Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Eastern Asia

Share of population in cities over 1 million in Eastern Asia in 2025 — 35.82%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 23.26 pp.

2025 35.82% +0.62 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 35.82%2025
Period minimum 12.56%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Eastern Asia, 1960–20251020304019601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 12.56%1962: 13.39%1964: 13.64%1966: 13.81%1968: 13.77%1970: 13.7%1972: 13.67%1974: 13.77%1976: 13.96%1978: 14.19%1980: 14.48%1982: 14.74%1984: 15.14%1986: 15.58%1988: 16.04%1990: 16.57%1992: 17.32%1994: 18.24%1996: 19.31%1998: 20.58%2000: 22.17%2002: 23.18%2004: 24.15%2006: 25.21%2008: 26.34%2010: 27.58%2012: 28.52%2014: 29.42%2016: 30.39%2018: 31.4%2020: 32.56%2022: 33.87%2024: 35.19%2025: 35.82%
Change over the period: +23.26 pp Annual average: 0.36 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Eastern Asia 35.82%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — Eastern Asia, by year Eastern Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 35.82 +0.62 pp
2024 35.19 +0.64 pp
2023 34.55 +0.68 pp
2022 33.87 +0.66 pp
2021 33.21 +0.64 pp
2020 32.56 +0.6 pp
2019 31.96 +0.56 pp
2018 31.4 +0.53 pp
2017 30.87 +0.48 pp
2016 30.39 +0.49 pp
2015 29.9 +0.48 pp
2014 29.42 +0.46 pp
2013 28.96 +0.44 pp
2012 28.52 +0.43 pp
2011 28.09 +0.51 pp
2010 27.58 +0.64 pp
2009 26.95 +0.61 pp
2008 26.34 +0.58 pp
2007 25.76 +0.55 pp
2006 25.21 +0.53 pp
2005 24.67 +0.52 pp
2004 24.15 +0.5 pp
2003 23.65 +0.47 pp
2002 23.18 +0.44 pp
2001 22.74 +0.57 pp
2000 22.17 +0.84 pp
1999 21.33 +0.75 pp
1998 20.58 +0.67 pp
1997 19.91 +0.6 pp
1996 19.31 +0.55 pp
1995 18.76 +0.52 pp
1994 18.24 +0.48 pp
1993 17.76 +0.44 pp
1992 17.32 +0.39 pp
1991 16.93 +0.37 pp
1990 16.57 +0.28 pp
1989 16.29 +0.25 pp
1988 16.04 +0.23 pp
1987 15.8 +0.23 pp
1986 15.58 +0.22 pp
1985 15.35 +0.22 pp
1984 15.14 +0.21 pp
1983 14.93 +0.18 pp
1982 14.74 +0.12 pp
1981 14.62 +0.14 pp
1980 14.48 +0.15 pp
1979 14.33 +0.14 pp
1978 14.19 +0.12 pp
1977 14.06 +0.1 pp
1976 13.96 +0.08 pp
1975 13.88 +0.11 pp
1974 13.77 +0.07 pp
1973 13.7 +0.03 pp
1972 13.67 +0.01 pp
1971 13.65 −0.05 pp
1970 13.7 −0.03 pp
1969 13.74 −0.03 pp
1968 13.77 −0.02 pp
1967 13.79 −0.02 pp
1966 13.81 +0.01 pp
1965 13.81 +0.16 pp
1964 13.64 +0.14 pp
1963 13.5 +0.11 pp
1962 13.39 +0.29 pp
1961 13.1 +0.54 pp
1960 12.56

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.