List of urban agglomerations by population (United Nations)

For a list of the most populous cities within administrative limits, see List of cities proper by population and World's largest municipalities by population. For a list of urban areas, see List of urban areas by population. See also historical urban community sizes for historical data.

This is a list of the 100 largest urban agglomerations in the world according to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects report (2009 revision).[1] The term “urban agglomeration” refers to the population contained within the contours of a contiguous territory inhabited at urban density levels without regard to administrative boundaries or commuter flows. It usually incorporates the population in a city or town plus that in the suburban areas lying outside of but being adjacent to the city boundaries. Whenever possible, data classified according to the concept of urban agglomeration are used. However, some countries do not produce data according to the concept of urban agglomeration but use instead metropolitan area or city proper. Figures in the tables below are estimates for mid-2010. The basis of the data is not consistent, so the list cannot be relied upon as hard fact. It should be seen as simply one response to the question "what are the world's largest cities"?

Contents

100 largest agglomerations in the world

Rank City Population Country Statistical concept[2] Area (km²)[3]
1 Tokyo 36,669,000  Japan Metropolitan area[4] 13,500
2 Delhi (National Capital Region) 22,157,000  India Urban agglomeration[5] 33,578
3 São Paulo 20,262,000  Brazil Metropolitan area (região metropolitana) 8,050
4 Mumbai (Bombay) 20,041,000  India Urban agglomeration 1,097[6]
5 Mexico City 19,460,000  Mexico Metropolitan area (zona metropolitana) 7,815
6 New York–Newark 19,425,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 8,683[8]
7 Shanghai 16,575,000  China Urban agglomeration[9] 3,920
8 Kolkata (Calcutta) 15,552,000  India Urban agglomeration 1,026[10]
9 Dhaka 14,648,000  Bangladesh Metropolitan area (megacity) 1,600
10 Karachi 13,125,000  Pakistan Urban agglomeration 3,530
11 Buenos Aires 13,074,000  Argentina Urban agglomeration[11] 4,758
12 Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana 12,762,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 4,320[8]
13 Beijing 12,385,000  China Urban agglomeration[9][12] 7,860
14 Rio de Janeiro 11,950,000  Brazil Metropolitan area (região metropolitana) 5,000
15 Metro Manila 11,628,000  Philippines Urban agglomeration[13] 640
16 Osaka–Kobe 11,337,000  Japan Urban agglomeration[14] 1,220
17 Cairo 11,001,000  Egypt Official metropolitan area[15] 6,640
18 Lagos 10,578,000  Nigeria Urban agglomeration[16] 640
19 Moscow 10,550,000  Russia City Proper[17] 1,080
20 Istanbul 10,525,000  Turkey Urban agglomeration[18] 1,830
21 Paris 10,485,000  France Urban agglomeration 2,720
22 Seoul 9,773,000  South Korea City proper (metropolitan city) 610
23 Chongqing 9,401,000  China Urban aglomeration[9][19] 7,490
24 Jakarta 9,210,000  Indonesia City proper[20] 1,360
25 Chicago 9,204,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 5,498[8]
26 Shenzhen 9,005,000  China Urban agglomeration[9] 1,950
27 Lima 8,941,000  Peru Metropolitan area[21] 2,810
28 Guangzhou 8,884,000  China Urban agglomeration[9] 7,260
29 Kinshasa 8,754,000  Democratic Republic of the Congo City proper 9,960
30 London 8,631,000  United Kingdom Urban agglomeration[22] 1,620
31 Bogotá 8,500,000  Colombia Urban agglomeration[23] 1,980
32 Tianjin 7,884,000  China Urban agglomeration[9][24] 7,130
33 Wuhan 7,681,000  China Urban agglomeration[9] 8,490
34 Chennai (Madras) 7,547,000  India Urban agglomeration 1,180
35 Tehran 7,241,000  Iran City proper 660
36 Bangalore 7,218,000  India Urban agglomeration 1,280
37 Lahore 7,132,000  Pakistan Urban agglomeration 1,770
38 Hong Kong 7,069,000  Hong Kong Urban agglomeration[25] 1,100
