Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — North America

Share of population in cities over 1 million in North America in 2025 — 46.71%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 8.76 pp.

2025 46.71% +0.16 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 46.73%2022
Period minimum 37.95%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — North America, 1960–202537.54042.54547.519601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 37.95%1962: 38.31%1964: 38.82%1966: 39.5%1968: 40.33%1970: 41.08%1972: 40.84%1974: 40.78%1976: 40.73%1978: 40.7%1980: 40.7%1982: 40.85%1984: 41.11%1986: 41.38%1988: 41.68%1990: 41.91%1992: 42.13%1994: 42.41%1996: 42.79%1998: 43.2%2000: 43.62%2002: 43.72%2004: 43.92%2006: 44.08%2008: 44.26%2010: 44.52%2012: 44.85%2014: 45.2%2016: 45.57%2018: 46.05%2020: 46.34%2022: 46.73%2024: 46.55%2025: 46.71%
Change over the period: +8.76 pp Annual average: 0.13 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

North America 46.71%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — North America, by year North America All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 46.71 +0.16 pp
2024 46.55 −0.12 pp
2023 46.67 −0.06 pp
2022 46.73 +0.09 pp
2021 46.65 +0.31 pp
2020 46.34 +0.18 pp
2019 46.16 +0.11 pp
2018 46.05 +0.26 pp
2017 45.79 +0.22 pp
2016 45.57 +0.18 pp
2015 45.38 +0.19 pp
2014 45.2 +0.17 pp
2013 45.03 +0.18 pp
2012 44.85 +0.16 pp
2011 44.69 +0.17 pp
2010 44.52 +0.14 pp
2009 44.38 +0.12 pp
2008 44.26 +0.09 pp
2007 44.17 +0.09 pp
2006 44.08 +0.08 pp
2005 44.01 +0.09 pp
2004 43.92 +0.09 pp
2003 43.83 +0.11 pp
2002 43.72 +0.07 pp
2001 43.66 +0.04 pp
2000 43.62 +0.19 pp
1999 43.43 +0.23 pp
1998 43.2 +0.22 pp
1997 42.98 +0.19 pp
1996 42.79 +0.2 pp
1995 42.59 +0.18 pp
1994 42.41 +0.16 pp
1993 42.25 +0.12 pp
1992 42.13 +0.09 pp
1991 42.04 +0.13 pp
1990 41.91 +0.1 pp
1989 41.81 +0.12 pp
1988 41.68 +0.15 pp
1987 41.53 +0.15 pp
1986 41.38 +0.13 pp
1985 41.25 +0.14 pp
1984 41.11 +0.14 pp
1983 40.96 +0.12 pp
1982 40.85 +0.09 pp
1981 40.76 +0.06 pp
1980 40.7 +0.03 pp
1979 40.67 −0.03 pp
1978 40.7 −0.02 pp
1977 40.72 −0.02 pp
1976 40.73 −0.01 pp
1975 40.75 −0.04 pp
1974 40.78 −0.02 pp
1973 40.8 −0.03 pp
1972 40.84 −0.08 pp
1971 40.92 −0.16 pp
1970 41.08 +0.29 pp
1969 40.79 +0.47 pp
1968 40.33 +0.44 pp
1967 39.89 +0.39 pp
1966 39.5 +0.36 pp
1965 39.14 +0.32 pp
1964 38.82 +0.26 pp
1963 38.55 +0.24 pp
1962 38.31 +0.2 pp
1961 38.12 +0.16 pp
1960 37.95

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.