Mega Cities in The World

Megacities of the World

Visit the Most Populated Cities on EarthThis is a virtual travel to the world's most populous cities like New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, London, Hong Kong, Chicago, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, Seoul, Los Angeles, Mexico City and so on.

Which is the largest city on the planet, this issue is still unresolved but sometimes the subject of small talk. On your next casual conversation you may impress your audience when you state that by far the largest city is Chongqing, because most certainly nobody ever had heard of that city.
Chongqing in southwest China is one of the emerging Megacities with a population of more than 32 million people, sprawled over an area of 82,400 km² (this is twice the size of Switzerland with 41,285 km²). Chongqing carved out of Sichuan province in 1997, is de facto a Chinese province with the status of a provincial-level municipality like Shanghai, Beijing andTianjin.
And this should be the largest? Actually Chongqing's core population is about 7.5 million.

The largest, the biggest, or the most populous cities?
In many languages this terms are interchangeable, meaning the largest city of a country is also the most populous.
In the chart below there they are, the largest cities in the world, ranked by the population of a city's urban/metropolitan area. 

What is a City? 
The challenge is, ranking these cities is like to compare apples and oranges. 
The common ground is: there is a city and there must be people, so lets count them. The problem begins with the definition of a city, easy you say? 
A build-up of many buildings with many citizens is a city, right?

The largest city on Earth?
Lets look at Tokyo, often referred to as the largest city on Earth. But this is only true when you take the built up area of Tokyo and add the urban expansion of Chiba, Kawasaki, Sagamihara, Saitama, and Yokohama, which actually is Japan's second most populous city. 

In the course of time, the fringe areas of all those cities have been growing together and now they form one massive conurbation, a sprawling ocean of buildings, and streets, with only virtual borders - and within, 28% of Japan’s entire population.

To learn more about the cities, this page provides links to the official city or municipality government website and/or to the official travel and tourism information site or other tourism guides related to a city. A city's websites usually publish also information for visitors and tourists about cultural events, festivals, sightseeing and much more. 

Note: Population figures are for latest available years. The ranking is relative because of the diverse latest available figures of the city population. 

 
Biggest Cities on Earth City

1. Shanghai (Chinese: 上海) - also named "Hu" or "Shen" in short. It is  People's Republic of China's largest city and one of the largest cities in the world. It covers an area of 6,340 square kilometers. It is one of the world's largest seaports and a major industrial center of China. Shanghai city proper population was 7 million people in 2010.

Metropolitan Area: 24.24 million
with permanent residents of 14.25 million
and migrant residents (commuter) 9.9 million
(in 2013; source: China Daily )

23,019,148 (2010 census)
National Bureau of Statistics

18,885,000 (2008)
Shanghai Municipal Government

China

GDP (2005): $139 billion

GDP (2020): $360 billion

Growth rate: 6.5%

MasterCard ranking: 24

Population (2007): 14,987,000

Purchasing power (NYC=100): 36%

With an explosive projected-growth rate of 6.5%, the size of Shanghai’s economy would more than double between 2005 and 2020. Shanghai is hardly the only Asian economy with rapid growth–in 15 years this will be a very different list. Indian cities Mumbai and Delhi are projected to grow by around 6%; Jakarta, Indonesia, by 6.5%; Beijing by 6.6%.

  
2. Karachi - largest city, business capital and the "Melting Pot of Pakistan. The city is Pakistan's principal seaport and capital of Sindh province, located in southern Pakistan at the coast of the Arabian Sea (Indian Ocean). According to Karachi Metropolitan Corporation: Karachi's 'metropolitan area along with its suburbs comprises the world's second most populated city'. Due to its migrant population the city grew almost 60 times since 1947, and there is nowadays still the unchecked and uncontrolled massive migration of workforce to Karachi that increases the city's population.

‘The population of Karachi has doubled in 15 years’ 
Tribune Karachi

Estimated population of Karachi today: 21 million

Urban population: 14,500,000
City District Government Karachi
est. 2007

Population explosion: Put an embargo on industrialization in Karachi  
Shinjuku Street Tokyo
Image: Zaida Montañana

3. Tokyo (東京) - the "Eastern Capital", formerly Edo (until 1868), the capital and largest city of  Japan and in Asia.

The Tokyo Major Metropolitan Area includes the cities of Chiba, Kawasaki, Sagamihara, Saitama, and Yokohama, making it the world's most populous metropolitan area.

