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List of largest cities facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Have you ever wondered what makes a place a "city"? It's not as simple as it sounds! The United Nations (UN) uses different ways to define a city because countries around the world don't all agree on what counts.

A city can be described in three main ways:

  • Its official administrative boundaries (the "city proper").
  • The area where buildings are continuously connected (the "urban area").
  • A larger region that includes the city and its surrounding towns, where many people live and work (the "metropolitan area").

How We Define Cities

City Proper: Official Boundaries

Main article: City proper

A "city proper" is defined by its official, legal boundaries. Think of it like the specific area a city's government is in charge of. UNICEF explains it as "the population living within the administrative boundaries of a city or controlled directly from the city by a single authority." This definition often means the city has its own local government.

Sometimes, the "city proper" population might not include people living in the suburbs, even if they work or study in the city. For example, the Chinese city of Chongqing is huge! Its official area is about the size of Austria. But more than 70% of its 30 million people are actually farmers living in the countryside. This shows how different the "city proper" population can be from the "urban area" population.


Urban Area: Connected Buildings

Main article: Urban area

An "urban area" is a place where buildings and development are continuously connected. It doesn't matter if there are different towns or cities inside this area; if it looks like one big built-up space, it's an urban area.

UNICEF notes that what counts as "urban" can change from country to country, and even over time. An urban area might be defined by:

  • Its official boundaries.
  • A certain number of people living there (usually at least 2,000, but it varies a lot).
  • How many people live in a certain space (population density).
  • The main jobs people do (if most people don't work in farming).
  • Having city features like paved streets, electricity, or sewers.

Basically, an urban area is a large, connected space of buildings where people live and work, without much empty countryside in between.

Metropolitan Area: City and Its Commuters

Main article: Metropolitan area
Night in the Greater Tokyo Area ISS054
Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's largest metropolitan areas.

A "metropolitan area" includes a main city and all the surrounding areas that are closely linked to it. This means places where people live but travel into the main city for work, school, or shopping.

UNICEF describes it as "a formal local government area comprising the urban area as a whole and its primary commuter areas." These areas are typically built around a large city, often with at least 100,000 people. They include both densely populated areas and some less dense areas connected by transport, roads, or people commuting.

Many countries use metropolitan areas for official statistics or planning. For example, in the United States, they have "metropolitan statistical areas" (MSAs). In the Philippines, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority manages the Manila metropolitan area.

Largest Cities by Population

The United Nations estimated in 2018 that there are 81 cities worldwide with more than 5 million people. These figures combine different definitions like city proper, urban area, and metropolitan area.

City Country UN 2018 population estimates City proper Urban area Metropolitan area
Definition Population Area
(km2)		 Density
(/km2)		 Population Area
(km2)		 Density
(/km2)		 Population Area
(km2)		 Density
(/km2)
Tokyo  Japan 37,468,000 Metropolis prefecture 13,515,271 2,191 6,169
 37,732,000 8,231 4,584
 37,274,000 13,452 2,771
Delhi  India 28,514,000 Municipal corporation 16,753,235 1,484 11,289
 32,226,000 2,344 13,748
 29,000,000 3,483 8,326
Shanghai  China 25,582,000 Municipality 24,870,895 6,341 3,922
 24,073,000 4,333 5,556
 N/A N/A N/A
São Paulo  Brazil 21,650,000 Municipality 12,252,023 1,521 8,055
 23,086,000 3,649 6,327
 21,734,682 7,947 2,735
Mexico City Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 21,581,000 City-state 9,209,944 1,485 6,202
 21,804,000 2,530 8,618 21,804,515 7,866 2,772
Cairo  Egypt 20,076,000 Urban governorate 10,044,894 3,085 3,256

