The world's largest urban area, Tokyo (37.4 million), has almost the same population as the entire country of Canada (37.6 million).
The 2018 data on the 30 largest cities of the world,compiled by theUnitedNations Population Division, reflects the best possible estimates of the populations of these huge cities. Dynamicpopulation growthmakes determining the "exact" population of a city difficult, especially in a developing nation.
If you're wondering what these megacities will look like inthe future, the UN has also projected their population for the year 2030. The UN's list from 2018 lists 33 cities having a population higher than 10 million but 2030 is expected to have 43 of those. Also, in 2018, 27 of the megacities were located in the less developed regions, and by 2030, nine additional cities are estimated to be located there.
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Tokyo, Japan: 37,468,000
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The top city is expected to move down the list and with 2030's projected population of 36,574,000 become the second largest city.
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Delhi, India: 28,514,000
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Delhi, India, is projected to gain about 10 million people by 2030 to end up with a population of about 38,939,000 and exchange places with Tokyo, becoming thus the world's first largest city.
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Shanghai, China: 25,582,000
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Shanghai's estimated population of 32,869,000 in 2030will keep it at the number three spot.
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São Paulo, Brazil: 21,650,000
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Asia and Africa are foreseen to have the most growth in the coming decades. As a result, in 2030, São Paulo, Brazil—with the projected population of 23,824,000—is expected to move down and become only No. 9 on the world's list of most populous cities.
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Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico City), Mexico: 21,581,000
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In 2030, Mexico City is anticipated to still be in the top 10 in population, but only as No. 8.With 24,111,000 people, it is projected to be the largest city in the Western Hemisphere.
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Al-Quahirah (Cairo), Egypt: 20,076,000
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Cairo, Egypt, has been a major city for a thousandyears and should continue to be in the top 10 in population with a possible 25,517,000 people living there, making it 2030's No. 5.
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Mumbai (Bombay), India: 19,980,000
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Mumbai, India should move up by one place in the world's rankings in 2030, with an expected population of 24,572,000.
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Beijing, China: 19,618,000
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The UN Population Division forecasts Beijing, China, to rise to No. 7 on the list with 24,282,000 people in 2030. However, after that year, the country's population may start todecline, based on fertility estimates and its aging population.
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Dhaka, Bangladesh: 19,578,000
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Bangladesh is among the top 10 countries in the world in population, and Dhaka, its capital, could move up all the way to No. 4 by 2030, with an anticipated population growth of almost 9 million, bringing it up to 28,076,000 inhabitants.
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Kinki M.M.A. (Osaka), Japan: 19,281,000
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Tokyo isn't the only Japanese city projected to drop down on the list, as the country is experiencing negative population growth. Based on the projections, Osaka's estimated number of people in 2030 is 18,658,000, bringing it as low as No. 16.
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New York, New York–Newark, New Jersey, United States: 18,819,000
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Demographers anticipate the metropolitan statistical area of New York City, New York—Newark, New Jersey, to grow to 19,958,000. This will be a rather slow augmentation, especially by comparisonto the fast-growing areas and by 2030 it will get moved down to number 13.
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Karachi, Pakistan: 15,400,000
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Pakistan is also among the world's top 10 most populouscountries, and even though Karachi's population is predicted to grow by almost five million by 2030—to 20,432,000 people, it will remain in its position on the list.
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Buenos Aires, Argentina: 14,967,000
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Demographers project Buenos Aires, Argentina, to keep growing, hitting 16,456,000 in 2030, but this growth will be slower than the fastest-growing cities in the world and Buenos Aires might lose some ground on the list (drop to No. 20).
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Chongqing, China: 14,838,000
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China has sixlocations on the largest cities list, and UN number-crunchers expect Chongqing to grow to 19,649,000 by 2030.
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Istanbul, Turkey: 14,751,000
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Turkey has a slightly lower-than-replacement fertility (1.99 and 1.88 by 2030), but Istanbul is still expected to grow to 17,124,000 by 2030. (Replacement fertility is 2.1 births per woman.)
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Kolkata (Calcutta), India: 14,681,000
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India is one of the top two countries in population and is expected to surpass China at the No. 1 position by 2025. As one of its cities, Kolkata's 2030 population projection is 17,584,000 people.
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Manila, Philippines: 13,482,000
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The Philippines was No. 13 on the world population list in 2017, but its capital should remain in the middle of the populous cities pack with a forecast population of 16,841,000 in 2030.
