People everywhere around the world build each week the equivalent of a city the size of Vancouver. It’s just a statistic from a study that claims that by the year 2030, the biggest cities in the world would end up by having huge surfaces that will contain a layer of small dimensions. This has already been started …
We only have to take a look on the data regarding the population in the biggest cities of the world, population that is sometimes bigger than those of an European state. Nobody knows where, or if this evolution will stop.
Researchers can only estimate the level of population growth in these cities, but as it happened before, numbers can be contradicted.
So, we invite you to read our Top 10 about the most populated cities in the world.
1.Tokyo, Japan – 34.000.000 people
The capital of Japan is by far the most crowded city in the World. With it’s 34.000.000 inhabitants, including the population from Yokohama, Kawasaki and Saitana, Tokyo is the most populated city in the world. And the numbers do not stop here.
Tokyo spread around 2,187 square km’s, almost 10 times the size of a medium European city, it is considered one of the most expensive City in the world. In the same time, Tokyo is one of the most powerful economical centers of a world, the buying power exceeds 1.48 trillion USD. Also in Tokyo, we can find the headquarters of the Government, The Imperial Palace and the residence of the Japanese royal family.
Tokyo, Japan
2.Seoul, South Korea – 24.400.000
A giant! This is how Seoul can be characterized. The city with an incredible population density: 17.288 people / square km. Considered the 6th economical center of the world, according to the Forbes Magazine. It is the city that hosts all the major concerns ( Samsung, LG, Hyundai ), the most expensive city of Asia and the third in the world.
Seoul also has a population of 24.400.000 people. Obviously this also includes population from Bucheon, Goyang, Incheon, Seongnam and Suweon regions.
Seoul
3. Guangzhou (Canton), China – 24.200.000
This is one of the most biggest cities in Southern China and the third of the country after Beijing and Shanghai. Even so, if we add the population from Dongguan, Foshan, Jiangmen and Zhongshan, and also the population from the south part of the city ..the number resulted in 24.000.000 million people. This makes this city to be one on number 3 in our top.
Guangzhou
4. Mexico City, Mexico – 23.400.000
In the year 1950, Mexico City only had around 3 million people. Nobody thought that in only 60 years the Capital of Mexico would become of the biggest cities in the world. Practically, today, including the Nezahualcoyotl, Ecatepec and Naucalpan regions,Mexico City has around 23.400.000 people.
What we also have to notice is that Mexico City has more than 1/5 of the total population of the country. It is, for sure, the most populated city in Central America and it’s a more economical power than Taiwan and Iran. The data offered by Forbes claim that fact that Mexico City in on the 8th place on their most richest cities list.
Mexico City
5. Delhi, India – 23.200.000
Along with the Noida, Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Faridabad, New Delhi and Ghaziabad, Delhi managed to become the 5th most populated city in the world.
Almost 23.2 million people live in Delhi, one of the most important cultural and political centers in India. The town hosts the Parliament of India, and the New Delhi district has become the capital of the country in 1947, with the Independence of India declaration towards England.
Delhi, India
6. Mumbai, India – 22.800.000
With a total population of 22.8 million people, out of which 13.8 million live in the urban area, the rest in Bhiwandi, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan, Thane and Ulhasnagar, Mumbai, the capital of the Maharastra state was declared one of the richest city in India.
The high living level of this city, much over the India general average, annually attracts a lot of tourists from all over the country, which makes Mumbai to be one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the world. Also in Mumbai, along with a lot of financial institutions ( National Stock Exchange of India, Bombay Stock Exchange or Reserve Bank of India ) we can also find the center of the indian movie industry, Bollywood.
Mumbai, India
7. New York, USA – 22.200.000
The metropolitan area of New York is by far one of the most populated areas in the United states of America, exceeding Los Angeles with almost 5.000.000 people. New York has become todya one of the most important cities in the world, with a population of 22.000.000 and a 17.4000 people / square mile density.
New York is also a symbol of american capitalism, of freedom and democracy.Ta he statue of liberty, Times Square, Broadway, Wall Street, Chinatown, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan, or the prestigious Columbia and New York universities are just a few of the symbols of this great city, some say the greatest city in America.
New York, USA
8. Sao Paolo, Brazil – 20.900.000
Who hasn’t heard of Sao Paolo, Brazil’s most biggest city, and the most richest urban center in the southern hemisphere of the planet and the 8 most populated city in the world ?
Well, Sao Paolo, this huge Brazilian city has around 20.900.000 inhabitants, out of the 192.300.000 Brazilians. Known for his unique architecture, the multitude of sky scrapers, festivals, carnivals, and so on, the great city of Sao Paolo has a unique motto: Non Ducor, duco!
Sao Paolo
9. Manila, Philippine – 19.600.000
No less than 16 cities and municipalities form the metropolitan area of Manila, the capital of the Philippines and the most crowded city in the world. 43.079 people / square mile and a total of 19.600.000 population. To this number we can also add the 1 million tourists each year. Nicknamed the Pearl of the Orient, Manila was also named the Far East. This is a country with a lot of tourists attractions, among which we can only mention The Santiago medieval Fort, Rizal Park, Malacanang Palace.
Manila
10. Shanghai, China – 19.400.000
Shanghai is practically the biggest city in China as far as size is concerned and one of the most populated of the world, with a 20.000.000 population. that continues to grow very fast each year.
Shanghai
Check your facts. You state there is over 22 million in NYC and yet according to the state’s own census, there is not even that many in the entire state! According to the state census in 2008 there is a little over 8 million in NYC and only 18 million in the entire state. Simple fact checking might be a wise idea.
not to be rude but my pen pal lives in nyc and i had her check up on it this is so wrong
Hello
They should include New Jersey as the subur of NY.
