Every year the world's population increases considerably. According to the UN, the forecast for 2050 is that there will be around 9,8 billion inhabitants on the planet. And where will most of these people live? In big cities, of course!
In the definition of city, we use the concept of urban agglomeration, which concerns the extension of built-up area🇧🇷 This concept is used by the United Nations (UN) and in the report "Demography of the World's Urban Areas", released annually by the American study center Demographia.
That is: our list was not made based on the population of municipalities, defined by their political-administrative limits. The concept of urban agglomeration gives us a much more realistic idea of the size of a city in terms of population.
20. Buenos Aires (Argentina)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 15,1 million
- Population (municipality): 3 million
- Size: 3.212 km²
- Density: 4.700 people per km²
Located on the estuary of the Río de la Plata, the Buenos Aires metropolitan area is the second largest in South America and the third largest in Latin America. It is the only metropolis in the country. It is, at the same time, a cultural, political and economic center.
19. Calcutta (India)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 15,2 million
- Population (municipality): 4,5 million
- Size: 1.347 km²
- Density: 11.300 people per km²
We start with the third largest city in India. Yes, there are still two more to go here in the ranking. On the banks of the Hooghly River, Kolkata is located in the east of the country, close to the border with Bangladesh. It is known as the cultural capital of the country. Its architecture still preserves traces of the period when the city was the capital of British India.
18. Los Angeles (USA)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 15,4 million
- Population (municipality): 4 million
- Size: 6.299 km²
- Density: 2.300 people per km²
Home to Hollywood stars, the greater Los Angeles area has one of the lowest population densities in the world. A feature of the city is its great cultural diversity.
17. Bangkok (Thailand)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 16 million
- Population (municipality): 8,3 million
- Size: 3.043 km²
- Density: 5.300 people per km²
Bangkok experienced enormous growth from the 1960s onwards, being the target of economic investments that attracted large multinationals. As a result, it is now one of the largest and most influential cities in Southeast Asia.
16. Moscow (Russia)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 16,5 million
- Population (municipality): 12,4 million
- Size: 5.698 km²
- Density: 2.900 people per km²
The main Russian city is considered the northernmost megacity on the planet and, by Forbes magazine, is home to a large community of millionaires.
15. Cairo (Egypt)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 16,9 million
- Population (municipality): 9 million
- Size: 1.917 km²
- Density: 8.800 people per km²
The capital of Egypt is the largest city in Africa and the Arab world. A very appropriate situation for a city whose name means “winner” or “conqueror”.
14. Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto (Japan)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 17,1 million
- Osaka population: 2,7 million
- Size: 3.004 km²
- Density: 5.700 people per km²
The urban agglomeration of the cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto originated in the Edo Era, which lasted from 1603 to 1668. It is one of the areas in Japan where you can best observe old buildings coexisting with modern architecture.
13. Dkaka (Bangladesh)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 18,6 million
- Population (municipality): 9 million
- Size: 453 km²
- Density: 41.000 people per km²
Located in the center of Bangladesh, the capital is home to much of the country's population and is known as the "City of Mosques". The fact that it houses so many people in a territory that is not that big is noteworthy. This makes Dhaka by far the most densely populated city in the world!
12. Beijing (China)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 19,4 million
- Population (municipality): 11,8 million
- Size: 4.144 km²
- Density: 4.700 people per km²
The last of China's great ancient capitals, Beijing is over 3.000 years old and remains the center of the country's political, cultural and educational power.
11.Guangzhou-Foshan (China)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 20,1 million
- population of guangzhou: 13 million
- Size: 3.885 km²
- Density: 5.200 people per km²
Located at a strategic point on the banks of the Zhu Jiang River in southern China, Guangzhou is an important port center, which attracts a large number of people looking for work.
10. Mexico City (Mexico)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 20,4 million
- Population (municipality): 9 million
- Size: 2.370 km²
- Density: 8.600 people per km²
The metropolitan area of Mexico City is so large that it occupies a tenth of the Valley of Mexico and comprises more than 40 municipalities. To complete, about 20% of the Mexican population lives there.
9. Sao Paulo (Brazil)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 20,9 million
- Population (municipality): 12,2 million
- Size: 3.043 km²
- Density: 6.900 people per km²
The only Brazilian representative is obviously the most populous metropolitan region in Brazil, but also the largest in the South American continent, in Portuguese-speaking countries and in the entire southern hemisphere. Today, the municipality alone has more than 12 million people. It's not a small thing, no!
Find out which are the 10 largest states in Brazil
8. New York (USA)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 21 million
- Population (municipality): 8,7 million
- Size: 11.875 km²
- Density: 1.700 people per km²
Considered the cultural capital of the world, New York is the largest city in the USA. In its territory, more than 800 languages are spoken in addition to the official one, English.
7. Shanghai (China)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 22,1 million
- Population (municipality): 17,8 million
- Size: 4.015 km²
- Density: 5.500 people per km²
China's biggest city started out as a fishing village. But that was a long time ago... Today, Shanghai is the main commercial and financial center of Mainland China, in addition to having the largest cargo port in the world.
6. Mumbai (India)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 23,6 million
- Population (municipality): 18,4 million
- Size: 881 km²
- Density: 26.900 people per km²
Home to Bollywood studios, the former Portuguese and later British colony presents a very evident mixture of cultures in its architecture.
5. Seoul (South Korea)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 24,3 million
- Population (municipality): 9,9 million
- Size: 2.745 km²
- Density: 8.900 people per km²
At over 2.000 years old, Seoul combines UNESCO World Heritage Sites and ultra-modern buildings. With a huge subway system, it is considered the most connected city on the planet.
4. Manila (Philippines)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 25 million
- Population (municipality): 12,8 million
- Size: 1.813 km²
- Density: 13.800 people per km²
Stage of different battles, Manila was under Spanish rule for a long time, which was reflected in the architecture of the city. However, during World War II, when it was already under Japanese rule, it suffered a US bombing that destroyed most of the old buildings. Today, after reconstruction, it resembles North American cities.
3. Deli (India)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 28,1 million
- Population (municipality): 19 million
- Size: 2.240 km²
- Density: 12.600 people per km²
Delhi is the political and economic center of northern India, home to 160 countries' embassies. It is also home to the country's main mosque, Jama Masjid.
2. Jakarta (Indonesia)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 34,3 million
- Population (municipality): 10,8 million
- Size: 3.367 km²
- Density: 10.200 people per km²
The capital of Indonesia is so large that administratively it is divided into 5 parts: Central, Western, Eastern, Southern and Northern. Not to mention the archipelago of the Thousand Islands, which are also part of the city.
1. Tokyo (Japan)
- Population (urban agglomeration): 38,5 million
- Population (municipality): 13,9 million
- Size: 8.223 km²
- Density: 4.700 people per km²
The biggest city in the world is theoretically not a city. It's just that Japan is not divided into cities, but into prefectures that are a little wider administratively than cities in other countries. In practice, Tokyo is the most populous metropolitan region in the world and, by forecasts, it will remain at the top for many years to come.