Tokyo City Limits (Special wards of Tokyo) has a population of 9 million people.

Tokyo Metropolis: 13,189,000
about 10% of Japan's total population

GDP (2005): $1.19 trillion

GDP (2020): $1.6 trillion

Growth rate: 2%

MasterCard ranking: 3

Population: 35,676,000

Purchasing power(NYC=100): 96%

Tokyo is the world’s most populous city by the U.N.’s reckoning, and it has the largest economy. By PricewaterhouseCoopers’ projections, Tokyo will still have the largest economy in 2020, though New York will be getting closer. Tokyo’s huge size comes at a price: Of the 151 largest economies, its growth is expected to rank at No. 140.

  
4. Beijing - (Chinese: 北京 Běijīng, also formerly known in English and other language as Peking).

Pei-Ching the "Northern Capital", capital city and political and cultural center of the  People's Republic of China, is the second most populous city in China. 

Official Website
Beijing
 20.7 million
(end of 2012 )

20.1 million
(2013 est. )

5. São Paulo São Paulo

the largest city in  Brazil and the capital of the captaincy (state) São Paulo, founded as São Paulo de Piratininga (Saint Paul of the Fields of Piratininga) in 1554. Most populous city inSouth America.

Metropolitan Region: 20.8 million (Região Metropolitana de São Paulo )

City: 11,821,873
(mid. 2013)

6. Mexico (Ciudad de México)
was in ancient times the pre-Columbian city of Tenochtitlan, it became the capital of the Aztec Empire until 1521. Today Mexico city is the economic, industrial, and cultural center and the capital city of the  United States of Mexico. Most populous city in North America.

Mexico City
Metropolitan Area (Greater Mexico City): 20.4 million

Distrito Federal: 8.85 million
(INEGI 2011 census )

7. New York City - The Big Apple - Manhattan Island

The city of the five 'boroughs': Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island (formerly Richmond), at least since 1790 number one on the list of the largest city in the United States. New York is also in the lead in the ranking on almost any of a variety of Global Cities Indexes.

New York metropolitan area, New York-Newark: just under 20 million residents.
(mid 2013 est.)
U.S. Census Bureau 

Metro: 18,897,109
City proper: 8,336,697
U.S. Census Bureau 
(2012 est.)

GDP (2005): $1.13 trillion

GDP (2020): $1.56 trillion

Growth rate: 2.2%

MasterCard ranking: 2

Population (2007): 19,040,000

Purchasing power: 100%

In absolute terms, the economy of New York City is second only to Tokyo. In fact, there are only 14 countries in the world with bigger economies than New York. And though the city has a reputation for a high cost of living, the average New Yorker can buy more than counterparts in London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

  

8. Marathi Mumbai (the former Bombay), capital of Maharashtra state in  India, port to the Arabian Sea and one of the most densely populated cities in the world.

 Greater Mumbai: 18.5 million
( Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011)

Mumbai population 14 million (according to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai) 

19.74 million (UN estimates)

  
9. New Delhi (Hindi: दिल्ली) - city and union territory, also known as the National Capital Territory of India. New Delhi to the south of Old Delhi is the capital of  India.

16.3 million Census of India 
(2011 census)

or

16.8 million (2011 Census Population)
Government of NCT of Delhi
  

10. Moscow, (Moskva) - most populous city, the political center and the capital of the  Russian Federation, first written mention of Moscow dates back to 1147.

Moscow11.5 million

11. Chongqing (in Chinese: 重慶; 重庆; Abbr. 渝 yú), formerly known as Chungking. The metropolitan region of Chongqing is one of four provincial-level municipalities of China, the highest level classification for cities with a status equal to that of provinces. The city/province is the economic center of the upper Yangtze River with a population of almost 30 million people. Chongqing is one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
Chongqing Municipality: 28,8 million
Census 2010 

City Core: 16 districts & 3 counties
16.2 million

Core city: 7.5 million (est. 2012)  .

