Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Chile
Chile: Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents was 6.57 million people in 2020. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Chile, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2020, number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Chile stood at 6.57 million people. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Chile peaked at 6.57 million people in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.30 million people, in 1950.
That places Chile 42nd out of 182 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Chile, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.30 million people | — |
| 1955 | 1.55 million people | +19.0% |
| 1960 | 1.85 million people | +19.0% |
| 1965 | 2.13 million people | +15.4% |
| 1970 | 2.46 million people | +15.4% |
| 1975 | 2.83 million people | +15.4% |
| 1980 | 3.39 million people | +19.6% |
| 1985 | 3.86 million people | +13.9% |
| 1990 | 4.26 million people | +10.3% |
| 1995 | 4.75 million people | +11.6% |
| 2000 | 5.31 million people | +11.7% |
| 2005 | 5.73 million people | +7.9% |
| 2010 | 5.99 million people | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 6.23 million people | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 6.57 million people | +5.4% |
Chile compared with similar countries
- Chile's 6.57 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.35 million people, 4.8× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Chile's 6.57 million people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.85 million people, 3.6× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.43 million people | 1.30 million people | 1.55 million people | 2 |
| 1960s | 1.99 million people | 1.85 million people | 2.13 million people | 2 |
| 1970s | 2.65 million people | 2.46 million people | 2.83 million people | 2 |
| 1980s | 3.63 million people | 3.39 million people | 3.86 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.50 million people | 4.26 million people | 4.75 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.52 million people | 5.31 million people | 5.73 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 6.11 million people | 5.99 million people | 6.23 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 6.57 million people | 6.57 million people | 6.57 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Chile
More reference data data for Chile
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9268 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2204 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 5.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.46 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 25.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.2 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Chile?
- Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents in Chile was 6.57 million people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents recorded in Chile?
- The highest recorded value was 6.57 million people in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents recorded in Chile?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.30 million people in 1950.
- How does Chile rank for number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents?
- Chile ranks 42nd out of 182 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents rising or falling in Chile?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Chile data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities with more than 1 million residents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.