10 largest cities by population. Largest cities by population

The role of the city in the life of a modern person is increasing: many people no longer see prospects for development outside its borders. Scientists call this phenomenon urbanization. The most populated cities in the world - what are they? In this article you will find a list of the largest cities in the world.

Urbanization and its modern scale

Urbanization refers to the trend of increasing the role of the city in the life of society. The word urbanus is translated from Latin as “urban”.

Modern urbanization can take place in three ways:

1. Transformation of villages and villages into small and medium-sized cities.
2. The outflow of population from villages to cities.
3. Formation of extensive suburban residential areas.

The world's most populous cities are often held hostage by their sheer size. Poor ecology, a huge amount of transport on the streets, a shortage of green spaces and recreation areas, constant noise pollution - all this, of course, negatively affects the health (physical and mental) of a person, a resident of a metropolis.

Urbanization processes, according to scientists, began around the middle of the 19th century. But then they were local, local in nature. They reached the global level a century later - in the 50s of the twentieth century. At this time, the urban population of the planet is growing rapidly, and the largest megacities of our time are being formed.

If in 1950 the share of the urban population on the planet was only 30%, then in 2000 it had already reached 45%. Today, the level of global urbanization is about 57%.

The most urbanized countries on the planet are Luxembourg (100%), Belgium (98%), UK (90%), Australia (88%) and Chile (88%).

The most populated cities in the world

In fact, determining the population of a large city is quite difficult. Firstly, researchers are not always able to obtain up-to-date and reliable statistical information (especially when it comes to the megacities of third world countries - Asia, Africa or Latin America).

Secondly, the approaches to counting the number of city residents may be different. Thus, some demographers do not take into account people living in the suburban area, while others ignore temporary labor migrants. That is why it can be very difficult to name exactly the most populated city in the world.

Another problem that demographers and statisticians face is the problem of determining the boundaries of a metropolis. To solve this problem, a very interesting method was recently invented. To do this, a photograph of the populated area is taken from the air, in the evening. The city boundaries can then be easily drawn along the edge of the urban lighting distribution.

Top most populated cities in the world

In ancient times, Jericho was considered the largest (by population) city on the planet. About 2 thousand people lived there nine thousand years ago. Today this is the number of residents in a large village and a small European town.

The total number of residents living in the ten most populated cities on the planet is almost 260 million people! In other words, this is 4% of the entire world population.

1. Tokyo (Japan, 37.7 million people);
2. Jakarta (Indonesia, 29.9);
3. Chongqing (China, 29.0);
4. Delhi (India, 24.2);
5. Manila (Philippines, 22.8);
6. Shanghai (China, 22.6);
7. Karachi (Venezuela, 21.7);
8. New York (United States of America, 20.8);
9. Mexico City (Mexico, 20.5).

Six out of ten of these cities are located in Asia, with 2 in China. It is worth noting that the largest city in Europe, Moscow, would take only 17th place in this ranking. About 16 million people live in the capital of the Russian Federation.

Tokyo, Japan)

The capital of Japan today is the most populous city in the world, home to at least 37 million people. For comparison: this is the number of inhabitants in the whole of Poland!

Today Tokyo is not only the largest metropolis, but also the most important financial, industrial and cultural center of East Asia. The world's largest metro operates here: it carries at least 8 million passengers a day. Tokyo will amaze any traveler with a huge number of faceless, gray streets and alleys. Some of them don't even have their own names.

It is surprising that the largest metropolis on the planet is located in a seismically unstable zone. Every year about a hundred fluctuations of varying intensity are recorded in Tokyo.

Chongqing (China)

Chinese Chongqing holds the absolute world championship among cities in terms of territory size. It occupies the same area as the state of Austria in Europe - 82,000 square kilometers.

The metropolis has an almost perfect circular shape: 470 by 460 kilometers. About 29 million Chinese live here. However, since a large number of them live in the suburban area, some statisticians sometimes do not include Chongqing in the lists of the most populated cities on the planet.