Locson
Well Jennifer New York spreads over a wide river named the Hudson.The Hudson River seperates the states of New York and New Jersey,so you should go look at the pop.of New Jersey and New York and add them together,and I bet they probably came pretty close to the right population.Also all you people that say Istanbul should be on here this list was probably published before the population of Istanbul was released.The reason I say this is because they would not forget a city with over 15,000,000 people in it.I could be wrong about the Istanbul thing though maybe they just didn’t do very good research.
I think Shanghai, China is the most populated city in the world.
umm u spelled “South Korea” wrong..
Hello Diana,
Thank you very much for the heads up. I have corrected the mistake.
MMMMM, Mexico City is in North America, not Central America… Check your facts! It also the most populated
city in the entire Americas…
No, check YOUR facts. It is in Central America.
P.S. I bet you haven’t checked the world map lately.
If you did, look more carefully.
No. Central America is not a continent. North and South America are two separate continents. Mexico is part of the North American continent.
North and South America are not two separated continents. America is one single continent with a north and south as any other continent.
The world has 6 continents: Africa,The Americas, Antarctica, Asia and Europe.
Hello! I am a geography teacher, and Central America is part of North America. In addition, the population of cities can be based upon the “city proper” or the expanded metropolis. You must look at the way the population is calculated and make the distinction based upon that…i.e. “compare apples to apples”. My seventh grade students know much more than most of the people who have responded here with very unintelligent replies!
North America is composed of Canada, U.S., and Mexico. Central America is composed of everything inbetween Guatemala and Panama. South America is composed of every country below Panama.
Learn your facts.
Okay so according to wikipedia NEW York City’s Population is 8,391,881 and Mexico City’s Population is 8,851,080 now see there is a difference.
I think you are mistaking something. Karachi (Pakistan) is the largest city in the world by population and I can’t even see its name in your list of cities.
Are you crazy.Karachi has a population of 12 million only but tokyo has almost more than 18 million.
Isn’t paris also one of the most populated cities in the world?
It’s actually pretty far off.
Even London pretty much flogs Paris in population statistics.
The central region in Paris has only 2 million people. Although all of the regions combined make a population of 11 million, still pretty far of the list.
you have it all wrong i am taking a test on the worlds largest cities and none the top 5 cities are an option the test is not wrong!!!
Oh I see the problem, you took a test for the largest cities.
But these are the most populous cities.
The author is obviously going by met area also, not the city proper. That’s why it says more people than all of NY state, northern NJ has a hugely dense population. That is also why Karachi is not on the list, hugely populated city but really nothing outside or around it like these. Just need to think for a second people, I know it’s hard,but just give it a shot sometime.
He’s 100% right. If you don’t understand him.
The list is for the most populated cities INCLUDING all of the regions. So it’s not for the main region of the cities, but for all of the regions of the cities combined. This is the list for not just the cities, but for the metropolises, the cities’regions combined.
Good for you Russel and one up for you bud! I had just finished saying to myself “Yeah, NYC proper has 8 million, but the guy is most definitely factoring in the NJ/CT/Long Island, and Upstate NY suburbs.” If you read the other cities densities of population here, you’ll see where he writes for example that Tokyo is also “including the population from Yokohama, Kawasaki and Saitana.”
THis website is awsome THANKS
cool… but is that really NYC’s population???
Where is Istanbul???
Istanbul is the largest city in 2010 in population.
its all wrong!!
Where is Istanbul????
its all wrong!!
Where is Istanbul???? it has 15 millions people, and 20 millions tourists in a year..
You make me laugh.Where is Lagos with over 30 million people you need to come down here and see for yourself the most populated City in Africa
List should be correct, but Shanghai has about a pop of 25 mil…the rest should be OK!
Lagos 30 mil? Lol cmon! not even 20 mil!
Istanbul is a village compared to this cities, about 10-12 mil in Istanbul (metro area!)!
Please take account of the fact that we speak here about the population of URBAN AREAS and not about pop within city limits!
come on guys these statistics all wrong. is istanbul 12 mil?
i don’n wanna be rude but u r givin wrong infos to ppl. i think u have never been in there cuz’ otherwise u would be kiddin’.
Mumbai?
Tokyo Japan i like the most :X it`s beautifoul, fier forjat, balustrade inox
Today is not spelled todya, however I love your statistics. These are metropolitan areas not city limits. And I’ve been to Istanbul, and it may be really big but I belive them that it shouldn’t be on this list (not top 10). Although, Mexico city has a hard population to count so it may have a sligtly higher pop. New York suprises me, but I belive them if they include the American North Eastern Megalopilis.
If it is city + suburbs then why isn’t chongqing on there as it has +30million people in the city (about 6mln) + surrounding areas ?
This has got me all confused, every web page or book you look at has a different view/asnwer, i honestly think no one knows the correct answer.
At least, one of your numbers is wrong. I’m brazilian and I can talk about Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brasil. His population is about 11.000.000, acording to the 2010 census and not 21.000.000, as you’re informing…
Where is Gothica? It has a population of 53 million. Check your facts!
no, they are not separate continents, but mexico is in north america, central america is not a continent but when it is the central geographic region of the Americas which is the actual continent, then when referring to countries in the Americas, its stated the geographical region in which they are located, hence Mexico, North America
I don’t understand why you are including Yokohama, Kawasaki, Saitama in Tokyo. They are in completely different prefectures. FYI, according to the official survey done by Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the population in Tokyo is estimated as 13,050,454, as of January 2011.
during the present earthquke crisis in Japan the media give the population of Tokyo as fourteen million. so where do you get your figures ?
YAY I LIVE IN SEOUL.
btw it’s not ‘Hunday’ it’s ‘Hyundai….’
heheh not to be rude, just pointing that out. (: