Countries in South America Ranked by Urban population (2025)
Urban population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Brazil ranks #1 with 187.65 million people. That is 4.4 times Argentina in second place (42.35 million people). The top five are Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela, RB. Together the top 10 account for 99.8% of the total across the 12 countries in South America listed. The median across all 12 is 14.65 million people; Guyana is last at 221,460 people. Brazil's figure has risen 30% since 2001 (143.85 million people to 187.65 million people in 2025).
- #1
- Brazil · 187.65 million people
- Median
- 14.65 million people
- Coverage
- 12 countries in South America
- Data year
- 2025
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Brazil 50.1%Argentina 11.3%Colombia 11.2%Peru 7.9%Venezuela, RB 6.8%All others 12.6%
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Urban population (people) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 187,650,000 |
| 2 | Argentina | 42,345,000 |
| 3 | Colombia | 42,090,000 |
| 4 | Peru | 29,596,000 |
| 5 | Venezuela, RB | 25,472,000 |
| 6 | Chile | 17,711,000 |
| 7 | Ecuador | 11,594,000 |
| 8 | Bolivia | 9,004,000 |
| 9 | Paraguay | 4,936,500 |
| 10 | Uruguay | 3,237,600 |
| 11 | Suriname | 420,950 |
| 12 | Guyana | 221,460 |
About the top 10
#1 Brazil
Brazil ranks #1 on this list with 187.65 million people.
- Capital
- Brasília
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 212.81 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.28 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$10,713 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 76 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 88.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Greater Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro.
Also ranks #1 in new businesses registered · #2 in forest area · #3 in external debt stocks.
#2 Argentina
Argentina ranks #2 on this list with 42.35 million people.
- Capital
- Buenos Aires
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 45.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$683.1 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,898 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 92.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Greater Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Córdoba.
Also ranks #1 in inflation rate · #2 in access to clean cooking fuels · #2 in deposit interest rate.
#3 Colombia
Colombia ranks #3 on this list with 42.09 million people.
- Capital
- Bogotá
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 53.43 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$457.41 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,562 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 78.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali.
Also ranks #1 in income share of richest 10% · #1 in gini index · #4 in women in ministerial positions share.
#4 Peru
Peru ranks #4 on this list with 29.6 million people.
- Capital
- Lima
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 34.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$334.85 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$9,684 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 85.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lima, Arequipa.
Also ranks #5 in fish production · #6 in firms using banks to finance investment share · #7 in atms per 100,000 adults.
#5 Venezuela, RB
Venezuela, RB ranks #5 on this list with 25.47 million people.
- Capital
- Caracas
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 28.52 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$99.66 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,495 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 72.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 89.3% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia.
Also ranks #1 in time to start a business (days) · #3 in protected terrestrial area share · #11 in refugee population by origin.
#6 Chile
Chile ranks #6 on this list with 17.71 million people.
- Capital
- Santiago
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 19.86 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$357.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$17,995 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 81.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 89.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santiago, Santo Domingo.
Also ranks #5 in mineral rents share of gdp · #7 in school enrolment (tertiary) · #10 in fish production.
#7 Ecuador
Ecuador ranks #7 on this list with 11.59 million people.
- Capital
- Quito
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 18.29 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$130.32 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,125 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 77.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Guayaquil, Quito.
Also ranks #5 in homicide rate · #9 in gini index · #9 in women in ministerial positions share.
#8 Bolivia
Bolivia ranks #8 on this list with 9 million people.
- Capital
- La Paz, Sucre
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 12.58 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$64.77 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,148 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 71.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
Also ranks #2 in real effective exchange rate index · #3 in bank branches per 100,000 adults · #4 in women in parliament share.
#9 Paraguay
Paraguay ranks #9 on this list with 4.94 million people.
- Capital
- Asunción
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 7.01 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$49.28 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$7,027 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 70.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in official exchange rate · #11 in income share of richest 10% · #14 in gini index.
#10 Uruguay
Uruguay ranks #10 on this list with 3.24 million people.
- Capital
- Montevideo
- Continent
- South America
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 3.38 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$85.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$25,216 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 78.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 95.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Montevideo.
Also ranks #1 in atms per 100,000 adults · #3 in agricultural land share · #5 in suicide mortality rate.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Urban population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SP.URB.TOTL. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Urban population: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospe.
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.