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Lagos, Nigeria: 13,463,000
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Nigeria is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world and is expected to surpass the United States in population by 2050. Lagos, it is thought, will move up to No. 11 on the list in 2030 with 20,600,000 people living there.
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 13,293,000
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The second of two Brazilian entries on the list, Rio will likely remain on theworld's most populous list in 2030but since it is expected to grow only to 14,408,000, it might slide down to No. 26.
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Tianjin, China: 13,215,000
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UN demographers still see growth for all the cities of China already on the list, but even though Tianjin is calculated to grow to 15,745,000 people, it might become only No. 23 on the 2030 list.
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Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo: 13,171,000
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Twenty-two countries in the world have high fertility, one of them being the Congo. Its capital city Kinshasa is expected to achieve 21,914,000 in population and rise to No. 10 of the most populouscities in the world.
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Guangzhou, Guangdong, China: 12,638,000
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The UN expects China's population to remain stable until 2030 when it is expected to start decreasing, but Guangzhou's future has growth in it, to 16,024,000 people by 2030.
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Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana, United States: 12,458,000
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The Los Angeles metropolitan statistical area might not be anticipated to grow quickly, but it should still reach about 13,209,000 in 2030, moving to No. 27.
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Moskva (Moscow), Russia: 12,410,000
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The UN demographers think that Moscow, Russia willcome in at No. 28 by 2030 with 12,796,000 people.
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Shenzhen, China: 11,908,000
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It looks like the city of Shenzhen, China remains among the world's 30 most populated in 2030, coming in with 14,537,000 residents, moving up just barely to No. 24.
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Lahore, Pakistan: 11,738,000
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Since 2016, Lahore, Pakistan, replaced London, England, the last European city, out of the top 30 cities. The city is expected to grow quickly to a population of 16,883,000 and move up as high as No. 18 on the 2030 list.
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Bangalore, India: 11,440,000
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One of three Indian cities forecast to move up in rank by 2030 (to No. 21), Bangalore could grow to 16,227,000 residents.
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Paris, France: 10,901,000
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The Western cultural center, Paris, France, may still be growing (projected 11,710,000 in 2030), but it won't be fast enough to stay in the top 30 cities, possibly falling to No. 35.
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Bogotá, Colombia: 10,574,000
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Bogotá won't be staying on the list in 2030 either. Even though the UN projects an increase to 12,343,000, it might fall just out of the first 30, to No. 31
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Jakarta, Indonesia: 10,517,000
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More than half of the world's population growth between 2017 and 2050 is estimated to happen in just nine countries, Indonesia among them. Indonesia's capital is expected to grow to 12,687,000 by 2030 and remain No. 30 on the list.
Sources
- “The Worlds Cities in 2018 Data Booklet.”United Nations, 2018.
- “30 Largest Cities.”World Urbanization Prospects—Population Division. United Nations, 2018.
- “Canada Population (LIVE).”Worldometer, 2020.
- “The Worlds Cities in 2016 Data Booklet.”United Nations, 2016.
FAQs
What is the 50 largest city in the world? ›
- Tokyo, Japan. City population: 37,274,000. ...
- Delhi, India. City population: 32,065,760. ...
- Shanghai, China. City population: 28,516,904. ...
- Dhaka, Bangladesh. City population: 22,478,116. ...
- Sao Paulo, Brazil. City population: 22,429,800. ...
- Mexico City, Mexico. ...
- Cairo, Egypt. ...
- Mumbai, India.
While Tokyo is the largest city on a global level, with a total of more than 37 million residents, the majority of the most populous cities in the world are in the two most populated countries, China and India.
What city name is in all 50 states? ›According to a common factoid, there's a community called Springfield in all 50 states, but the U.S. Board on Geographic Names says that's not true: only 34 states have a Springfield. The real champ is Riverside. Unless you live in Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, or Oklahoma, there's at least one Riverside in your state.
What is the top 100 biggest cities in the world? ›- Shanghai. China. 14,608,512.
- Buenos Aires. Argentina. 13,076,300.
- Mumbai. India. 12,691,836.
- Mexico City. Mexico. 12,294,193.
- Karachi. Pakistan. 11,624,219.
- İstanbul. Turkey. 11,174,257.
- Delhi. India. 10,927,986.
- Manila. Philippines. 10,444,527.
Kolkata, India. Located on the eastern bank of Hooghly River, Kolkata, the fifteenth-largest city in the entire world is also the capital of the state of West Bengal in India.
What's the biggest city in the world 2022? ›- Tokyo, Japan. 37,274,000,
- Delhi, India. 32,065,760.
