Population in the largest city in Chile
Chile: Population in the largest city was 39.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
39.5%
Change on year
up 0.0%
World rank
37th
of 153 countries
All-time high
42.8%
in 2002
All-time low
35.4%
in 1966
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in the largest city in Chile, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in the largest city in Chile stood at 39.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Chile peaked at 42.8% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 35.4%, in 1966.
That places Chile 37th out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Chile, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 35.8% | — |
| 1961 | 35.8% | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 35.7% | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 35.6% | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 35.5% | -0.2% |
| 1965 | 35.5% | -0.1% |
| 1966 | 35.4% | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 35.5% | +0.1% |
| 1968 | 35.5% | +0.1% |
| 1969 | 35.6% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 35.7% | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 36.0% | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 36.3% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 36.6% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 37.0% | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 37.3% | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 37.7% | +1.0% |
| 1977 | 38.1% | +1.1% |
| 1978 | 38.5% | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 39.0% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 39.6% | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 40.2% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 40.7% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 40.8% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 40.9% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 41.0% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 41.1% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 41.2% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 41.2% | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 41.3% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 41.3% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 41.3% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 41.4% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 41.5% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 41.5% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 41.6% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 41.7% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 41.8% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 41.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 42.1% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 42.3% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 42.6% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 42.8% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 42.7% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 42.6% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 42.5% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 42.4% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 42.3% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 42.2% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 42.1% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 42.0% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 41.9% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 41.8% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 41.6% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 41.5% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 41.3% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 41.1% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 40.7% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 40.2% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 39.7% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 39.6% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 39.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 39.6% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 39.5% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 39.5% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 39.5% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 35.6% | 35.4% | 35.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 37.2% | 35.7% | 39.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 40.8% | 39.6% | 41.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 41.6% | 41.3% | 42.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.4% | 42.1% | 42.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.2% | 39.7% | 42.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.5% | 39.5% | 39.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Chile
- 34 Bangladesh 42.2% compare
- 35 Azerbaijan 41.5% compare
- 36 Central African Republic 41.4% compare
- 38 Madagascar 39.3% compare
- 39 Mali 39.2% compare
- 40 Oman 39.0% compare
More urban development data for Chile
- Population density 26.46 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 23.1 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.3524 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 7.00 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.6979 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 9.29 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 7.00 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 2.02 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 217.31 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in the largest city in Chile?
- Population in the largest city in Chile was 39.5% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Chile?
- The highest recorded value was 42.8% in 2002.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Chile?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.4% in 1966.
- How does Chile rank for population in the largest city?
- Chile ranks 37th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Chile?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Chile data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.