Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Western Asia

Share of population in cities over 1 million in Western Asia in 2025 — 33.1%. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 15.84 pp.

2025 33.1% −0.1 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 33.65%2021
Period minimum 17.26%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Western Asia, 1960–2025152025303519601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 17.26%1962: 18.14%1964: 19.21%1966: 20.3%1968: 21.2%1970: 22.24%1972: 23.14%1974: 24.14%1976: 25.02%1978: 25.65%1980: 26.22%1982: 26.78%1984: 27.18%1986: 27.64%1988: 28.14%1990: 28.69%1992: 29.07%1994: 29.21%1996: 29.53%1998: 29.85%2000: 30.14%2002: 30.58%2004: 30.89%2006: 31.2%2008: 31.69%2010: 32.44%2012: 31.85%2014: 31.69%2016: 32.39%2018: 33.23%2020: 33.38%2022: 33.49%2024: 33.2%2025: 33.1%
Change over the period: +15.84 pp Annual average: 0.24 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Western Asia 33.1%
World 25.29%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — Western Asia, by year Western Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 33.1 −0.1 pp
2024 33.2 −0.12 pp
2023 33.33 −0.17 pp
2022 33.49 −0.15 pp
2021 33.65 +0.27 pp
2020 33.38 +0.02 pp
2019 33.36 +0.13 pp
2018 33.23 +0.46 pp
2017 32.76 +0.37 pp
2016 32.39 +0.43 pp
2015 31.97 +0.28 pp
2014 31.69 +0.03 pp
2013 31.66 −0.19 pp
2012 31.85 −0.24 pp
2011 32.08 −0.36 pp
2010 32.44 +0.46 pp
2009 31.98 +0.29 pp
2008 31.69 +0.25 pp
2007 31.44 +0.24 pp
2006 31.2 +0.17 pp
2005 31.03 +0.14 pp
2004 30.89 +0.08 pp
2003 30.81 +0.23 pp
2002 30.58 +0.26 pp
2001 30.33 +0.19 pp
2000 30.14 +0.13 pp
1999 30.01 +0.16 pp
1998 29.85 +0.16 pp
1997 29.69 +0.15 pp
1996 29.53 +0.17 pp
1995 29.36 +0.15 pp
1994 29.21 +0.07 pp
1993 29.14 +0.07 pp
1992 29.07 +0.17 pp
1991 28.9 +0.2 pp
1990 28.69 +0.35 pp
1989 28.34 +0.2 pp
1988 28.14 +0.27 pp
1987 27.87 +0.23 pp
1986 27.64 +0.23 pp
1985 27.42 +0.24 pp
1984 27.18 +0.2 pp
1983 26.97 +0.19 pp
1982 26.78 +0.27 pp
1981 26.52 +0.3 pp
1980 26.22 +0.28 pp
1979 25.94 +0.29 pp
1978 25.65 +0.3 pp
1977 25.35 +0.33 pp
1976 25.02 +0.36 pp
1975 24.66 +0.52 pp
1974 24.14 +0.52 pp
1973 23.62 +0.48 pp
1972 23.14 +0.45 pp
1971 22.69 +0.45 pp
1970 22.24 +0.53 pp
1969 21.71 +0.5 pp
1968 21.2 +0.48 pp
1967 20.73 +0.43 pp
1966 20.3 +0.49 pp
1965 19.81 +0.6 pp
1964 19.21 +0.57 pp
1963 18.64 +0.5 pp
1962 18.14 +0.45 pp
1961 17.69 +0.42 pp
1960 17.26

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.