 20,296,000 2,010 10,098 N/A N/A N/A
Mumbai  India 19,980,000 Municipal corporation 12,478,447 603 20,694
 24,973,000 976 25,587
 24,400,000 4,355 5,603
Beijing  China 19,618,000 Municipality 21,893,095 16,411 1,334
 18,522,000 4,284 4,324 N/A N/A N/A
Dhaka  Bangladesh 19,578,000 Capital city 10,295,407 338 30,460
 18,627,000 619 30,092 14,543,124
 N/A N/A
Osaka  Japan 19,281,000 Designated city 2,725,006 225 12,111
 15,126,000 3,020 5,009
 19,303,000 13,228 1,459
New York City  United States 18,819,000 City 8,804,190 778 11,316
 21,509,000 12,093 1,779
 MSA: 19,557,311; CSA: 23,143,097 12,093 1,665
Karachi  Pakistan 15,400,000 Metropolitan city 20,382,881 3,530 5,774
 15,738,000 1,124 14,002 20,382,000 3,780 5,392
Buenos Aires  Argentina 14,967,000 Autonomous city 3,054,300 203 15,046
 16,710,000 3,437 4,862 12,806,866
 N/A N/A
Chongqing  China 14,838,000 Municipality 32,054,159 82,403 389
 12,135,000 1,580 7,680 N/A N/A N/A
Istanbul  Turkey 14,751,000 Metropolitan municipality 15,519,267 5,196 2,987
 14,441,000 1,471 9,817 N/A N/A N/A
Kolkata  India 15,333,000 Municipal corporation 4,496,694 206 21,829
 21,747,000 1,352 16,085 15,333,000 1,887 8,126
Manila  Philippines 13,482,000 Capital city 1,780,148 43 41,399
 24,922,000 1,911 13,041
 12,877,253 620 20,770
Lagos  Nigeria 13,463,000 Metropolitan city N/A N/A N/A 16,637,000 1,966 8,462 21,000,000 1,171 17,933
Rio de Janeiro  Brazil 13,293,000 Municipality 6,520,000 1,221 5,340
 12,592,000 2,020 6,234 12,644,321 5,327 2,374
Tianjin  China 13,215,000 Municipality 13,866,009 11,920 1,163
 10,368,000 2,813 3,686 N/A N/A N/A
Kinshasa  DR Congo 13,171,000 City-province 14,565,700 9,965 1,462
 12,836,000 474 27,080 N/A N/A N/A
Guangzhou  China 12,638,000 City (sub-provincial) 18,676,605 7,434 2,512
 26,940,000 4,535 5,940
 N/A N/A N/A
Los Angeles  United States 12,458,000 City 3,990,456 1,214 3,287
 15,204,000 6,351 2,394 MSA: 13,291,486; CSA: 18,372,485
 12,559 1,058
Moscow  Russia 12,410,000 Federal city 13,200,000 2,511 5,257
 17,332,000 6,154 2,816 20,004,462
 N/A N/A
Shenzhen  China 11,908,000 City (sub-provincial) 17,494,398 2,050 8,534
 17,619,000 1,803 9,772 N/A N/A N/A
Lahore  Pakistan 11,738,000 Metropolitan city 13,004,135 1,772 7,339
 12,306,000 945 13,022 N/A N/A N/A
Bangalore  India 11,440,000 Municipal corporation 8,443,675 709 11,909
 15,386,000 1,401 10,982 N/A N/A N/A
Paris  France 10,901,000 Commune 2,148,271 105 20,460
 11,060,000 2,853 3,877 12,244,807 18,941 646
Bogotá  Colombia 10,574,000 Capital District 7,963,000 1,587 5,018
 10,085,000 562 17,945 12,545,272 5,934 2,114
Jakarta  Indonesia 10,517,000 Special capital region 10,154,134 664 15,292
 33,756,000 3,546 9,519
 33,430,285 7,063 4,733
Chennai  India 10,456,000 Municipal corporation 6,727,000 426 15,791
 12,395,000 1,085 11,424 11,564,000 2,280 5,072
Lima  Peru 10,391,000 Metropolitan municipality 8,894,000 2,672 3,329
 10,320,000 891 11,582 9,569,468 2,819 3,395
Bangkok  Thailand 10,156,000 Special administrative area 8,305,218 1,569 5,293
 18,007,000 3,199 5,629 16,255,900 7,762 2,094
Seoul  South Korea 9,963,000 Special city 10,013,781 605 16,552
 23,016,000 2,769 8,312 25,514,000 11,704 2,180
Nagoya  Japan 9,507,000 Designated city 2,320,361 326 7,118
 9,197,000 3,704 2,483 9,363,000 7,271 1,288
Hyderabad  India 9,482,000 Municipal corporation 6,993,262 650 10,759
 10,494,000 1,404 7,474 N/A N/A N/A
London  United Kingdom 9,046,000 Capital city 8,825,001 1,572 5,614
 11,262,000 1,738 6,480 14,372,596
 8,382 1,715
Tehran  Iran 8,896,000 Capital city 9,033,003 751 12,028
 14,148,000 1,704 8,303 N/A N/A N/A
Chicago  United States 8,864,000 City 2,746,388 589 4,663
 9,057,000 7,006 1,293 MSA: 9,618,502; CSA: 9,806,184
 18,640 516
Chengdu  China 8,813,000 City (sub-provincial) 20,937,757 14,378 1,456
 20,937,757 1,935 10,821 N/A N/A N/A
Nanjing  China 8,245,000 City (sub-provincial) 9,314,685 6,582 1,415
 8,422,000 1,614 5,218 N/A N/A N/A
Wuhan  China 8,176,000 City (sub-provincial) 12,447,718 8,494 1,465
 12,447,718 1,722 7,229 N/A N/A N/A
