Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 19.05 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
19.05 million
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
21st
of 121 countries
All-time high
19.05 million
in 2025
All-time low
14.60 million
in 1981
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in United Kingdom, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in United Kingdom is 19.05 million, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in United Kingdom peaked at 19.05 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 14.60 million, in 1981.
United Kingdom ranks 21st of 121 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 16.46 million | — |
| 1961 | 16.45 million | -0.1% |
| 1962 | 16.36 million | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 16.28 million | -0.5% |
| 1964 | 16.20 million | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 16.12 million | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 16.04 million | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 15.97 million | -0.5% |
| 1968 | 15.89 million | -0.5% |
| 1969 | 15.81 million | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 15.73 million | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 15.65 million | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 15.54 million | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 15.43 million | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 15.31 million | -0.7% |
| 1975 | 15.21 million | -0.7% |
| 1976 | 15.10 million | -0.7% |
| 1977 | 14.99 million | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 14.88 million | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 14.78 million | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 14.67 million | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 14.60 million | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 14.60 million | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 14.60 million | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 14.61 million | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 14.61 million | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 14.61 million | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 14.61 million | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 14.62 million | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 14.62 million | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 14.62 million | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 14.67 million | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 14.72 million | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 14.77 million | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 14.82 million | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 14.87 million | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 14.92 million | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 14.98 million | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 15.03 million | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 15.08 million | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 15.14 million | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 15.20 million | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 15.29 million | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 15.39 million | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 15.49 million | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 15.59 million | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 15.68 million | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 15.86 million | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 16.04 million | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 16.21 million | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 16.40 million | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 16.58 million | +1.1% |
| 2012 | 16.75 million | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 16.93 million | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 17.10 million | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 17.28 million | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 17.46 million | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 17.65 million | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 17.83 million | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 18.02 million | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 18.20 million | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 18.38 million | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 18.56 million | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 18.73 million | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 18.90 million | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 19.05 million | +0.8% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 19.05 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.18 million, 6.0× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 19.05 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.07 million, 9.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.16 million | 15.81 million | 16.46 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.26 million | 14.78 million | 15.73 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.62 million | 14.60 million | 14.67 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.85 million | 14.62 million | 15.08 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.59 million | 15.14 million | 16.21 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.20 million | 16.40 million | 18.02 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.64 million | 18.20 million | 19.05 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More urban development data for United Kingdom
- Population in the largest city 17.0% (2025)
- Population density 286.37 people per sq. km of land area (2024)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2742 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.8373 % 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 77.42 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 9.84 million (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 995.65 Hectares (2020)
- Establishments, bedrooms and bed-places in tourist accommodation, by 84,579 Number (2016)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in United Kingdom?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in United Kingdom was 19.05 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 19.05 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.60 million in 1981.
- How does United Kingdom rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- United Kingdom ranks 21st out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million. 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 urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.