In addition to its colossal size, the city also boasts an ancient history. After all, it is already more than 3 thousand years old. Chongqing arose at the confluence of two Chinese rivers, surrounded by three picturesque hills.

New York, USA)

Although New York is not the largest city on the planet by population, it can be considered the most popular metropolis in the world.

The city is often called the Big Apple. Why? Everything is very simple: according to one of the legends, it was the apple tree that was the first to take root within the boundaries of the future metropolis.

New York is an important financial center of the world; about 700 thousand (!) different companies are located here. City residents are served daily by at least 6 thousand metro cars and about 13 thousand taxi cars. By the way, it is no coincidence that local taxis are painted yellow. The founder of a shipping company once conducted special research trying to determine which color is most pleasing to the human eye. It turned out that it was yellow.

Conclusion

Amazing fact: if you collect all the inhabitants of the 10 most populous cities in the world, you will get a number that is almost twice the total population of Russia! In addition, these already huge megacities continue to grow.

The most populated cities in the world are Tokyo, Jakarta, Chongqing, Delhi and Seoul. All of them are located in Asia.

The list of the largest cities in the world 2013 did not include such monster cities as New York, Mexico City, Seoul for the reason that 8-10 million people live in these cities, not counting their agglomerations, and therefore they do not reach the top 10.

1. Shanghai, China

Population - 23 850 0500; Agglomeration - 26 ml. Human

Shanghai is the largest city in China and the world (excluding agglomeration). The city has the largest seaport in the world and plays a leading role in the economy and cultural life of the country. At the beginning of the 20th century, Shanghai was a small fishing town, but today it is the most important city in its country and ranks third in the financial world, second only to New York and London.

2. Beijing, China

Population - 20,713,000; Agglomeration - 25 million people

Beijing is the capital of China, playing an important role in the cultural, educational and political life of the country. The name of the city translates as “Northern Capital”. Despite the respectable status of the capital of the People's Republic of China, the city is inferior to Shanghai in terms of the number of people living in it.

3. Bangkok, Thailand

Population - 15,034,354; Agglomeration - 16 million people

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, its cultural and economic center, as well as one of the most important cities in all of Southeast Asia. Situated on the Chao Phraya River, the rapidly growing city plays a prominent role not only in the economy of the country, but also the region as a whole.

4. Tokyo, Japan

Population - 13,230,000; Agglomeration - 38 million people (1st place in the world)

Tokyo, founded in 1457, is located on the shores of Tokyo Bay. During the day, the city's population increases by 2 million due to students and workers arriving from other cities. The Tokyo agglomeration is about 38 million people, which is larger than the entire Asian part of Russia.

5. Karachi, Pakistan

Population - 13,227,400; Agglomeration - 18 million people

Karachi is the most populous city in Pakistan and one of the largest in the world. Despite the fact that more than 13 million people live here, there is no subway, there are huge piles of garbage on the streets, many people have to sleep right on the side of the road, all houses are equipped with bars to the upper floors, and on the fences it is written “Do not enter! I’ll shoot you!”

6. Delhi, India

Population - 12,678,350; Agglomeration - about 22 million people

Delhi is the capital of India, a city that is fully replete with all the classic Indian contrasts - dirty slums, magnificent temples, bright celebrations of life and quiet death in the gateway. The city, with its constant movement, din, noise, general bustle, poverty and abundance of dirt.

7. Mumbai, India

Population - 12,519,356; Agglomeration - more than 21 million people

The city is located in western India. Its population density is 22 people per km2, according to this indicator Mumbai occupies a leading place in the world. The city is one of the country's key economic centers and is also the largest port in western India. About 10% of all Indian workers work in this city.

8. Moscow, Russia

Population - 12,029,600; Agglomeration - about 16 million people

Moscow is the capital and main city of the Russian Federation, the largest city in Russia and the most populous in Europe. According to the migration service, in addition to the 11.5 million residents of the metropolis, about 2 million legal migrants and about 1 million illegal immigrants also work and live in Moscow.

