 |
|
The Most Populous Metropolitan Areas In The World |
|
|
|
|
Jump to>
Top 100 Most Populous Metropolitan Areas In The World
Related Facts & Figures |
|
This is a list of the most heavily populated metropolitan areas in the World, and it includes the 2010 population estimates, which are based on a mixture of official and independent sources. Some of the metropolitan areas listed below are also cities proper, but many others are groupings of cities, towns and urban areas. |
|
|
 |
|
| We are currently re-sizing this image, to fit the new design - it will be re-added soon! |
|
| image: coming soon |
|
|
|
|
|
| Data released by World Gazetteer - January.01.2010 - Next data release 2011 (unknown date) |
|
Basic definition of a 'Metropolitan Area' according to Wikipedia:
A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central cities and their zone of influence. One or more large cities may serve as its hub or hubs, and the metropolitan area is normally named after either the largest or most important central city within it. |
|
|
|
| |
Metro Area |
Country |
Continent(s) |
City
Only [1] |
2010
Calculation [2] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Tokyo |
Japan |
Asia |
|
37,730,064 |
| 2 |
México City |
Mexico |
North America |
|
23,610,441 |
| 3 |
New York |
United States |
North America |
|
23,313,036 |
| 4 |
Seoul |
South Korea |
Asia |
|
22,692,652 |
| 5 |
Mumbai |
India |
Asia |
|
21,900,967 |
| 6 |
São Paulo |
Brazil |
South America |
|
20,831,058 |
| 7 |
Manila |
Philippines |
Asia |
|
20,654,307 |
| 8 |
Jakarta |
Indonesia |
Asia |
|
19,231,919 |
| 9 |
Dilli |
India |
Asia |
|
18,916,890 |
| 10 |
Shanghai |
China |
Asia |
|
18,572,816 |
| 11 |
Los Angeles |
United States |
North America |
|
18,013,728 |
| 12 |
Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto |
Japan |
Asia |
|
17,409,585 |
| 13 |
Cairo |
Egypt |
Africa |
|
16,429,199 |
| 14 |
Kolkata |
India |
Asia |
|
15,644,040 |
| 15 |
Moscow |
Russia |
Europe |
|
14,926,656 |
| 16 |
Buenos Aires |
Argentina |
South America |
|
14,598,065 |
| 17 |
Istanbul |
Turkey |
Asia / Europe |
|
14,350,423 |
| 18 |
Dhaka |
Bangladesh |
Asia |
|
14,327,157 |
| 19 |
Lagos |
Nigeria |
Africa |
|
13,721,625 |
| 20 |
London |
United Kingdom |
Europe |
|
13,377,482 |
| 21 |
Tehran |
Iran |
Asia |
|
13,236,489 |
| 22 |
Karāchi |
Pakistan |
Asia |
Yes |
13,205,339 |
| 23 |
Beijing |
China |
Asia |
|
12,522,839 |
| 24 |
Rio de Janeiro |
Brazil |
South America |
|
12,128,429 |
| 25 |
Paris |
France |
Europe |
|
11,949,824 |
| 26 |
Rhein-Ruhr |
Germany |
Europe |
|
11,857,353 |
| 27 |
Baghdad |
Iraq |
Asia |
|
11,786,212 |
| 28 |
Kinshasa-Brazzaville |
DR Congo |
Africa |
|
10,346,029 |
| 29 |
Bangkok |
Thailand |
Asia |
|
10,132,974 |
| 30 |
Khartoum |
Sudan |
Africa |
|
10,082,702 |
| 31 |
Lagos |
Nigeria |
Africa |
Yes |
9,968,455 |
| 32 |
Chicago |
United States |
North America |
|
9,610,649 |
| 33 |
Xianggang |
China |
Asia |
|
9,222,709 |
| 34 |
Nagoya |
Japan |
Asia |
|
8,852,544 |
| 35 |
Taipei |
Taiwan |
Asia |
|
8,511,055 |
| 36 |
Bogotá |
Colombia |
South America |
|
8,423,837 |
| 37 |
Washington-Baltimore |
United States |
North America |
|
8,400,990 |
| 38 |
Johannesburg |
South Africa |
Africa |
|
8,153,161 |
| 39 |
Kuala Lumpur |
Malaysia |
