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.