Share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents by country
Percentage of the total population living in cities with 1 million or more people. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.
Countries reporting
175
Highest
89.4%
Bahrain
Lowest
0.0%
Reunion
Median
16.4%
Years covered
71
1950–2020
Data points
2,505
What the numbers show
Share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents is currently reported for 175 countries. The highest value is 89.4% in Bahrain; the lowest is 0.0% in Reunion.
The median across all reporting countries is 16.4%, and the mean is 18.6%.
Over the past decade 89 countries rose and 25 fell. The largest increase was in Kazakhstan (up 137.6%), and the largest decrease in Paraguay (down 35.5%).
Share of population living in cities with more than 1 million residents: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahrain | 89.4% | 2020 | up 0.1% | volatile |
| 2 | Singapore | 84.8% | 2020 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 3 | Kuwait | 84.0% | 2020 | up 2.4% | volatile |
| 4 | Congo | 82.7% | 2020 | up 88.2% | volatile |
| 5 | Hong Kong | 78.4% | 2020 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 6 | Qatar | 70.7% | 2020 | up 9.4% | volatile |
| 7 | Taiwan | 62.6% | 2020 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 8 | South Korea | 59.6% | 2020 | down 0.3% | rising |
| 9 | Jordan | 56.7% | 2020 | up 10.9% | volatile |
| 10 | Japan | 51.1% | 2020 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 11 | Saudi Arabia | 48.4% | 2020 | up 23.1% | volatile |
| 12 | United Arab Emirates | 46.8% | 2020 | up 40.1% | volatile |
| 13 | Mongolia | 44.5% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 14 | Bolivia | 42.5% | 2020 | up 38.8% | volatile |
| 15 | Gambia | 42.4% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 16 | Costa Rica | 41.7% | 2020 | up 4.6% | volatile |
| 17 | Dominican Republic | 40.1% | 2020 | up 9.7% | volatile |
| 18 | Argentina | 38.8% | 2020 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 19 | Egypt | 38.8% | 2020 | up 26.2% | rising |
| 20 | Armenia | 36.7% | 2020 | down 2.3% | volatile |
| 21 | Uruguay | 36.6% | 2020 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 22 | Colombia | 35.4% | 2020 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 23 | Liberia | 34.3% | 2020 | up 12.4% | volatile |
| 24 | Chile | 33.9% | 2020 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 25 | Panama | 32.7% | 2020 | up 9.9% | volatile |
| 26 | Indonesia | 32.5% | 2020 | up 6.0% | rising |
| 27 | Angola | 32.3% | 2020 | up 112.3% | volatile |
| 28 | Ghana | 32.1% | 2020 | up 29.2% | volatile |
| 29 | Somalia | 31.6% | 2020 | up 130.6% | volatile |
| 30 | Turkey | 31.3% | 2020 | up 7.5% | rising |
| 31 | Ecuador | 31.2% | 2020 | up 2.4% | volatile |
| 32 | Iraq | 31.0% | 2020 | up 17.9% | volatile |
| 33 | Cameroon | 31.0% | 2020 | up 21.4% | volatile |
| 34 | Brazil | 30.8% | 2020 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 35 | Lebanon | 30.6% | 2020 | down 9.1% | volatile |
| 36 | Peru | 30.6% | 2020 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 37 | Greece | 30.6% | 2020 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 38 | Mauritania | 29.6% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 39 | Australia | 29.5% | 2020 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 40 | South Africa | 29.5% | 2020 | up 30.8% | volatile |
| 41 | Israel | 28.1% | 2020 | up 2.8% | volatile |
| 42 | Malaysia | 27.9% | 2020 | up 15.7% | volatile |
| 43 | Syria | 27.9% | 2020 | down 11.9% | volatile |
| 44 | Bangladesh | 27.7% | 2020 | up 22.4% | volatile |
| 45 | Canada | 27.6% | 2020 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 46 | Senegal | 27.3% | 2020 | up 24.2% | volatile |
| 47 | Honduras | 27.3% | 2020 | up 117.8% | volatile |
| 48 | Mexico | 27.0% | 2020 | down 7.7% | rising |
| 49 | Philippines | 26.5% | 2020 | up 3.9% | rising |
| 50 | Togo | 25.9% | 2020 | down 0.0% | volatile |
| 51 | United Kingdom | 25.7% | 2020 | up 12.4% | falling |
| 52 | El Salvador | 25.6% | 2020 | down 4.2% | volatile |
| 53 | Iran | 25.1% | 2020 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 54 | Pakistan | 25.1% | 2020 | up 11.9% | rising |
| 55 | Thailand | 24.1% | 2020 | up 27.2% | rising |
| 56 | Morocco | 23.8% | 2020 | up 17.1% | volatile |
| 57 | Spain | 22.5% | 2020 | up 14.8% | rising |
| 58 | Sierra Leone | 22.4% | 2020 | up 21.2% | volatile |
| 59 | Austria | 22.2% | 2020 | up 8.1% | flat |
| 60 | Kazakhstan | 22.1% | 2020 | up 137.6% | volatile |
| 61 | Vietnam | 22.0% | 2020 | up 41.7% | rising |
| 62 | Sri Lanka | 22.0% | 2020 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 64 | Venezuela | 21.4% | 2020 | down 5.1% | rising |
| 65 | New Zealand | 21.4% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 66 | Belarus | 21.1% | 2020 | up 12.1% | volatile |
| 67 | Cote d'Ivoire | 21.0% | 2020 | up 4.8% | volatile |
| 68 | Denmark | 20.5% | 2020 | up 9.3% | volatile |
| 69 | Nigeria | 20.4% | 2020 | up 25.5% | volatile |
| 70 | United States | 20.4% | 2020 | up 17.4% | rising |
| 71 | Tunisia | 20.2% | 2020 | up 14.2% | volatile |
| 72 | Central African Republic | 20.2% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 73 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 20.0% | 2020 | up 17.2% | volatile |
| 74 | Paraguay | 19.8% | 2020 | down 35.5% | volatile |
| 75 | China | 19.7% | 2020 | up 16.2% | volatile |
| 76 | Nicaragua | 19.5% | 2020 | down 0.5% | volatile |
| 77 | Guinea | 19.1% | 2020 | up 4.5% | volatile |
| 78 | Azerbaijan | 19.0% | 2020 | down 4.4% | volatile |
| 79 | India | 18.9% | 2020 | up 11.0% | rising |
