Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Southern Asia

Share of population in cities over 1 million in Southern Asia in 2025 — 17.46%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 9.84 pp.

2025 17.46% +0.24 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 17.46%2025
Period minimum 7.62%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Southern Asia, 1960–20257.51012.51517.519601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 7.62%1962: 7.82%1964: 8.05%1966: 8.3%1968: 8.57%1970: 8.86%1972: 9.18%1974: 9.48%1976: 9.79%1978: 10.1%1980: 10.43%1982: 10.68%1984: 10.92%1986: 11.18%1988: 11.42%1990: 11.68%1992: 11.9%1994: 12.12%1996: 12.36%1998: 12.63%2000: 12.92%2002: 13.14%2004: 13.34%2006: 13.57%2008: 13.85%2010: 14.15%2012: 14.49%2014: 14.87%2016: 15.31%2018: 15.78%2020: 16.24%2022: 16.74%2024: 17.22%2025: 17.46%
Change over the period: +9.84 pp Annual average: 0.15 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Southern Asia 17.46%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — Southern Asia, by year Southern Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 17.46 +0.24 pp
2024 17.22 +0.24 pp
2023 16.98 +0.24 pp
2022 16.74 +0.26 pp
2021 16.49 +0.25 pp
2020 16.24 +0.23 pp
2019 16 +0.22 pp
2018 15.78 +0.24 pp
2017 15.54 +0.23 pp
2016 15.31 +0.22 pp
2015 15.09 +0.21 pp
2014 14.87 +0.2 pp
2013 14.67 +0.19 pp
2012 14.49 +0.17 pp
2011 14.32 +0.16 pp
2010 14.15 +0.15 pp
2009 14 +0.15 pp
2008 13.85 +0.15 pp
2007 13.71 +0.13 pp
2006 13.57 +0.12 pp
2005 13.45 +0.11 pp
2004 13.34 +0.1 pp
2003 13.24 +0.1 pp
2002 13.14 +0.09 pp
2001 13.05 +0.13 pp
2000 12.92 +0.15 pp
1999 12.77 +0.14 pp
1998 12.63 +0.14 pp
1997 12.49 +0.13 pp
1996 12.36 +0.12 pp
1995 12.23 +0.12 pp
1994 12.12 +0.11 pp
1993 12 +0.1 pp
1992 11.9 +0.09 pp
1991 11.81 +0.13 pp
1990 11.68 +0.13 pp
1989 11.55 +0.13 pp
1988 11.42 +0.12 pp
1987 11.3 +0.12 pp
1986 11.18 +0.13 pp
1985 11.04 +0.13 pp
1984 10.92 +0.12 pp
1983 10.8 +0.11 pp
1982 10.68 +0.11 pp
1981 10.57 +0.15 pp
1980 10.43 +0.16 pp
1979 10.26 +0.16 pp
1978 10.1 +0.16 pp
1977 9.94 +0.15 pp
1976 9.79 +0.16 pp
1975 9.63 +0.15 pp
1974 9.48 +0.15 pp
1973 9.33 +0.15 pp
1972 9.18 +0.17 pp
1971 9.01 +0.16 pp
1970 8.86 +0.14 pp
1969 8.71 +0.14 pp
1968 8.57 +0.14 pp
1967 8.43 +0.13 pp
1966 8.3 +0.13 pp
1965 8.17 +0.12 pp
1964 8.05 +0.11 pp
1963 7.93 +0.11 pp
1962 7.82 +0.11 pp
1961 7.72 +0.1 pp
1960 7.62

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.