Population in the largest city in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD): Population in the largest city was 21.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population in the largest city in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in the largest city in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) is 21.9%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 31.2% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 21.9%, in 2024.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 17th of 43 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD), year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 29.4% | — |
| 1961 | 29.6% | +0.8% |
| 1962 | 29.8% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 30.1% | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 30.3% | +0.9% |
| 1965 | 30.7% | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 30.9% | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 30.9% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 30.9% | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 30.8% | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 30.8% | -0.0% |
| 1971 | 30.9% | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 31.0% | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 31.1% | +0.3% |
| 1974 | 31.2% | +0.2% |
| 1975 | 31.2% | +0.1% |
| 1976 | 31.1% | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 30.9% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 30.6% | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 30.2% | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 29.8% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 29.3% | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 28.8% | -1.7% |
| 1983 | 28.3% | -1.7% |
| 1984 | 27.9% | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 27.4% | -1.5% |
| 1986 | 27.0% | -1.4% |
| 1987 | 26.7% | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 26.4% | -1.0% |
| 1989 | 26.1% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 25.9% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 25.7% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 25.6% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 25.5% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 25.5% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 25.4% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 25.4% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 25.2% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 25.1% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 25.0% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 24.8% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 24.7% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 24.6% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 24.5% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 24.3% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 24.0% | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 23.8% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 23.5% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 23.4% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 23.3% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 23.2% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 22.8% | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 22.6% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 22.3% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 22.2% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 22.2% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 22.2% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 22.2% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 22.2% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 22.1% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 22.1% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 22.0% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 22.0% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 21.9% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 21.9% | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 21.9% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 30.3% | 29.4% | 30.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 30.9% | 30.2% | 31.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.8% | 26.1% | 29.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.4% | 25.0% | 25.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.1% | 23.3% | 24.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.4% | 22.1% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.0% | 21.9% | 22.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- 14 Liberia 55.8% compare
- 15 Togo 55.3% compare
- 16 Uruguay 55.2% compare
- 17 North Macedonia 54.2% compare
- 18 Armenia 54.1% compare
- 19 Burkina Faso 50.6% compare
- 20 Mauritania 49.4% compare
More urban development data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)
- Population density 72.02 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 44.01 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 100.0% (2017)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in the largest city in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Population in the largest city in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) was 21.9% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The highest recorded value was 31.2% in 1975.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.9% in 2024.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) rank for population in the largest city?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) ranks 17th out of 43 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.