9. Sao Paulo, Brazil

Population - 11,346,231; Agglomeration - 20 million people

The city of Sao Paulo is the capital of the state of the same name, as well as the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere and the ninth in the world. The city is located in southeast Brazil. The city itself is divided into 31 districts, which are called subprefectures.

10. Bogota, Colombia

Population - 10,788,123; Agglomeration - 10,788,123

The capital of Colombia, and also the largest city, combines both its beautiful side: colonial churches, futuristic architecture, various museums, and its less attractive side: eternal traffic jams, vagrants, slums and drug dealers.

Long gone are the days when the vast majority of people on Earth lived freely in nature: in small villages and hamlets. Since the end of the 19th century. Our planet has been taken over by global urbanization. The rapid development of civilization and no less rapid expansion led to the widespread growth of huge urban settlements. Today's largest cities in the world would probably seem like huge, unreal, fantastic worlds to someone coming from the Middle Ages. However, for residents of small provincial towns, scattered in abundance throughout Mother Russia today, huge megacities also seem surprising and unusual. And there are many such giant world centers on our planet.

The largest cities in the world by population

The population of the largest cities in the world is simply amazing! Now we will look at which settlements are the largest in terms of the number of people living in them. Let's take the top ten leaders.

• Oddly enough, New York takes 10th place. It’s strange that it’s only 10th... The population of this American metropolis today exceeds 21,500,000 people.
• 9th place is given to Manila, where 21,800,000 Filipinos live.
• 8th place rightfully belongs to the largest port city of Pakistan, Karachi - 22,100,100 inhabitants.
• 7th place is occupied by Indian Delhi - 23,500,000 inhabitants.
• The capital took 6th place - 23,500,000 inhabitants.
• 5th place belongs to the Korean city of Seoul - 25,600,000 inhabitants.
• Shanghai ranks 4th - 25,800,000 inhabitants.

And finally, we made it to the top three!

3 most populous cities on the planet

Here are the largest cities in the world by population (in increasing order): 3rd place - Jakarta (25,800,000 inhabitants), 2nd place - Canton (26,300,000 inhabitants) and 1st place - Tokyo (34,600,000 inhabitants ). It is worth telling about each of these three megacities on Earth in more detail.

Jakarta

This located in Jakarta is the most populous city in all of Southeast Asia. In this place, different cultures of the entire Indonesian archipelago are closely intertwined. An interesting fact is that during the day the number of inhabitants of the capital increases by several million, due to the arrival of residents from the suburbs to work. The largest ethnic groups inhabiting Jakarta are Javanese, Sunda, Chinese, Madurese, Arabs and Indians.

Despite the fact that Jakarta is one of the largest and most populous cities on Earth, in order to see all its attractions, tourists will only need one, or at most, a couple of days. First of all, guests of the capital are recommended to visit the so-called old city, which has preserved ancient architecture and originality. For travelers to Southeast Asia, Jakarta is more of a transit point on the way to the beauty of Indonesia.

Canton

The list, which includes the largest cities in the world, of course, could not do without one of the megacities of China. After all, the Celestial Empire is the most populous and densely populated country in the world. The city of Canton, or Guangzhou as it is also known, is one of the most famous historical cultural Chinese settlements. At the same time, it is a major industrial and commercial center of the DPRK, as well as a commercial port of the country.

Canton (or Guangzhou) is called the city of flowers: thanks to the subtropical humid climate, this place is literally surrounded by luxurious greenery all year round. The history of Guangzhou goes back more than two thousand years. Once upon a time, the famous Silk Road began here.

Tokyo

Well, our story about the largest cities in the world is coming to an end and ends with a short description of the absolute champion in terms of population - the Japanese capital Tokyo. So far, this is the only metropolis on the planet in which the number of inhabitants has exceeded 30 million. True, Tokyo cannot be considered a city in the usual sense of the word. consisting of 26 separate cities, 7 towns and 8 villages. The surprising thing is that the area of ​​Tokyo is not large at all - only 2156.8 square meters. km, making this place on Earth the most densely populated.

