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Cities · UN World Urbanization Prospects 2025
The world's cities
- 12,138cities in the world, 2025
- 96 of 100cities have fewer than a million people
- 45 of 100people live in a city, 2025
- 15,445cities in 2050, on the UN’s projection
In 2025 there were 12,138 cities in the world. 96 of every 100 had fewer than a million people — and together those smaller cities hold half of all the people who live in cities.
Of every 100 people on Earth, 45 lived in a city in 2025: 3.69 billion people. In 1975 there were 5,713 cities; on the UN's projection there will be 15,445 in 2050.
Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries
In plain words
What is it?
A city on this page is not a place's official boundary. The UN finds cities on a grid of one-kilometre squares made from satellite pictures and census maps: wherever at least 50,000 people live close together, with 1,500 or more on every square kilometre, that is a city — in every country, by the same rule.
That is why some cities are much bigger here than in other lists. The built-up area around Jakarta that this rule finds had 42 million people in 2025 — far more than live inside the city's official line.
Places that are smaller or less crowded are towns or rural areas. Together, cities, towns and rural areas add up to everyone the UN counts.
Why it matters to you
- Most cities are small. 96 of every 100 cities have fewer than a million people, and together they hold half of everyone who lives in a city.
- Cities are bigger than their names. A city’s people are everyone in its built-up area, not only those inside the official line.
- Where the next people live. The UN expects 3,307 more cities between 2025 and 2050.
Every city · area is people
Where the cities are
50,000 to 250,000 250,000 to 1 million 1 to 5 million 5 to 10 million 10 million or more
How to read this: every dot is a city, placed where its people are; its area is the number of people who live there, and the stronger its colour, the bigger the city (the key). The map shows the 511 cities of a million or more in 2025. The full map adds every one of the 16,828 cities the UN counts between 1975 and 2050, five years at a time; its dots after 2025 are rings, because they are the UN's projection. The map keeps every country's area true (Equal Earth).
Cities by size · 2025
Most cities are small
If the world's cities were 100, 81 would have fewer than 250,000 people and not even one would have 10 million or more. Count the people instead, and the 33 largest cities hold 17 of every 100 city people. The 9,805 smallest are about 300 times as many cities, and hold 27.
50,000 to 250,000 people 250,000 to 1 million people 1 to 5 million people 5 to 10 million people 10 million or more people
The numbers, 2025
| People in the city | Cities | Of 100 cities | People | Of 100 city people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50,000 to 250,000 | 9,805 | 81 | 1.01 billion | 27 |
| 250,000 to 1 million | 1,822 | 15 | 838.4 million | 23 |
| 1 to 5 million | 429 | 4 | 882.5 million | 24 |
| 5 to 10 million | 49 | 0 | 332.6 million | 9 |
| 10 million or more | 33 | 0 | 625.4 million | 17 |
How to read this: the left block is the world's cities, the right block the people who live in them; the stronger the colour, the bigger the city. Each block is 100 squares.
The ten largest · 1975, 2025, 2050
The largest cities, then and now
In 1975 the largest city in the world was Tokyo, with 24.3 million people. In 2025 it is Jakarta, with 41.9 million; on the UN's projection, in 2050 it will be Dhaka, with 52.1 million.
1975
- Tokyo24.3 m
- Osaka14.4 m
- New York City12.1 m
- Jakarta11.7 m
- Mexico City11.1 m
- São Paulo10.5 m
- Kolkata10.5 m
- Seoul10.1 m
- Buenos Aires8.6 m
- Moscow8.5 m
2025
How to read this: the ten largest cities in each year, on one scale; hatched bars are the UN's projection.
New cities · every five years
Where new cities appear
Between 1975 and 2025, 7,478 places grew into cities. 55 of every 100 of them are in Asia.
A place joins the list when it passes 50,000 people living closely together. Places also leave it — 1,053 between 1975 and 2025 — because they shrank below 50,000 or grew into a neighbouring city.
How to read this: one column every five years, 1980 to 2050, one panel per region, all on one scale, each region in its own colour; each column is the number of places first counted as a city that year. Hatched columns are the UN's projection.
The biggest · every five years
Cities of 10 million people or more
In 1975 there were 8 cities of 10 million people or more. In 2025 there are 33, home to 625.4 million people. On the UN's projection there will be 37 in 2050 — the number grows more slowly from here.
How to read this: one column every five years, 1975 to 2050; each column is the number of cities with 10 million people or more. Hatched columns are the UN's projection.
