Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — OECD

Share of population in cities over 1 million in the OECD in 2025 — 38.07%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 11.96 pp.

2025 38.07% +0.13 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 38.07%2025
Period minimum 26.11%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — OECD, 1960–20252530354019601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 26.11%1962: 26.8%1964: 27.53%1966: 28.26%1968: 29.01%1970: 29.8%1972: 30.12%1974: 30.47%1976: 30.81%1978: 31.1%1980: 31.41%1982: 31.71%1984: 32.04%1986: 32.44%1988: 32.89%1990: 33.32%1992: 33.54%1994: 33.8%1996: 34.1%1998: 34.36%2000: 34.64%2002: 34.86%2004: 35.12%2006: 35.4%2008: 35.68%2010: 36%2012: 36.37%2014: 36.7%2016: 37.01%2018: 37.34%2020: 37.56%2022: 37.88%2024: 37.95%2025: 38.07%
Change over the period: +11.96 pp Annual average: 0.18 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

OECD 38.07%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — OECD, by year OECD All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 38.07 +0.13 pp
2024 37.95 +0.03 pp
2023 37.91 +0.03 pp
2022 37.88 +0.1 pp
2021 37.78 +0.22 pp
2020 37.56 +0.15 pp
2019 37.41 +0.07 pp
2018 37.34 +0.17 pp
2017 37.17 +0.16 pp
2016 37.01 +0.14 pp
2015 36.86 +0.16 pp
2014 36.7 +0.16 pp
2013 36.54 +0.17 pp
2012 36.37 +0.16 pp
2011 36.21 +0.21 pp
2010 36 +0.17 pp
2009 35.83 +0.15 pp
2008 35.68 +0.13 pp
2007 35.55 +0.15 pp
2006 35.4 +0.13 pp
2005 35.27 +0.15 pp
2004 35.12 +0.14 pp
2003 34.99 +0.13 pp
2002 34.86 +0.12 pp
2001 34.74 +0.09 pp
2000 34.64 +0.14 pp
1999 34.5 +0.15 pp
1998 34.36 +0.14 pp
1997 34.22 +0.12 pp
1996 34.1 +0.14 pp
1995 33.96 +0.16 pp
1994 33.8 +0.14 pp
1993 33.66 +0.12 pp
1992 33.54 +0.09 pp
1991 33.44 +0.12 pp
1990 33.32 +0.21 pp
1989 33.11 +0.22 pp
1988 32.89 +0.21 pp
1987 32.67 +0.24 pp
1986 32.44 +0.2 pp
1985 32.23 +0.19 pp
1984 32.04 +0.18 pp
1983 31.86 +0.16 pp
1982 31.71 +0.15 pp
1981 31.55 +0.14 pp
1980 31.41 +0.17 pp
1979 31.25 +0.15 pp
1978 31.1 +0.15 pp
1977 30.95 +0.14 pp
1976 30.81 +0.15 pp
1975 30.66 +0.19 pp
1974 30.47 +0.18 pp
1973 30.29 +0.16 pp
1972 30.12 +0.15 pp
1971 29.98 +0.18 pp
1970 29.8 +0.39 pp
1969 29.41 +0.4 pp
1968 29.01 +0.39 pp
1967 28.62 +0.36 pp
1966 28.26 +0.34 pp
1965 27.92 +0.39 pp
1964 27.53 +0.37 pp
1963 27.15 +0.35 pp
1962 26.8 +0.34 pp
1961 26.46 +0.35 pp
1960 26.11

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.