Ho Chi Minh City  Vietnam 8,145,000 Municipality 7,431,000 2,061 3,606
 15,136,000 2,165 6,991 N/A N/A N/A
Luanda  Angola 7,774,000 Municipality 2,165,867 116 18,671
 9,051,000 1,005 9,006 N/A N/A N/A
Ahmedabad  India 7,681,000 Municipal corporation 5,570,585 464 12,006
 8,009,000 404 19,824 6,300,000
 N/A N/A
Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia 7,564,000 City 1,768,000 243 7,276
 8,911,000 2,163 4,120 7,200,000 2,793 2,578
Xi'an  China 7,444,000 City (sub-provincial) 12,183,280 10,135 1,202
 12,328,000 1,826 6,751 N/A N/A N/A
Hong Kong  China 7,429,000 Special administrative region 7,298,600 1,104 6,611
 7,450,000 290 25,690 N/A N/A N/A
Dongguan  China 7,360,000 Prefecture-level city 10,466,625 2,465 4,246
 10,646,000 1,759 6,052 N/A N/A N/A
Hangzhou  China 7,236,000 City (sub-provincial) 11,936,010 16,596 719
 9,523,000 1,344 7,086 N/A N/A N/A
Foshan  China 7,236,000 Prefecture-level city 9,498,863 3,848 2,469
 N/A
 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Shenyang  China 6,921,000 City (sub-provincial) 8,294,000 12,980 639
 7,964,000 1,551 5,135
 N/A N/A N/A
Riyadh  Saudi Arabia 6,907,000 Municipality 6,694,000 1,913 3,499
 7,237,000 1,673 4,326 N/A N/A N/A
Baghdad  Iraq 6,812,000 Urban governorate 8,126,755 5,200 1,563
 6,183,000 694 8,909 N/A N/A N/A
Santiago  Chile 6,680,000 City (commune) 236,453 22 10,748
 7,171,000 1,147 6,252 7,112,808 15,403 462
Surat  India 6,564,000 Municipal corporation 4,466,826 327 13,660
 6,538,000 238 27,471 N/A N/A N/A
Madrid  Spain 6,497,000 Municipality 3,266,126 606 5,390
 6,211,000 1,365 4,550 6,641,649 N/A N/A
Suzhou  China 6,339,000 Prefecture-level city 12,748,262 8,488 1,502
 6,031,000 1,386 4,351 N/A N/A N/A
Pune  India 6,276,000 Municipal corporation 3,124,458 276 11,321
 8,231,000 650 12,663 7,276,000 7,256 1,003
Harbin  China 6,115,000 City (sub-provincial) 10,635,971 53,068 200
 3,830,000 671 5,708 N/A N/A N/A
Houston  United States 6,115,000 City 2,325,502 1,553 1,497
 6,500,000 4,931 1,318 6,997,384 21,395 327
Dallas  United States 6,099,000 City 1,345,047 882 1,525
 6,950,000 5,278 1,317
 7,470,158 22,463 333
Toronto  Canada 6,082,000 City 2,731,571 630 4,336
 6,771,000 2,344 2,889 5,928,040 5,906 1,004
Dar es Salaam  Tanzania 6,048,000 City 5,383,728 1,393 3,865
 7,962,000 961 8,285 N/A N/A N/A
Miami  United States 6,036,000 City 470,914 93 5,069
 6,058,000 3,313 1,829 6,158,824 15,890 388
Belo Horizonte  Brazil 5,972,000 City 2,502,557 331 7,563 5,328,000 1,287 4,140 5,156,217 9,459 545
Singapore  Singapore 5,792,000 Country 5,638,700 726 7,770 5,983,000 523 11,440 N/A N/A N/A
Philadelphia  United States 5,695,000 Consolidated city-county 1,526,006 370 4,129 5,799,000 5,429 1,068 MSA: 6,096,120; CSA: 7,381,187 N/A N/A
Atlanta  United States 5,572,000 City 498,715 354 1,408 5,478,000 7,400 740 5,949,951 21,690 274
Fukuoka  Japan 5,551,000 Designated city 1,588,924 343 4,627 2,286,000 505 4,527 N/A N/A N/A
Khartoum  Sudan 5,534,000 N/A 1,410,858
 N/A N/A 7,869,000 1,031 7,632 N/A N/A N/A
Barcelona  Spain 5,494,000 Municipality 1,620,343 101 15,980
 4,800,000 1,072 4,478 5,474,482
 N/A N/A
Johannesburg  South Africa 5,486,000 Metropolitan municipality 4,803,262 1,643 2,924 14,586,000 4,040 3,610
 N/A N/A N/A
Saint Petersburg  Russia 5,383,000 Federal city 5,601,911 1,400 4,001 5,445,000 1,510 3,606 N/A N/A N/A
Qingdao  China 5,381,000 City (sub-provincial) 10,071,722 11,229 897 6,229,000 1,759 3,541 N/A N/A N/A
Dalian  China 5,300,000 City (sub-provincial) 7,450,785 13,742 542 4,135,000 1,044 3,961 N/A N/A N/A
Washington  United States 5,207,000 Federal district 702,455 177 3,969
 7,631,000 5,501 1,387
 6,263,245 17,009 368
Yangon  Myanmar 5,157,000 City 4,728,524 N/A N/A 6,874,000 666 10,321 N/A N/A N/A
Alexandria  Egypt 5,086,000 Urban governorate 5,441,866 2,300 2,366 4,712,000 293 16,082 N/A N/A N/A
Jinan  China 5,052,000 City (sub-provincial) 9,202,432 10,244 898
 4,017,000 932 4,310 N/A N/A N/A
Guadalajara Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 5,023,000 Municipality 1,385,621 151 9,176
 5,525,000 816 6,771 5,286,642 3,560 1,485