In the largest city on the planet, modernity, stuffed with electronic innovations, multi-tiered highway overpasses and fantastic skyscrapers, and antiquity with ancient Buddhist temples, beautiful rotundas and traditional gardens and squares are amazingly combined. At any time of the year it is full of tourists. So, to the number of permanent local residents, you can also add a noisy crowd of discordant travelers who arrive in Tokyo every day from all over the globe.

According to scientists, the population of the world's largest cities will continue to grow, as will the population of our entire planet. Forbes magazine recently published research showing that by 2025, Tokyo will retain its leading position as the largest city by population.

Exploring cities is an extremely interesting activity. Each of them has its own history, and they are all so different: industrial giants, resort areas and tiny provincial towns. But among them there are largest cities in the world by area And. We'll find out who made it into our top 10 later.

Let us note right away that it is quite difficult to determine the boundaries of the territories of modern cities and make a rating of the largest of them. To be as accurate as possible, the researchers use a so-called light footprint - this is an area of ​​​​artificial illumination of a populated area and its suburbs from the height of an airplane. Satellite maps are also used, which clearly show cities and rural areas that are not included in them.

Area 1580 km²

The list of the largest cities in the world by area opens with the capital of the foggy Albina. It is the largest metropolis in the European Union and the leading financial, political and economic center of the country. It occupies an area of ​​about 1580 square kilometers. London is a favorite place for tourists who want to see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the famous Royal Guards and many other equally interesting attractions.

Area 2037 km²

Ninth place in the ranking of the largest cities in the world by area is Sydney. It covers an area of ​​2037 square kilometers. In many rankings it occupies a leading position as the largest metropolis. The fact is that the Australian Bureau of Statistics includes the nearest national parks and the Blue Mountains in Sydney. As a result, Sydney's formal territory is 12,145 square kilometers. Be that as it may, it is the largest metropolis in Australia and Oceania.

Area 2189 km²

In 8th place among the largest cities in the world by area, it occupies an area of ​​2189 square kilometers. The capital of Japan is the most important economic, political and cultural center of the “Land of the Rising Sun”. Tokyo is an incredibly beautiful city in which modernity and antiquity are closely intertwined. Here, next to ultra-modern high-rise buildings, you can find tiny houses on narrow streets, as if straight out of ancient engravings. Despite the severe earthquake of 1923 and the destruction caused to the city during World War II, Tokyo is one of the fastest growing modern metropolises.

Area 3530 km²

The Pakistani port city with an area of ​​3,530 square kilometers ranks 7th in the list of the largest metropolises in the world. It is the first capital of Pakistan and the main industrial, financial and commercial center of the state. At first XVIII century Karachi was a small fishing village. After Karachi was captured by British troops, the village quickly grew into a major port city. Since then, it has grown and played an increasingly important role in the country's economy. These days, due to the influx of migrants, overpopulation has become one of the main problems of the metropolis.

Area 4662 km²

– in 6th place in the list of the largest cities in the world by area. The capital of Russia is considered the second largest city in Europe after Istanbul. The area of ​​the metropolis is 4662 square kilometers. This is not only the political and financial, but also the cultural center of the country, attracting a huge number of tourists.

Area 5343 km²

The center of trade and industry, as well as the main port of Turkey, with an area of ​​5343 square kilometers, ranks 5th in the ranking of the largest cities in the world. It is located in a picturesque location - on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait. Istanbul is a unique city, which at one time was the capital of four great empires and is located simultaneously in Asia and Europe. There are many beautiful ancient monuments here: the thousand-year-old St. Sophia Cathedral, the majestic Blue Mosque, the luxurious Dolmabahce Palace. Istanbul amazes with the abundance of a wide variety of museums. Since most of them are located in the center, it is convenient for many tourists to combine their visit with walks around this beautiful city.

