Maps
Ranked: The World’s Largest Cities By Population
Ranked: The World’s Largest Cities By Population
The world has experienced rapid urbanization over the last century.
Today, more than 4.3 billion people live in urban settings, or 55% of the world’s population.
But what is the world’s largest city? Answers to that question will vary greatly depending on which lines are being used to demarcate city boundaries and measure their populations.
The graphic above uses data taken from the latest official censuses and projections to rank the top cities based on the three most common metrics.
The Largest Cities by City Proper
Our first metric is based on the city proper, meaning the administrative boundaries.
According to the United Nations, a city proper is “the single political jurisdiction which contains the historical city center.”
The Chinese city of Chongqing leads the ranks by this metric and has an administrative boundary the size of Austria, with an urban population of 32.1 million.
The city’s monorail system holds records for being the world’s longest and busiest, boasting 70 stations. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, is among the world’s top 50 busiest airports. Additionally, the city ranks among the globe’s top 50 hubs for scientific research.
Other Chinese cities dominate the ranking by this metric:
Rank | City | Population (Million) |
---|---|---|
#1 | 🇨🇳 Chongqing | 32.1m |
#2 | 🇨🇳 Shanghai | 24.9m |
#3 | 🇨🇳 Beijing | 21.9m |
#4 | 🇮🇳 Delhi | 16.8m |
#5 | 🇨🇳 Chengdu | 16.0m |
#6 | 🇹🇷 Istanbul | 15.5m |
#7 | 🇵🇰 Karachi | 14.9m |
#8 | 🇨🇳 Guangzhou | 14.5m |
#9 | 🇨🇳 Tianjin | 13.9m |
#10 | 🇯🇵 Tokyo | 13.5m |
The first non-Chinese city, Delhi, has been experiencing one of the fastest urban expansions in the world.
The United Nations projects India will add over 400 million urban dwellers by 2050, compared to 250 million people in China and 190 million in Nigeria.
The Largest Cities by Urban Area
This measurement largely ignores territorial boundaries and considers a city a contiguous, connected built-up area.
Demographia describes urban areas as functioning as an integrated economic unit, linked by commuting flows, social, and economic interactions.
By this metric, Tokyo leads the ranking:
Rank | City | Population (Million) |
---|---|---|
#1 | 🇯🇵 Tokyo | 37.7m |
#2 | 🇮🇩 Jakarta | 33.8m |
#3 | 🇮🇳 Delhi | 32.2m |
#4 | 🇨🇳 Guangzhou | 26.9m |
#5 | 🇮🇳 Mumbai | 25.0m |
#6 | 🇵🇭 Manila | 24.9m |
#7 | 🇨🇳 Shanghai | 24.1m |
#8 | 🇧🇷 Sao Paulo | 23.1m |
#9 | 🇰🇷 Seoul | 23.0m |
#10 | 🇲🇽 Mexico City | 21.8m |
The city proper houses about 10% of Japan’s population. If the greater Tokyo metro area is considered, including cities like Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba, then Tokyo’s total population surpasses 37 million—about 30% of the country total.
Consequently, even with one of the world’s largest railway systems, trains in Tokyo are incredibly crowded, with a boarding rate of 200% during peak time in the most overcrowded areas. The city is also famous for its Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection on the planet.
The Largest Cities by Metropolitan Area
Tokyo also leads by our final metric, metropolitan area.
This measurement is similar to urban area, but is generally defined by official organizations, either for statistical purposes or governance.
In the United States, this takes the form of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), such as Chicago-Naperville-Elgin or Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler.
Rank | City | Population (Million) |
---|---|---|
#1 | 🇯🇵 Tokyo | 37.3m |
#2 | 🇮🇩 Jakarta | 33.4m |
#3 | 🇮🇳 Delhi | 29.0m |
#4 | 🇰🇷 Seoul | 25.5m |
#5 | 🇮🇳 Mumbai | 24.4m |
#6 | 🇲🇽 Mexico City | 21.8m |
#7 | 🇧🇷 Sao Paulo | 21.7m |
#8 | 🇳🇬 Lagos | 21.0m |
#9 | 🇺🇸 New York | 20.1m |
#10 | 🇷🇺 Moscow | 20.0m |
As the global urban population continues to rise, new cities, especially in Africa and Asia, are expected to vie for the “largest” tag soon.
The UN projects that by 2050, 68% of the world will live in urban areas.
Travel
Ranked: The 10 Most Visited Countries in 2023
At the top of the list, France received 100 million visitors last year.
Ranked: The 10 Most Visited Countries in 2023
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
The development of commercial aviation over the last few decades has made much of the world accessible to many. In 2023 alone, global inbound tourist arrivals reached 1.3 billion.
This graphic depicts the most visited countries in 2023, based on the total number of foreigners entering each country. The data is from to The World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) and the National Immigration Administration of China.
Europe is the Top Destination
Europe is the most sought-after destination, drawing the most international visitors worldwide. Seven of the top 10 destinations are in the region.
At the top of the list, France received 100 million visitors last year. The country is expected to repeat the number in 2024, influenced mainly by the 2024 Paris Olympics taking place in July and August.
Rank | Country | Region | Tourists (millions) |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇫🇷 France | Europe | 100 |
2 | 🇪🇸 Spain | Europe | 85 |
3 | 🇺🇸 United States | North America | 67 |
4 | 🇮🇹 Italy | Europe | 57 |
5 | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | Europe/Asia | 55 |
6 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | North America | 42 |
7 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Europe | 37 |
8 | 🇨🇳 China | Asia | 36 |
9 | 🇩🇪 Germany | Europe | 35 |
10 | 🇬🇷 Greece | Europe | 33 |
Spain followed France with 85 million visits in 2023, and the United States came in third place with 67 million tourists arriving in that year.
China has been among the top destinations for years, but the number of visitors has dropped drastically in recent years due to COVID-19 restrictions. Foreign visitors to China dropped from 65.7 million in 2019 to only 35.5 million in 2023 after the country adopted stringent restrictions.
No African, South American, or Oceanian countries appear on our list.
If you enjoyed this post, check out Visualized: The World’s Busiest Airports, by Passenger Count. In this graphic, we use data from Airports Council International (ACI) to rank the top 10 busiest airports in the world.
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