12. City of Guangzhou
 Guangzhou - is the capital of Guangdong province located at Pearl River about 120 km (75 miles) northwest of Hong Kong in the southern part of  P.R. China. In its metropolitan area there live more than 8.5 million people. Municipality 12,700,800 (2010).
Guangzhou Municipality
  
13. Tianjin City at Hai He River
 Tianjin - Chinese: 天津, also T'ien-Ching, Tientsin. Tianjin is Chinas fifth largest city. Referred to as "Jin" for short, Tianjin is one of the four Direct-controlled municipalities of China. 
City of Tianjin:
10.4 million permanent residents
  
14. Dhaka - Bengali: ঢাকা, a megacity, largest city and capital of Bangladesh, located on the east banks of the Buriganga River in the Ganges delta.

 Greater Dhaka Metropolitan area: 17.2 million
(2011 Census)

Dhaka Division: 12 million
Source:  Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 

Dhaka: 8.5 million

15. Bangkok (กรุงเทพมหานคร) - the Thai name is Krung Thep, the "City of Angels", formerly divided into two municipalities, Krung Thep and Thon Buri. Bangkok is the capital, cultural and commercial center of  Thailand and by far the largest city in the country.

 Greater Bangkok: 14.5 million (estimated)

Bangkok Metropolis: 8,3 million
Thailand Population Census 2010 

16. Seoul Special City, situated along the banks of the Han river is the national capital of  South Korea, 
Seoul was, until 1945, the capital of all of Korea, in ancient times Seoul was the capital of Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C. ~ 660 A.D.)

Special city:
just under 10 million residents
(2014)

The Seoul Capital Area which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province has a population of 
25.7 million

9,794,304 (2010) census

GDP (2005): $218 billion

GDP (2020): $349 billion

Growth rate: 3.2% 

MasterCard ranking: 9

Population (2007): 9,796,000

Purchasing power (NYC=100): 56%

Similar to Hong Kong, Seoul benefits from a growing Asia and Western-oriented markets.

PricewaterhouseCoopers projects that by 2020, Seoul will surpass Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston and Miami in GDP.

17. Istanbul

Istanbul (İstanbul) - a city with a great history, formerly known as Byzantium and Constantinople (official renamed to Istanbul in 1930). 
The former capital is the largest city and principal seaport and the cultural and financial center of  Turkey. It is the only city in the world situated on two continents.

Istanbul province:
13,624,240 census end of 2011
Turkish Statistical Institute

12,573,836 census 2007

  
18. Jakarta
Jakarta - until 1949 the city was named Batavia, from 1949-72 its was named Djakarta. 
Jakarta is primary port city, the largest city and the capital of Indonesia.

City government website.
9,607,787
Statistics Indonesia .

19. Buenos Aires, is the largest city, chief port, and capital of Argentina, located on the south west bank of Río de la Plata river, in the pampa region.

Buenos Aires core city population (Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires): 2,890,000

Greater Buenos Aires (24 Partidos del Gran Buenos Aires): 9,9 million
(Census 2010)

Buenos Aires Province: 
15,6 million people
(Census 2010)

Source: INDEC. Censo Nacional de Población 
2010 Census
 
13.53 million (UN)
 .

20. London 
Largest city and the capital of the  United Kingdom, a confederal metropolis and a polycentric city, with many core districts and no clear hierarchy among them. The London administrative area comprises the City of London, and the thirty-two boroughs, of which 13 are in Inner London and 19 are in Outer London. London is since years number two in theGlobal City Index (GCI).

 
The London visitors guide. 
 8.2 million

Urban Zone:
The estimated population in and around London known as the "London commuter belt" are just under 12 million people

Gross domestic product (2005): $452 billion

GDP (2020): $708 billion

Growth rate: 3%

MasterCard Ranking: 1

Population (2007): 8,567,000

Purchasing power (NYC=100): 92%

By 2020, London is expected to leapfrog Paris and become Europe’s richest city as measured by GDP. London’s 3% growth rate is high for a major city in the developed world. London is ranked as the No. 1 city on MasterCard’s Centers of Commerce index, owing to the vast volume of its financial markets. It’s comparable to New York in equities and commodities trading but is larger in bond and derivatives trading. The downside? It’s expensive. The purchasing power of the average Londoner is less than their New York peers.