Area 5802 km²

It ranks fourth in the ranking of the largest megacities in the world by area. The city is located on an area of ​​5802 square kilometers. The city received the status of capital of the Republic of Brazil relatively recently - in 1960. The construction of the metropolis was planned in such a way as to attract people to sparsely populated areas and develop them. Therefore, Brazil is located far from the main economic and political centers of the country.

Area 6340 km²

With a territory of 6340 square kilometers, it ranks third in the list of the largest cities in the world by area. Shanghai is inhabited by about 24 million people. This is one of the most interesting and unusual Chinese cities. We can say that it reflects modern China - energetic, fast-growing and focused on the future. Shanghai is one of the largest shopping centers in the world.

Area 7434 km²

The Chinese metropolis with an area of ​​7434.4 square kilometers ranks second in the ranking of the largest cities in the world. It is the industrial, political and cultural center of the southern regions of China. Population: approximately 21 million people. Guangzhou has a thousand-year history. Previously in Europe the city was known as Canton. The maritime part of the Great Silk Road began from here. For a long time, the city provided refuge to all those who opposed state power and often became the center of unrest against the power of the Beijing emperors.

Area 16,801 km²

The largest city in the world by area is one of the most significant settlements in China. The total area of ​​the giant metropolis is 16,801 square kilometers. Almost 22 million people live in Beijing. The city harmoniously combines antiquity and modernity. It has been the residence of Chinese rulers for three thousand years. Ancient monuments are carefully preserved in the very center of the metropolis, where everyone can admire them. Particularly interesting is the former residence of the emperors of China, the Forbidden City. This is the main attraction of the city, which is visited annually by more than 7 million tourists from all over the world.

While preserving ancient and medieval buildings and monuments, Beijing is developing as a modern high-tech metropolis.

It is no secret that most people prefer to live in cities where all the benefits of civilization are available. Due to the fact that the number of people wishing to become city dwellers is increasing every day, settlements are gradually increasing in size, turning into megacities. What are the largest cities in the world, how many inhabitants they have, and what area they occupy - informative information in our article.

The last census in each country was carried out at different times, and constant migration makes calculations much more difficult. Therefore, some of the data on which the rating is based may no longer be relevant. But still, the list of the largest megacities looks something like this.

1. For several years, Chinese Shanghai has been in honorable first place among the most populated cities on the planet. Here, according to the census, 24 ml live permanently. 150 thousand people. In order to comfortably accommodate all residents, the metropolis is constantly growing, and most of all in height. Therefore, Shanghai can boast of the largest skyscrapers. At the same time, many architectural attractions have been preserved here, some of them date back up to seven hundred years.
2. The city of Karachi, which is located in the south of Pakistan, has a population of 23 million 200 thousand inhabitants. Small in age (about 200 years), this metropolis is actively growing, increasing its area and population. A special feature of the city is the diversity of nationalities that permanently inhabit it. The mixture of cultures, customs and social strata gives the metropolis a special flavor.
3. The third place in the ranking is occupied by Beijing, the capital of the Celestial Empire. The population of the metropolis is 21 million 710 thousand people. This is the most ancient city in the TOP 5, because it was founded back in the distant 5th century BC. Today it is a real tourist mecca; people from all over the world come here to see the emperor’s palace and other architectural masterpieces with their own eyes. At the same time, the city is actively developing; there is a skyscraper with 106 (!) floors.
4. The Indian capital of Delhi boasts a population of 18 million 150 thousand. This is the most contrasting city in the ranking. After all, in it you can see both breathtaking high-rise buildings in fashionable areas and miserable slums, where several families are crammed into one hut without any amenities. In addition, there are many ancient temples, castles and fortresses left in the city, striking in their splendor.
5. Turkish Istanbul, according to the end of 2017, has a population of 15 million 500 thousand people. This is the largest city in Europe. Moreover, the metropolis is developing rapidly, and the number of residents increases by about 300 thousand every year. Istanbul has a good location on the banks of the Bosphorus, which contributes to its development and prosperity.