Gallery

  • Skyscrapers of Shinjuku 2009 January

    Tokyo, Japan: 39.1 million people (urban area)

  • Jakarta Skyline Part 2

    Jakarta, Indonesia: 34.5 million people (urban area)

  • Skyline of Cannaught Place, New Delhi

    Delhi, India: 32.2 million people (urban area)

  • Seoul (South Korea)

    Seoul, South Korea: 26 million people (metropolitan area)

  • Shanghai skyline 2018(cropped)

    Shanghai, China: 24.8 million people (municipal area)

  • Ortigas Tonight

    Manila, Philippines: 24.1 million people (urban area)

  • Webysther 20190306131041 - Edifício Altino Arantes

    São Paulo, Brazil: 22 million people (metropolitan area)

  • Skyline of Beijing CBD with B-5906 approaching (20211016171955)

    Beijing, China: 21.9 million people (municipal area)

  • Sobrevuelos CDMX HJ2A4913 (25514321687) (cropped)

    Mexico City, Mexico: 21.8 million people (metropolitan area)

  • ওরলির গগনরৈখিক দৃশ্য

    Mumbai, India: 20.7 million people (metropolitan area)

  • View of Empire State Building from Rockefeller Center New York City dllu (cropped)

    New York City, U.S.: 19.4 million people (urban area)

See also

  • Historical urban community sizes
  • List of largest cities throughout history
  • List of cities with a million or more inhabitants
  • List of towns and cities with 100,000 or more inhabitants
  • List of largest cities by area
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