Asia |
|
8,063,230 |
| 40 |
Lima |
Peru |
South America |
Yes |
8,000,111 |
| 41 |
Chongqing |
China |
Asia |
|
7,784,922 |
| 42 |
San Francisco |
United States |
North America |
|
7,718,447 |
| 43 |
Chennai |
India |
Asia |
|
7,413,779 |
| 44 |
Lahore |
Pakistan |
Asia |
Yes |
7,129,609 |
| 45 |
Algiers |
Algeria |
Africa |
|
6,727,806 |
| 46 |
Bandung |
Indonesia |
Asia |
|
6,724,301 |
| 47 |
Dallas |
United States |
North America |
|
6,687,571 |
| 48 |
Shenyang |
China |
Asia |
|
6,618,933 |
| 49 |
Randstad |
Netherlands |
Europe |
|
6,608,054 |
| 50 |
Bangalore |
India |
Asia |
|
6,562,408 |
| 51 |
Toronto |
Canada |
North America |
|
6,515,381 |
| 52 |
Tianjin |
China |
Asia |
|
6,426,104 |
| 53 |
Hyderabad |
India |
Asia |
|
6,383,850 |
| 54 |
Madrid |
Spain |
Europe |
|
6,380,913 |
| 55 |
Philadelphia |
United States |
North America |
|
6,292,639 |
| 56 |
Boston |
United States |
North America |
|
6,238,132 |
| 57 |
Abidjan |
Ivory Coast |
Africa |
|
6,169,102 |
| 58 |
Singapore-Johor Bahru |
Malaysia |
Asia |
|
5,998,943 |
| 59 |
Houston |
United States |
North America |
|
5,800,255 |
| 60 |
Detroit-Windsor |
United States |
North America |
|
5,760,344 |
| 61 |
Guangzhou |
China |
Asia |
|
5,745,024 |
| 62 |
Belo Horizonte |
Brazil |
South America |
|
5,731,826 |
| 63 |
Pune |
India |
Asia |
|
5,518,688 |
| 64 |
Atlanta |
United States |
North America |
|
5,495,123 |
| 65 |
Ibadan |
Nigeria |
Africa |
|
5,432,941 |
| 66 |
Ahmedabad |
India |
Asia |
|
5,413,622 |
| 67 |
Baghdad |
Iraq |
Asia |
Yes |
5,402,486 |
| 68 |
Ho Chi Ming |
Vietnam |
Asia |
|
5,381,158 |
| 69 |
Manchester-Liverpool |
United Kingdom |
Europe |
|
5,306,491 |
| 70 |
Xian |
China |
Asia |
|
5,274,876 |
| 71 |
Santiago |
Chile |
South America |
Yes |
5,196,846 |
| 72 |
Ibadan |
Nigeria |
Africa |
Yes |
5,175,223 |
| 73 |
Miami |
United States |
North America |
|
5,136,602 |
| 74 |
San Diego-Tijuana |
United States |
North America |
|
5,105,769 |
| 75 |
Cape Town |
South Africa |
Africa |
|
5,083,934 |
| 76 |
Berlin |
Germany |
Europe |
|
5,076,511 |
| 77 |
Hangzhou |
China |
Asia |
|
5,070,992 |
| 78 |
Rangoon |
Burma |
Asia |
Yes |
5,032,190 |
| 79 |
Barcelona |
Spain |
Europe |
|
4,992,778 |
| 80 |
Harbin |
China |
Asia |
|
4,948,659 |
| 81 |
Riyadh |
Saudi Arabia |
Asia |
Yes |
4,878,473 |
| 82 |
Luanda |
Angola |
Africa |
|
4,812,959 |
| 83 |
Saint Petersburg |
Russia |
Europe |
|
4,775,419 |
| 84 |
Shantou |
China |
Asia |
|
4,774,432 |
| 85 |
Wuhan |
China |
Asia |
|
4,731,497 |
| 86 |
Chengdu |
China |
Asia |
|
4,662,889 |
| 87 |
Kano |
Nigeria |
Africa |
|
4,617,020 |
| 88 |
Alexandria |
Egypt |
Africa |
|
4,594,360 |
| 89 |
Phoenix |
United States |
North America |
|
4,487,014 |
| 90 |
Caracas |
Venezuela |
South America |
|
4,478,851 |
| 91 |
Nanjing |
China |
Asia |
|
4,414,556 |
| 92 |
Medan |
Indonesia |
Asia |
|
4,406,871 |
| 93 |
Pusan |
South Korea |
Asia |
|
4,399,515 |
| 94 |
Basra |
Iraq |
Asia |
|
4,393,925 |
| 95 |
Milan |
Italy |
Europe |
|
4,373,992 |
| 96 |
Fukuoka-Kitakyushu |
Japan |
Asia |
|
4,293,873 |
| 97 |
Accra |
Ghana |
Africa |
|
4,284,725 |
| 98 |
Guadalajara |
Mexico |
North America |
|
4,260,864 |
| 99 |
Nairobi |
Kenya |
Africa |
|
4,240,249 |
| 100 |
Rhein-Main |
Germany |
Europe |
|
