Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — South America

Share of population in cities over 1 million in South America in 2025 — 41.93%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 17.35 pp.

2025 41.93% +0.18 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 41.93%2025
Period minimum 24.58%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — South America, 1960–202520253035404519601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 24.58%1962: 25.4%1964: 26.29%1966: 27.22%1968: 28.29%1970: 29.49%1972: 30.44%1974: 31.27%1976: 32.08%1978: 32.94%1980: 33.87%1982: 34.13%1984: 34.26%1986: 34.47%1988: 34.75%1990: 35.11%1992: 35.44%1994: 35.71%1996: 36.04%1998: 36.43%2000: 36.9%2002: 37.18%2004: 37.46%2006: 37.81%2008: 38.22%2010: 38.67%2012: 39.08%2014: 39.51%2016: 39.96%2018: 40.5%2020: 40.88%2022: 41.38%2024: 41.76%2025: 41.93%
Change over the period: +17.35 pp Annual average: 0.27 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

South America 41.93%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — South America, by year South America All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 41.93 +0.18 pp
2024 41.76 +0.18 pp
2023 41.58 +0.2 pp
2022 41.38 +0.24 pp
2021 41.14 +0.26 pp
2020 40.88 +0.21 pp
2019 40.67 +0.18 pp
2018 40.5 +0.28 pp
2017 40.21 +0.25 pp
2016 39.96 +0.23 pp
2015 39.73 +0.22 pp
2014 39.51 +0.22 pp
2013 39.29 +0.21 pp
2012 39.08 +0.21 pp
2011 38.88 +0.21 pp
2010 38.67 +0.23 pp
2009 38.44 +0.22 pp
2008 38.22 +0.21 pp
2007 38 +0.2 pp
2006 37.81 +0.18 pp
2005 37.63 +0.17 pp
2004 37.46 +0.15 pp
2003 37.31 +0.13 pp
2002 37.18 +0.13 pp
2001 37.04 +0.14 pp
2000 36.9 +0.25 pp
1999 36.65 +0.22 pp
1998 36.43 +0.2 pp
1997 36.23 +0.19 pp
1996 36.04 +0.18 pp
1995 35.87 +0.16 pp
1994 35.71 +0.14 pp
1993 35.57 +0.13 pp
1992 35.44 +0.13 pp
1991 35.31 +0.2 pp
1990 35.11 +0.19 pp
1989 34.92 +0.17 pp
1988 34.75 +0.15 pp
1987 34.6 +0.13 pp
1986 34.47 +0.11 pp
1985 34.36 +0.09 pp
1984 34.26 +0.07 pp
1983 34.19 +0.06 pp
1982 34.13 +0.08 pp
1981 34.04 +0.18 pp
1980 33.87 +0.47 pp
1979 33.39 +0.45 pp
1978 32.94 +0.44 pp
1977 32.5 +0.42 pp
1976 32.08 +0.41 pp
1975 31.67 +0.39 pp
1974 31.27 +0.4 pp
1973 30.87 +0.43 pp
1972 30.44 +0.45 pp
1971 29.99 +0.5 pp
1970 29.49 +0.62 pp
1969 28.87 +0.58 pp
1968 28.29 +0.55 pp
1967 27.74 +0.52 pp
1966 27.22 +0.48 pp
1965 26.74 +0.45 pp
1964 26.29 +0.45 pp
1963 25.83 +0.43 pp
1962 25.4 +0.41 pp
1961 24.99 +0.41 pp
1960 24.58

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.