21. Tehran, since 1788 capital city of Persia (Iran) and since 1980 capital of the  Islamic Republic of Iran.

City: 7.1 million
(census 2006/1385) 

Metro: 14,000,000
(est. 2012)

Statistical Centre of Iran
(Metro: 11,912,000 in 2003/1382)

22. Hong Kong (SAR)
 
Hong Kong - 香港 Xianggang (Hsiang Kang, the fragrant harbour), the formerly British Dependent Territory of Hong Kong comprises of Victoria (commonly known as Hong Kong Island), the Kowloon Peninsula, the "New Territories", and 235 outlying islands. 
Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the  People Republic of China on 1 July 1997. 7.2 million
Population End - 2013

GDP (2005): $244 billion

GDP (2020): $407 billion

Growth rate: 3.5%

MasterCard ranking: 6

Population (2007): 7,206,000

Purchasing power (NYC=100): 49%

Hong Kong benefits from its physical proximity to the Chinese mainland and its historical connection to Western markets. MasterCard ranks Hong Kong the best business center in the world, based on a composite of its ports, airports, hotels and commercial real estate development.

23. Cairo - Al-Qahirah, capital of  Egypt and a cultural centre of the Arab world. Cairo is the largest city of the Middle East and in Africa.

Cairo governorate: 6,789,479

greater Metropolitan Area:
14,872,204 (est. 2011)

24. Bogotá, Colombia's Capital City
 Bogotá D.C. , formerly called Santa Fe de Bogotá, located on a mountain rimmed plateau in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes Mountains, founded in 1538. Capital City of  Colombia.

Bogotá D.C.6 945 216 (UN) *
6 776 009 (WP)  

25. Rio de Janeiro, is the second largest city in  Brazil, world famous for its carnival and the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Metropolitan Region: 
16 million (census 2010) 
Municipality: 6.43 million
(est. 2013)

26. Santiago de Chile - largest city and the capital of  Chile.

Municipality of Santiago website (in Spanish).6,683,852

  
27. Shenzhen, Central Business District
 Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Guangdong Province, China, just north of Hong Kong.
Shenzhen government.10,470,000

28. Lima - El Pulpo (The Octopus), commercial and industrial center and the capital city of  Peru
Municipalidad de Lima (in Spanish)
 9.13 (UN)
7 605 742 (WP)
  

29. Lagos, formerly the capital and still the main commercial and industrial center and principal seaport of  Nigeria. By far the largest city in the country. Lagos is one of and fastest growing cities in Africa, it is among the top ten of the world's fastest growing cities and urban areas.
Metropolitan Lagos: 
21 million people
17,850,000

The number is heavy based on estimates, because until today there is no compulsory registration of people in Nigeria.

Metropolitan Lagos, Lagos State
9,113,605
National Population Commission

30. Lahore, is the capital of Punjab and second largest city in Pakistan, located in the upper Indus plain on the Ravi River, west of the border to India's province Himachal Pradesh. 

 

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/bigcities.htm

Most Richest Cities
Rank 2012

1. Zurich
2. Sydney - potential
3. Luxembourg
4. Geneva
5. Nicosia
6. Los Angeles
7. Miami
8. Dublin
9. Chicago
10. New York City - potential
11. Berlin
12. Copenhagen
13. Toronto
14. Frankfurt
15. Amsterdam
16. Munich
17. Paris
18. Vienna
19. London - potential
20. Helsinki
21. Stockholm
22. Oslo
23. Madrid
24. Tokyo - potential
25. Auckland
26. Lyon
27. Dubai
28. Montreal
29. Barcelona
30. Brussels
31. Milan
32. Johannesburg
33. Seoul - potential
34. Manama
35. Hong Kong - potential
36. Lisbon
37. Taipei - potential
38. Rome
39. Athens
40. Tel Aviv
41. Moscow
42. Bratislava
43. Ljubljana
44. Doha
45. Sao Paulo - potential
46. Tallinn
47. Prague
48. Buenos Aires
49. Lima
50. Rio de Janeiro
51. Kuala Lumpur - potential
52. Vilnius
53. Bogota
54. Warsaw
55. Santiago de Chile
56. Istanbul - potential
57. Riga
58. Shanghai - big potential
59. Bucharest
60. Sofia
61. Budapest
62. Bangkok - potential
63. Beijing
64. Mexico City - potential
65. Cairo
66. Mumbai - potential
67. Caracas
68. New Delhi - potential
69. Kiev
70. Nairobi
71. Manila
72. Jakarta - potential

MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES by Rank