When each passed 10 million
- by 1975Jakarta, Tokyo, Kolkata, Seoul, São Paulo, Mexico City, New York City, Osaka
- 1985Manila, Mumbai
- 1990Dhaka, New Delhi, Cairo, Moscow, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles
- 1995Shanghai
- 2000Guangzhou, Karachi, Istanbul
- 2005Bangkok, Beijing, Shenzhen
- 2010Lahore, Lagos
- 2015Ho Chi Minh City, Bengaluru, Chennai
- 2020Kinshasa, Lima
- 2025Luanda, Bogotá, London
Growing and shrinking · 2000–2025
Which cities grew, and which got smaller
Between 2000 and 2025, Dhaka grew by 19.2 million people — more than any other city in the world.
- Dhaka Bangladesh+19.2 m
- Jakarta Indonesia+16.3 m
- Shanghai China+15.5 m
- New Delhi India+12.3 m
- Luanda Angola+10.7 m
- Karachi Pakistan+10.6 m
- Cairo Egypt+9.9 m
- Bangkok Thailand+9.8 m
- Guangzhou China+8.6 m
- Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam+8.0 m
How to read this: the people each city gained between 2000 and 2025, the ten that gained most, bars on one scale.
Not every city grows. Of the 1,335 cities that had 300,000 people or more in 2000, 239 — about 18 of every 100 — had fewer people in 2025. These are the countries with the most of them:
How to read this: in each country, the number of cities that had fewer people in 2025 than in 2000, counting cities of 300,000 or more in 2000.
Country by country · 2025
How many cities each country has
China has 2,082 cities and India 2,054 — together 34 of every 100 cities in the world. 45 of the 236 countries have none: small islands and small countries where no place has 50,000 people living closely together.
- China2,082
- India2,054
- Nigeria457
- Indonesia389
- Brazil356
- United States348
- Pakistan323
- Ethiopia259
- Russia254
- Bangladesh233
- Democratic Republic of the Congo223
- Egypt219
How to read this: the number of cities in each country in 2025, the twelve with the most, bars on one scale.
In some countries one city is almost the whole country. Of every 100 people in Bahrain, 94 live in Manama; in Kuwait, 85 live in Kuwait City.
Every country with a city, 2025
The 100 largest · 2025
Every large city
The 100 largest cities in 2025
| # | City | Country | People, 2025 | 1975 | 2050 (projected) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jakarta | Indonesia | 41,913,860 | 11.7 million | 51.8 million |
| 2 | Dhaka | Bangladesh | 36,585,479 | 5.0 million | 52.1 million |
| 3 | Tokyo | Japan | 33,412,512 | 24.3 million | 30.7 million |
| 4 | New Delhi | India | 30,222,405 | 6.1 million | 33.9 million |
| 5 | Shanghai | China | 29,558,908 | 4.5 million | 34.9 million |
| 6 | Guangzhou | China | 27,563,372 | 1.6 million | 29.2 million |
| 7 | Cairo | Egypt | 25,566,102 | 7.4 million | 32.4 million |
| 8 | Manila | Philippines | 24,735,305 | 8.3 million | 27.1 million |
| 9 | Kolkata | India | 22,549,738 | 10.5 million | 23.8 million |
| 10 | Seoul | South Korea | 22,490,482 | 10.1 million | 21.2 million |
| 11 | Karachi | Pakistan | 21,422,590 | 4.6 million | 32.6 million |
| 12 | Mumbai | India | 20,203,056 | 8.3 million | 23.1 million |
| 13 | São Paulo | Brazil | 18,949,790 | 10.5 million | 18.2 million |
| 14 | Bangkok | Thailand | 18,180,280 | 3.7 million | 20.5 million |
| 15 | Mexico City | Mexico | 17,734,212 | 11.1 million | 17.7 million |
| 16 | Beijing | China | 17,013,303 | 5.2 million | 18.0 million |
| 17 | Lahore | Pakistan | 15,156,430 | 4.4 million | 20.4 million |
| 18 | Istanbul | Türkiye | 15,014,763 | 5.3 million | 16.3 million |
| 19 | Moscow | Russia | 14,524,753 | 8.5 million | 15.5 million |
| 20 | Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 14,052,713 | 2.4 million | 17.2 million |
| 21 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | 14,017,736 | 8.6 million | 14.2 million |