39 Bangkok 6,976,000  Thailand Official metropolitan area 1,570
40 Hyderabad 6,751,000  India Urban agglomeration 1,860
41 Ho Chi Minh City 6,167,000  Vietnam Urban agglomeration 2,090
42 Santiago 5,952,000  Chile Urban agglomeration[26] 2,350
43 Baghdad 5,891,000  Iraq Metropolitan area 730
44 Belo Horizonte 5,852,000  Brazil Metropolitan area (região metropolitana) 9,190
45 Madrid 5,851,000  Spain Metropolitan area 1,700
46 Miami 5,750,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 2,891[8]
47 Ahmedabad 5,717,000  India Urban agglomeration 1,300
48 Philadelphia 5,626,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 4,661[8]
49 Toronto 5,449,000  Canada Metropolitan area[27] 5,870
50 Dongguan 5,347,000  China City proper[9] 2,460
51 Khartoum 5,172,000  Sudan Urban agglomeration 580
52 Shenyang 5,166,000  China Urban agglomeration[9] 3,460
53 Barcelona 5,083,000  Spain Metropolitan area 3,240
54 Pune 5,002,000  India Urban agglomeration 700
55 Foshan 4,969,000  China Urban agglomeration[9][28]
56 Chittagong 4,962,000  Bangladesh Statistical metropolitan area 990
57 Chengdu 4,961,000  China Urban agglomeration[9][29] 2,130
58 Dallas–Fort Worth 4,951,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 3,644[8]
59 Riyadh 4,848,000  Saudi Arabia City proper 1,550
60 Singapore 4,837,000  Singapore Urban agglomeration 690
61 Luanda 4,772,000  Angola Urban agglomeration
62 Xi'an 4,747,000  China Urban agglomeration[9][30] 3,550
63 Atlanta 4,691,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 5,083[8]
64 Houston 4,605,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 3,355[8]
65 Boston 4,593,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 4,497[8]
66 Saint Petersburg 4,575,000  Russia City proper[17] 1,150
67 Nanjing 4,591,000  China Urban agglomeration[9][31] 6,600
68 Washington, D.C. 4,460,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 2,996[8]
69 Sydney 4,429,000  Australia Urban agglomeration 12,140
70 Guadalajara 4,402,000  Mexico Metropolitan area (zona metropolitana) 2,730
71 Alexandria 4,387,000  Egypt City proper 2,970
72 Yangon 4,350,000  Myanmar City proper 350
73 Harbin 4,251,000  China Urban agglomeration[9][32] 4,280
74 Detroit 4,200,000  United States Urban agglomeration [7] 3,267[8]
75 Surat 4,168,000  India Urban agglomeration 326
76 Abidjan 4,125,000  Côte d'Ivoire Urban agglomeration 550
77 Porto Alegre 4,092,000  Brazil Metropolitan area (região metropolitana) 9,890
78 Salvador 3,918,000  Brazil Metropolitan area (região metropolitana) 2,340
79 Ankara 3,906,000  Turkey Urban agglomeration[33] 2,500
80 Brasília 3,905,000  Brazil Metropolitan area (região metropolitana)[34] 14,400
81 Monterrey 3,896,000  Mexico Metropolitan area (zona metropolitana) 4,010
82 Recife 3,871,000  Brazil Metropolitan area (região metropolitana) 2,770
83 Hangzhou 3,860,000  China Urban agglomeration[9][35]
84 Melbourne 3,853,000  Australia Urban agglomeration 7,690
85 Montreal 3,783,000  Canada Metropolitan area[27] 4,050
86 Kabul 3,731,000  Afghanistan City proper
87 Fortaleza 3,719,000  Brazil Metropolitan area (região metropolitana) 4,950
88 Phoenix–Mesa 3,684,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 2,069[8]
89 Johannesburg 3,670,000  South Africa Official metropolitan area 1,640
90 Changchun 3,597,000  China Urban agglomeration[9]
91 Medellín 3,594,000  Colombia Metropolitan area[36] 1,150
92 San Francisco–Oakland 3,541,000  United States Urban agglomeration[7] 1,364[8]
93 Nairobi 3,523,000  Kenya City proper
94 Shantou 3,502,000  China Urban agglomeration[9][37]
95 Curitiba 3,462,000  Brazil Metropolitan area (região metropolitana) 8,589
96 Berlin 3,450,000  Germany City proper 890
97 Busan 3,425,000  South Korea City proper (metropolitan city) 760
98 Cape Town 3,405,000  South Africa Urban agglomeration 690
99 Kano 3,395,000  Nigeria Urban agglomeration
100 Kanpur (Cawnpore) 3,364,000  India Urban agglomeration