- Shanghai, China. 28,516,904.
- Dhaka, Bangladesh. 22,478,116.
- São Paulo, Brazil. 22,429,800.
- Mexico City, Mexico. 22,085,140.
- Cairo, Egypt. 21,750,020.
- Beijing, China. 21,333,332.
- Tokyo, Japan - 37,435,191 people.
- Delhi, India - 29,399,141 people.
- Shanghai, China - 26,317,104 people.
- São Paulo, Brazil - 21,846,507 people.
- Mexico City, Mexico - 21,671,908 people.
- Cairo, Egypt - 20,484,965 people.
- Dhaka, Bangladesh - 20,283,552 people.
- Tokyo, Japan: 39 million people (urban area)
- Jakarta, Indonesia: 35 million people (urban area)
- Chongqing, China: 32 million people (city proper)
- Delhi, India: 28 million people (urban area)
- Shanghai, China: 26 million people (city proper)
- Seoul, South Korea: 26 million people (metropolitan area)
The largest cities by population in the United States are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, and San Jose.
How many city is the largest in the world? ›| Rank | Urban Area | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo-Yokohama | Japan |
| 2 | Jakarta | Indonesia |
| 3 | Delhi, DL-UP-HR | India |
| 4 | Manila | Philippines |
What are the Top 10 biggest cities in the world by area? ›
- New York, NY-NJ-CT, United States - 12,093 km2/ 4,669 mi2.
- Boston-Providence, MA-NH-RI-CT-ME, United States - 9,538 km2/ 3,683 mi2.
- Tokyo-Yokohama - 8,230 km2 / 3,178 mi2.
- Atlanta, GA, United States -7,400 km2/ 2,857 mi2.
- Chicago, IL-IN-WI, United States - 7,006 km2/ 2,705 mi2.
Most experts will tell you that Tokyo is the world's largest metropolis, with a population of about 36 million people. But the core of the city has only eight million people living in it.
What is the oldest city in the United States? ›St. Augustine, founded in September 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain, is the longest continually inhabited European-founded city in the United States – more commonly called the "Nation's Oldest City."
What states have 7 letters in them? ›- Alabama.
- Arizona.
- Florida.
- Georgia.
- Indiana.
- Montana.
- New York.
- Vermont.
...
Overall, researchers say these are the top 10 most common street names in the U.S.:
- Main Street.
- 2nd Street.
- 3rd Street.
- 4th Street.
- 5th Street.
- 6th Street.
- 7th Street.
- 1st Street.
1. Rome, Italy. At number one you voted Rome as the most beautiful city in the world. With its thousand-year-old buildings such as the Forum Romanum or the Colosseum, beautiful piazzas and world-class art – not to mention Vatican City – we are certainly not surprised.
What was the biggest city in the world 1000 years ago? ›Welcome to Cordoba Spain! Join us as we tour this lovely city.
What was the largest city in the world in 1600? ›...
Ranking the World's Most Populous Cities.
| Rank | City | Population in Year 1500 |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Beijing | 672,000 |
| #2 | Vijayanagar | 500,000 |
| #3 | Cairo | 400,000 |
| #4 | Hangzhou | 250,000 |
- Shanghai (Population: 26,317,104)
- Sao Paulo (Population: 21,846,507)
- Mexico City (Population: 21,671,908)
- Cairo (Population: 20,484,965)
- Dhaka (Population: 20,283,552)
- Mumbai (Population: 20,185,064)
- Beijing (Population: 20,035,455)
- Osaka (Population: 19,222,665)
1. London. As the “capital of capitals” negotiates the uncharted, perilous terrain of a post-Brexit and pandemic world, London continues to reign as the planet's best cities for the seventh year running.
Where are the largest cities 2022? ›
Tokyo is the most populous city on earth followed by Delhi, Shanghai, Dhaka, and Sao Paulo. Nine cities have populations greater than 20 million. 32 cities have populations greater than 10 million.
Where is the most beautiful city in the world 2022? ›Overall, Edinburgh, Scotland was named the best city in the world. “The city ranked highly across the board, topping the global chart as the most beautiful and the most walkable city in the world,” says Gleason.
What are the top 15 most populated cities? ›- New York.
- Los Angeles.
- Chicago.
- Houston.
- Phoenix.
- Philadelphia.
- San Antonio.
- San Diego.
We looked at the city and town population totals from the 2010 US Census to determine the largest city in every state. New York City is the biggest by far with 8,175,133 people, followed by Los Angeles (3,792,621) and Chicago (2,695,598).