| 80 | Kyrgyzstan | 18.8% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 81 | Burkina Faso | 18.5% | 2020 | up 62.8% | volatile |
| 82 | Portugal | 18.0% | 2020 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 83 | Benin | 17.4% | 2020 | up 12.8% | volatile |
| 84 | Russia | 17.1% | 2020 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 85 | Mali | 16.8% | 2020 | up 13.4% | volatile |
| 86 | Hungary | 16.7% | 2020 | up 4.8% | falling |
| 87 | Libya | 16.7% | 2020 | up 3.3% | volatile |
| 88 | Haiti | 16.4% | 2020 | down 19.1% | volatile |
| 89 | Serbia | 16.4% | 2020 | up 13.5% | volatile |
| 90 | Afghanistan | 16.4% | 2020 | up 23.2% | volatile |
| 91 | France | 16.0% | 2020 | down 0.2% | rising |
| 92 | Guatemala | 15.8% | 2020 | down 11.8% | volatile |
| 93 | Zambia | 15.7% | 2020 | up 17.8% | volatile |
| 94 | Turkmenistan | 15.6% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 95 | Bulgaria | 15.6% | 2020 | up 15.4% | volatile |
| 96 | Italy | 14.9% | 2020 | up 2.6% | rising |
| 97 | Cuba | 14.5% | 2020 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 98 | Yemen | 14.2% | 2020 | up 8.2% | volatile |
| 99 | Sweden | 13.9% | 2020 | up 12.6% | volatile |
| 100 | Sudan | 13.7% | 2020 | down 7.5% | volatile |
| 101 | Tajikistan | 13.4% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 102 | Kenya | 13.3% | 2020 | up 16.1% | volatile |
| 103 | Cambodia | 13.3% | 2020 | up 22.3% | volatile |
| 104 | Myanmar | 13.1% | 2020 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 105 | Germany | 13.0% | 2020 | up 16.8% | flat |
| 106 | Madagascar | 12.2% | 2020 | up 43.1% | volatile |
| 107 | Zimbabwe | 12.1% | 2020 | down 17.3% | volatile |
| 108 | Belgium | 12.0% | 2020 | up 3.3% | volatile |
| 109 | Tanzania | 11.2% | 2020 | up 33.2% | volatile |
| 110 | Czechia | 11.2% | 2020 | up 4.9% | volatile |
| 111 | North Korea | 11.0% | 2020 | down 1.4% | volatile |
| 112 | Uzbekistan | 10.9% | 2020 | down 2.6% | rising |
| 113 | Nepal | 10.6% | 2020 | up 26.3% | volatile |
| 114 | Rwanda | 10.1% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 115 | Romania | 10.0% | 2020 | up 3.7% | rising |
| 116 | Ukraine | 9.8% | 2020 | up 6.7% | rising |
| 117 | Algeria | 9.6% | 2020 | up 29.0% | volatile |
| 118 | Chad | 9.6% | 2020 | up 0.2% | volatile |
| 119 | Uganda | 9.5% | 2020 | up 9.4% | volatile |
| 120 | Mozambique | 9.5% | 2020 | up 7.3% | volatile |
| 121 | Burundi | 9.0% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 122 | Netherlands | 6.5% | 2020 | up 5.9% | volatile |
| 123 | Niger | 5.6% | 2020 | down 8.3% | volatile |
| 124 | Ethiopia | 5.0% | 2020 | up 21.9% | volatile |
| 125 | Poland | 4.9% | 2020 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 126 | Albania | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Bahamas | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Barbados | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Bhutan | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Botswana | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Switzerland | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Comoros | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Cape Verde | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Cyprus | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Djibouti | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Eritrea | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Estonia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Finland | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Fiji | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Gabon | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Georgia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | volatile |
| 126 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Guyana | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Croatia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Iceland | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Jamaica | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Laos | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Lesotho | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Lithuania | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Latvia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Moldova | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Maldives | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | North Macedonia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Montenegro | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Mauritius | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Malawi | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Namibia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | New Caledonia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Norway | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Oman | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Papua New Guinea | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Puerto Rico | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Palestine | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | French Polynesia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Solomon Islands | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | South Sudan | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Suriname | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Slovakia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Slovenia | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Eswatini | 0.0% | 2015 | — | flat |
| 126 | East Timor | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
| 126 | Reunion | 0.0% | 2020 | — | flat |
About this data
Percentage of the total population living in cities with 1 million or more people. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.