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ World Urbanization Prospects, 2009 revision (online data)
  2. ^ "World Urbanization Prospects: The 2009 Revision Population Database". United Nations. http://esa.un.org/wup2009/wup/source/country.aspx. Retrieved 2011-09-11. 
  3. ^ The area figures are taken from individual national censuses according to the criteria and statistical concepts noted in the World Urbanization Prospects.
  4. ^ As defined by the Statistics Bureau of Japan; refers to Kanto major metropolitan area (M.M.A.)
  5. ^ Based on a definition of urban agglomeration that is not restricted to state boundaries
  6. ^ The Greater Mumbai urban agglomeration is defined by the municipal corporations of Greater Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivali, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Ulhasnagar, plus the municipal councils of Ambarnath, Badlapur and Mira-Bhayandar. Not to be confused with the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, which includes some additional urban and rural units.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Data refer to the urbanized area (UA), that is, contiguous territory that meets minimum population density requirements.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m U.S. Census Bureau, Alphabetically sorted corrected National list of Urbanized Areas Accessed on 2008-07-03.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q The population of the city is composed of population in all City Districts meeting the criteria such as “contiguous built-up area,” being the location of the local government, being a Street or Having a Resident Committee.
  10. ^ Directorate of Census Operations, West Bengal; Kolkata District Accessed on 2008-07-03.
  11. ^ Data for Buenos Aires refer to Gran Buenos Aires
  12. ^ Data include urban population in Daxing, Pinggu, and Huairou Districts.
  13. ^ Data refers to Metro Manila
  14. ^ The Statistics Bureau of Japan has provided the list of cities, towns and villages included in the urban agglomerations associated with the city of Osaka-Kobe for each census year from 1960 to 1990. The agglomeration of Osaka consisted of the densely inhabited districts of Osaka, 35 cities surrounding Osaka, Kobe and six cities surrounding Kobe.
  15. ^ Consists of the Governorate of Al-Qahirah (Cairo) and the cities of Al-Jizah (Giza), Helwan, Qalyub, Shubra al-Khaymah(Shubra-El-Khema) and 6th of October .
  16. ^ Data refer to Lagos State
  17. ^ a b The data include communities under the authority of the Town Council.
  18. ^ Istanbul includes Adalar, Avcilar, Bagicilar, Bahçelievler, Bakirkoy, Bayrampasa, Besiktas, Beykoz, Beyoglu, Eminonu, Esenler, Eyup, Fatih, Gaziosmanpasa, Gungoren, Kadikoy, Kagithane, Kartal, Kuçukçekmece, Maltepe, Pendik, Sariyer, Sisli, Tuzla, Umraniye, Uskudar and Zeytinburnu
  19. ^ Data include urban population in Jiangjin, Hechuan, Nanchuan, and Yongchuan Districts.
  20. ^ Data refer to the functional urban area, that is, contiguous areas which are consistently urban in character as indicated by levels of population density, economic functions and facilities. Jakarta covers five municipalities (kota): Jakarta Selatan, Jakarta Timur, Jakarta Pusat, Jakarta Barat, and Jakarta Utara
  21. ^ Gran Lima includes the capitals of the departments of Lima and Callao as well as surrounding populated centres.
  22. ^ The urban agglomeration of London (also known as the Greater London urban area) includes 48 urban divisions.
  23. ^ Refers to the nuclei of Santa Fe de Bogotá, Soacha, Chia and Funza
  24. ^ Data include urban population in Baodi District
  25. ^ Data for Hong Kong consist of the population of Hong Kong Island, New Kowloon, the new towns in New Territories, and the marine areas.
  26. ^ Data refer to Gran Santiago which includes the Province of Santiago plus cities within the Provinces of Puente Alto and San Bernardo.
  27. ^ a b Data refer to census metropolitan areas, defined as cities with a very large urbanized core, together with adjacent urban and rural areas which have a high degree of economic and social integration with that core.
  28. ^ Data include urban population in Nanhai, Shunde, Shanshui, and Gaoming Districts.
  29. ^ Data include urban population in Xindu and Wenjiang Districts
  30. ^ Data include urban population in Chang'an District
  31. ^ Data include urban population in Jiangning and Liuhe Districts
  32. ^ Data include urban population in Hulan and Acheng Districts
  33. ^ Ankara includes Altindag, Cankaya, Etimesgut, Golbasi, Keçioren, Mamak, Sincan and Yenimahalle
  34. ^ Refers to the Região Integrada de Desenvolvimento do Distrito Federal e Entorno.
  35. ^ Data include urban population in Xiaoshan and Yuhang Districts
  36. ^ Refers to the nuclei of Medellín, Barbosa, Bello, Caldas, Copacabana, Envigado, Girardota, Itagui, La Estrella and Sabaneta
  37. ^ Data include urban population in Chenghai, Chaonan, and Chaoyang Districts
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