What is the name of 10 cities? ›| # | City | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mumbai | Maharashtra |
| 2 | Delhi | Delhi |
| 3 | Bangalore | Karnataka |
| 4 | Hyderabad | Andhra Pradesh |
7. Cairo, Egypt - 21,750,020. Cairo cityscape taken during the sunset from the famous Cairo Tower in Cairo, Egypt. Cairo (Al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt and the largest metropolitan in Africa.
What are the top 4 biggest cities? ›New York City — Population: 8,467,513. Los Angeles — Population: 3,849,297. Chicago — Population: 2,696,555. Houston — Population: 2,288,250.
What are the top 10 largest cities in the United Kingdom? ›- London – 11,120,000.
- Manchester – 2,747,000.
- Birmingham-Wolverhampton – 2,624,000.
- Leeds-Bradford – 1,903,000.
- Glasgow – 1,264,000.
- Southampton-Portsmouth – 932,000.
- Liverpool – 910,000.
- Newcastle – 820,000.
| East Coast of the United States | |
|---|---|
| Principal cities | Boston Providence Hartford New York Newark Philadelphia Baltimore Washington, D.C. Richmond Virginia Beach Raleigh Charlotte Atlanta Jacksonville Orlando Tampa Miami |
| Largest city | New York City |
| Largest metropolitan area | New York metropolitan area |
| Population (2017 estimate) | |
- Austin, TX.
- Denver, CO.
- Minneapolis, MN.
- Phoenix, AZ.
- Portland, OR.
- Raleigh, NC.
- San Diego, CA.
- Seattle, WA.
What is the best place to live in the US? ›
Atlanta, Georgia is the best place to live in the U.S. in 2022 because of its booming jobs market and eye on equality.
What is the top 10 city? ›- London, England. Highlighted rankings: Nightlife (1), Museums (1) ...
- Paris, France. Highlighted rankings: Sights and Landmarks (1), Shopping (2) ...
- New York City, United States. Highlighted rankings: Promotion (2), Culture (2) ...
- Tokyo, Japan. ...
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates. ...
- Barcelona, Spain. ...
- Rome, Italy. ...
- Madrid, Spain.
According to World Urban Forum, There are more than 10,000 cities in the world as on 2022.
How many major cities are there in the world? ›The Urban World
There are 512 cities with at least 1 million people, but only 31 megacities.
- New York, New York – 8,467,513.
- Los Angeles, California – 3,849,297.
- Chicago, Illinois – 2,696,555.
- Houston, Texas – 2,288,250.
- Phoenix, Arizona – 1,624,569.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – 1,576,251.
- San Antonio, Texas – 1,451,853.
- San Diego, California – 1,381,611.
New York City, NY (Population: 8,622,357) Los Angeles, CA (Population: 4,085,014) Chicago, IL (Population: 2,670,406) Houston, TX (Population: 2,378,146)
What is the biggest city in the world map? ›A megacity is a very large city, typically with a population of more than 10 million people. Precise definitions vary: the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its 2018 "World Urbanization Prospects" report counted urban agglomerations having over 10 million inhabitants.
Is NYC the biggest city in the world? ›New York City is the most populous city in the United States and the 11th most in the world.
Is Mexico City the largest city in the world? ›According to the most recent definition agreed upon by the federal and state governments, the population of Greater Mexico City is 21,804,515, which makes it the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the world, the second-largest urban agglomeration in the Western Hemisphere (behind São Paulo, Brazil), and the largest ...
What are the top 20 largest cities in the US? ›
- New York.
- Los Angeles.
- Chicago.
- Houston.
- Phoenix.
- Philadelphia.
- San Antonio.
- San Diego.
...
| Rank | Population (000) | 1950 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 7,892 |
| 2 | Chicago | 3,621 |
| 3 | Philadelphia | 2,072 |
| 4 | Los Angeles | 1,970 |
- New York.
- Los Angeles.
- Chicago.
- Houston.
- Phoenix.
- Philadelphia.
- San Antonio.
- San Diego.
Tokyo (Population: 37,435,191) Delhi (Population: 29,399,141) Shanghai (Population: 26,317,104) Sao Paulo (Population: 21,846,507)
What is the most popular city name in the United States? ›| Cities | Post offices |
|---|---|
| 1 Franklin (31) | 1 Clinton (26) |
| 2 Clinton, Washington (29 each) | 2 Madison (25) |
| 3 Arlington (28) | 3 Franklin, Washington (24 each) |