Let's take a brief look at the next five largest cities in the world by population.

• Tianjin is a large Chinese metropolis. It is home to 15 million 470 thousand people. It began its development from a small village, and then became a large port city.
• The Japanese capital Tokyo has 13 million 743 thousand inhabitants. The city is actively developing, citizens have a high standard of living, thanks to which more and more people are flocking to the metropolis.
• The largest city in Nigeria, Lagos, accommodates 13 million 120 thousand inhabitants in its area. Moreover, their density is quite high: there are 17 thousand people per square kilometer. The city is divided into slums and areas with huge skyscrapers. It is the largest metropolis in Africa.
• Guangzhou is another city in China. 13 million 90 thousand people live here. The metropolis is called the center of world trade. It attracts tourists with ancient historical monuments that coexist peacefully with modern urban structures.
• Indian Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the leader among megacities in terms of population density. After all, 12 and a half million people live on an area of ​​600 square kilometers. This city became famous thanks to a number of film studios, united under the name Bollywood. All popular Indian films are shot here.

Top 10 largest settlements by area

1. Chongqing is the largest city in the world by area. It is located in China, its length is 82 thousand 400 square kilometers.
2. The Chinese metropolis of Hangzhou has an area of ​​16 thousand 840 km2.
3. The capital of the Celestial Empire, Beijing, is located on 16 thousand 801 km2.
4. Brisbane, Australia, has an area of ​​15,826 km2.
5. The city of Chengdu (China) occupies 13 thousand 390 km2.
6. Sydney, Australia, covers an area of ​​12,144 km2.
7. The metropolis of Tianjin (China) has an area of ​​11,760 km2.
8. Melbourne (Australia) is spread over 9 thousand 990 km2.
9. The capital of Congo, Kinshasa, has an area of ​​9,965 km2.
10. The Chinese city of Wuhan has an area of ​​8,494 km2.

Rating of the largest ghost towns in the world

1. The Chinese city of Ordos began to be built in 2003, it was planned that about a million people would live there. Until 2010, the metropolis expanded over an area of ​​355 square kilometers. But the cost of housing did not allow residents to purchase real estate, as a result of which the houses remained half empty. Today the number of residents barely reaches 50 thousand.
2. The resort town of San Zhi in Taiwan is dead, no one lived in it at all. According to the project, ultra-modern houses in the shape of UFO saucers were built here. It was hoped that rich people would relax there, tourists would come to look at the original architecture and have fun in numerous complexes. But during the crisis, funding for the project stopped, and the city was not popular. It became a wasteland.
3. On the island of Cyprus there is Famagusta - an abandoned city. Previously, it was a large trade and economic center. But it was left without inhabitants due to the war between Turkey and Greece. Countries cannot agree on who should own the territory. Therefore, the city became a kind of border, fenced with barbed wire.
4. American Detroit until recently was a thriving city. Today, only a few thousand inhabitants remain. More and more people are leaving the city due to poor environmental conditions. The reason for this is the construction of large industrial automobile enterprises. Today the city has a high crime rate, which also does not contribute to comfortable living and pushes residents to move.
5. Russian Neftegorsk became uninhabited after an earthquake in 1995. Powerful tremors left more than 2 thousand residents alive and destroyed almost all buildings. There was no point in rebuilding the city, so only ruins remained in its place.
6. The Japanese city of Namie was the victim of a huge disaster. In 2013, the Fukushima nuclear power plant exploded, after which all residents were evacuated. Today, it is prohibited to enter Namie territory as radiation levels remain dangerous.
7. The city of Centralia in the USA became home to anthracite miners, who came here from all over America and remained to live even after the closure of the mines. But the decision of the city authorities to burn the garbage was disastrous for the entire city. In 1962, coal deposits in the ground began to smolder due to fire, and carbon monoxide emissions began to occur. A decision was made to evacuate the population. According to official data, 10 people live there today.