +0.17 pp
2013 30.13 +0.18 pp
2012 29.95 +0.18 pp
2011 29.77 +0.25 pp
2010 29.52 +0.19 pp
2009 29.33 +0.17 pp
2008 29.15 +0.16 pp
2007 29 +0.18 pp
2006 28.82 +0.15 pp
2005 28.67 +0.14 pp
2004 28.53 +0.13 pp
2003 28.4 +0.14 pp
2002 28.27 +0.14 pp
2001 28.13 +0.12 pp
2000 28.01 +0.17 pp
1999 27.83 +0.17 pp
1998 27.66 +0.17 pp
1997 27.49 +0.16 pp
1996 27.33 +0.16 pp
1995 27.17 +0.15 pp
1994 27.02 +0.14 pp
1993 26.88 +0.12 pp
1992 26.76 +0.12 pp
1991 26.64 +0.13 pp
1990 26.51 +0.12 pp
1989 26.39 +0.12 pp
1988 26.26 +0.11 pp
1987 26.16 +0.15 pp
1986 26.01 +0.11 pp
1985 25.9 +0.11 pp
1984 25.78 +0.11 pp
1983 25.68 +0.1 pp
1982 25.58 +0.09 pp
1981 25.49 +0.08 pp
1980 25.41 +0.06 pp
1979 25.35 +0.05 pp
1978 25.3 +0.05 pp
1977 25.26 +0.05 pp
1976 25.21 +0.04 pp
1975 25.17 +0.03 pp
1974 25.13 +0.03 pp
1973 25.1 +0.01 pp
1972 25.09 −0 pp
1971 25.09 +0.04 pp
1970 25.05 +0.21 pp
1969 24.84 +0.24 pp
1968 24.6 +0.23 pp
1967 24.37 +0.21 pp
1966 24.17 +0.2 pp
1965 23.97 +0.19 pp
1964 23.78 +0.17 pp
1963 23.62 +0.15 pp
1962 23.46 +0.15 pp
1961 23.31 +0.17 pp
1960 23.15

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.