The World's Largest Cities by Population
Shanghai is among the most populous cities in the world, with around 22,315,474 people.
All indexed cities with available data; 100 cities shown.
Top Cities Ranked by Population
| # | City | Country | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Shanghai | China | 22,315,474 |
| 🥈 | Beijing | China | 21,540,000 |
| 🥉 | Dhaka | Bangladesh | 21,000,000 |
| 4 | Cairo | Egypt | 20,000,000 |
| 5 | Shenzhen | China | 17,494,398 |
| 6 | Guangzhou | China | 16,096,724 |
| 7 | Lagos | Nigeria | 15,388,000 |
| 8 | Kinshasa | Democratic Republic of Congo | 14,970,000 |
| 9 | Istanbul | Türkiye | 14,804,116 |
| 10 | Tokyo | Japan | 13,960,000 |
| 11 | Chengdu | China | 13,568,357 |
| 12 | Mumbai | India | 12,691,836 |
| 13 | Moscow | Russia | 12,500,000 |
| 14 | São Paulo | Brazil | 12,400,232 |
| 15 | Karachi | Pakistan | 11,624,219 |
| 16 | Tianjin | China | 11,090,314 |
| 17 | Delhi | India | 10,927,986 |
| 18 | Jakarta | Indonesia | 10,560,000 |
| 19 | Bangkok | Thailand | 10,500,000 |
| 20 | Wuhan | China | 10,392,693 |
| 21 | Lima | Peru | 9,750,000 |
| 22 | Seoul | South Korea | 9,700,000 |
| 23 | Dongguan | China | 9,644,871 |
| 24 | Xi’an | China | 9,600,000 |
| 25 | Nanjing | China | 9,314,685 |
| 26 | Hangzhou | China | 9,236,032 |
| 27 | Mexico City | Mexico | 9,200,000 |
| 28 | Tehran | Iran | 9,100,000 |
| 29 | Foshan | China | 9,042,509 |
| 30 | Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 8,993,082 |
| 31 | London | United Kingdom | 8,980,000 |
| 32 | New York City | United States | 8,804,190 |
| 33 | Bengaluru | India | 8,443,675 |
| 34 | Luanda | Angola | 8,330,000 |
| 35 | Hanoi | Vietnam | 8,000,000 |
| 36 | Bogota | Colombia | 7,740,000 |
| 37 | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | 7,600,000 |
| 38 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 7,500,000 |
| 39 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 7,491,609 |
| 40 | Chongqing | China | 7,457,599 |
| 41 | Baghdad | Iraq | 7,200,000 |
| 42 | Qingdao | China | 7,172,451 |
| 43 | Shenyang | China | 7,050,000 |
| 44 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 6,747,815 |
| 45 | Suzhou | China | 6,715,559 |
| 46 | Ahmedabad | India | 6,357,693 |
| 47 | Abidjan | Côte d'Ivoire | 6,321,017 |
| 48 | Lahore | Pakistan | 6,310,888 |
| 49 | Santiago | Chile | 6,150,000 |
| 50 | Singapore | Singapore | 5,680,000 |
| 51 | Singapore | Singapore | 5,638,700 |
| 52 | Johannesburg | South Africa | 5,635,127 |
| 53 | Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | 5,383,728 |
| 54 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | 5,351,935 |
| 55 | Alexandria | Egypt | 5,263,542 |
| 56 | Harbin | China | 5,242,897 |
| 57 | Sydney | Australia | 5,231,147 |
| 58 | Khartoum | Sudan | 5,200,000 |
| 59 | Ankara | Türkiye | 5,100,000 |
| 60 | Hefei | China | 5,050,000 |
| 61 | Melbourne | Australia | 4,917,750 |
| 62 | Dalian | China | 4,913,879 |
| 63 | Kano | Nigeria | 4,910,000 |
| 64 | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia | 4,800,000 |
| 65 | Changchun | China | 4,714,996 |
| 66 | Cape Town | South Africa | 4,710,000 |
| 67 | Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | 4,697,000 |
| 68 | Chennai | India | 4,681,087 |
| 69 | Kolkata | India | 4,631,392 |
| 70 | Xiamen | China | 4,617,251 |
| 71 | Surat | India | 4,591,246 |
| 72 | Yangon | Myanmar | 4,477,638 |
| 73 | Nairobi | Kenya | 4,400,000 |
| 74 | Wuxi | China | 4,396,835 |
| 75 | Giza | Egypt | 4,367,343 |
| 76 | Jinan | China | 4,335,989 |
| 77 | Taiyuan | China | 4,303,673 |
| 78 | Kabul | Afghanistan | 4,273,000 |
| 79 | Zhengzhou | China | 4,253,913 |
| 80 | Amman | Jordan | 4,000,000 |
| 81 | Shijiazhuang | China | 3,938,513 |
| 82 | Chattogram | Bangladesh | 3,920,222 |
| 83 | Los Angeles | United States | 3,898,747 |
| 84 | Kunming | China | 3,855,346 |
| 85 | Zhongshan | China | 3,841,873 |
| 86 | Nanning | China | 3,839,800 |
| 87 | Shantou | China | 3,838,900 |
| 88 | Yaounde | Cameroon | 3,820,000 |
| 89 | Yokohama | Japan | 3,761,630 |
| 90 | Ningbo | China | 3,731,203 |
| 91 | Busan | South Korea | 3,678,555 |
| 92 | Casablanca | Morocco | 3,665,954 |
| 93 | Ibadan | Nigeria | 3,649,000 |
| 94 | Berlin | Germany | 3,645,000 |
| 95 | Dubai | United Arab Emirates | 3,478,300 |
| 96 | Shiyan | China | 3,460,000 |
| 97 | Algiers | Algeria | 3,415,000 |
| 98 | Tangshan | China | 3,372,102 |
| 99 | Madrid | Spain | 3,300,000 |
| 100 | Changzhou | China | 3,290,918 |
Methodology: Population, coordinates and elevation come from the Time.now geographic city index; population figures use city boundaries rather than metro areas.
What Makes These the World's Biggest Cities?
The world's largest cities are engines of economy and culture, concentrating tens of millions of people into dense metropolitan regions. Most of the very biggest are now in Asia, reflecting decades of rapid urbanisation. Population figures vary with how a city's boundaries are drawn, city proper, urban area, or wider metropolitan region, so different sources rank them differently.
These megacities face huge challenges in housing, transport and the environment, alongside enormous opportunity. The most populous city on this list is Shanghai, with around 22,315,474 people.
Frequently Asked Questions: The World's Largest Cities by Population
What is the largest city in the world?
By the population figures used here, Shanghai leads with around 22,315,474 people. Rankings differ depending on whether the city proper or the wider metro area is counted.
Why do population rankings differ between sources?
Because 'a city' can mean the administrative city, the continuous urban area, or the whole metropolitan region, and each gives a very different number.
Which region has the most megacities?
Asia. Rapid urban growth has made it home to most of the world's largest cities.