4,165,392 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Global Issues |
|
|
|
 |
|
| Population Growth |
Our population is growing at a massive rate, and it looks set to continue, which will bring a whole host of new problems, while making some current issues much harder to deal with. Particularly important issues include finding better ways to utilse the land at our disposal, creating better living conditions for many, and working out what to do with waste |
view facts + figures and videos here > |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| Aging |
One of the main reasons behind the World's massive population spurt of the past century, is our advancements in healthcare. By the standards of only 100 years ago, with the help of medicines and treatments, we are now prolonging life to unimaginable average lengths, and we have now really begun to take control of our body's systems |
view facts + figures and videos here > |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Population Trends |
|
|
|
| Population Charts |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
[1] We have indicated 'Yes' when a City population is exactly the same as a Metropolitan Area population. If we have not indicated 'Yes', than those figures are for a Greater Metropolitan Area which includes atleast one city/town and adjoining population centres. For example, Baghdad Greater Metropolitan Area is considered the 27th most populous metropolitan area in the World with 11,786,212 residents, while Baghdad City is considered the 67th most populous metropolitan area in the World because only 5,402,486 live within the 'city limits'.
[2] "World: most populous metropolitan areas" World Gazetteer - All statistics © Stefan Helders, www.world-gazetteer.com. Stefan Helders has been independently collating data relating to population statistics since 1998 on what is now known as the World Gazetteer website. According to Helders... "If possible, official data sources are used. In many cases however no official figures are available. In that case, secondary sources such as year books, encyclopediae, atlases etc. are used. I have also received data from other stats lovers". Along with another useful population statistics website called CityPopulation.de, Stefan Helders/World Gazetteer provides some of the most accurate and up-to-date analysis of population levels in the World's countries, cities and metropolitan areas. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The population statistics within this article are copyrighted to Stefan Helders @ www.world-gazetteer.com, a project which should be regarded as a free data provider. These statistics can be re-published for commercial or non-commerical purposes, provided that (a) the data is not changed, and (b) this exact copyright notice is included: © by Stefan Helders www.world-gazetteer.com. |
|
This license only covers the text content of this article, however, if you would like to re-publish the main accompanying image - titled 'Akihabara, in the East of the Tokyo metropolis' - you may only re-publish that image under the exact same license/conditions as we have stipulated below that image. |
|
| View Creative Commons articles> |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Videos & Images