| 22 | New York City | United States | 13,920,148 | 12.1 million | 13.2 million |
| 23 | Shenzhen | China | 13,878,396 | 487,944 | 14.7 million |
| 24 | Bengaluru | India | 13,187,098 | 2.4 million | 14.3 million |
| 25 | Osaka | Japan | 12,964,145 | 14.4 million | 10.4 million |
| 26 | Lagos | Nigeria | 12,791,699 | 2.6 million | 16.2 million |
| 27 | Los Angeles | United States | 12,740,420 | 7.7 million | 13.9 million |
| 28 | Luanda | Angola | 11,370,127 | from 1995 | 20.3 million |
| 29 | Chennai | India | 11,153,205 | 4.5 million | 11.8 million |
| 30 | Kinshasa | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 10,943,641 | 1.0 million | 13.2 million |
| 31 | Bogotá | Colombia | 10,624,315 | 3.4 million | 12.5 million |
| 32 | Lima | Peru | 10,580,241 | 3.5 million | 12.4 million |
| 33 | London | United Kingdom | 10,416,420 | 7.4 million | 11.9 million |
| 34 | Hajipur | India | 9,941,510 | 745,962 | 13.7 million |
| 35 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 9,500,336 | 5.9 million | 9.3 million |
| 36 | Paris | France | 9,381,921 | 7.4 million | 9.3 million |
| 37 | Hyderabad | India | 9,190,795 | 2.8 million | 9.5 million |
| 38 | Tehran | Iran | 9,174,964 | 4.3 million | 9.5 million |
| 39 | Taipei | Taiwan | 9,136,792 | 3.7 million | 8.2 million |
| 40 | Bandung | Indonesia | 8,909,104 | 3.5 million | 9.7 million |
| 41 | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 8,443,731 | 170,777 | 10.6 million |
| 42 | Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | 7,795,114 | 299,151 | 13.2 million |
| 43 | Suzhou | China | 7,731,101 | 930,446 | 7.6 million |
| 44 | Ahmedabad | India | 7,632,408 | 2.6 million | 8.2 million |
| 45 | Hangzhou | China | 7,500,208 | 1.1 million | 9.6 million |
| 46 | Wuhan | China | 7,363,548 | 1.7 million | 6.2 million |
| 47 | Tianjin | China | 7,285,342 | 2.6 million | 7.6 million |
| 48 | Alexandria | Egypt | 7,266,957 | 2.6 million | 9.0 million |
| 49 | Nagoya | Japan | 7,146,160 | 5.4 million | 6.3 million |
| 50 | Johannesburg | South Africa | 7,077,175 | 1.2 million | 8.9 million |
| 51 | Chongqing | China | 7,071,073 | 1.5 million | 6.1 million |
| 52 | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | 6,916,417 | from 1980 | 9.2 million |
| 53 | Surat | India | 6,908,925 | 955,482 | 8.0 million |
| 54 | Surabaya | Indonesia | 6,843,503 | 3.6 million | 6.3 million |
| 55 | Pune | India | 6,817,951 | 2.4 million | 7.7 million |
| 56 | Khartoum | Sudan | 6,809,355 | 870,553 | 9.4 million |
| 57 | Nanjing | China | 6,800,676 | 1.6 million | 6.3 million |
| 58 | Santiago | Chile | 6,726,045 | 2.8 million | 6.9 million |
| 59 | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia | 6,705,705 | 868,901 | 10.8 million |
| 60 | Abidjan | Côte d’Ivoire | 6,621,711 | 1.0 million | 9.8 million |
| 61 | Chaozhou | China | 6,407,770 | 540,582 | 6.8 million |
| 62 | Amman | Jordan | 6,403,666 | 831,541 | 8.4 million |
| 63 | Baghdad | Iraq | 6,390,735 | 2.0 million | 7.5 million |
| 64 | Chengdu | China | 6,139,874 | 2.8 million | 5.2 million |
| 65 | Nairobi | Kenya | 6,134,334 | 538,321 | 8.5 million |
| 66 | Kozhikode | India | 6,123,872 | 566,962 | 7.1 million |
| 67 | Shenyang | China | 5,702,638 | 3.8 million | 5.1 million |
| 68 | Kabul | Afghanistan | 5,635,737 | 763,068 | 8.0 million |
| 69 | Onitsha | Nigeria | 5,627,706 | 756,883 | 8.7 million |
| 70 | Yangon | Myanmar | 5,618,303 | 2.2 million | 6.1 million |
| 71 | Accra | Ghana | 5,592,780 | 856,210 | 7.2 million |
| 72 | Madrid | Spain | 5,583,601 | 3.0 million | 5.6 million |
| 73 | Faisalabad | Pakistan | 5,566,382 | 1.1 million | 7.3 million |
| 74 | Toronto | Canada | 5,494,431 | 2.0 million | 6.2 million |
| 75 | Mashhad | Iran | 5,398,248 | 1.3 million | 5.7 million |
| 76 | Dubai | United Arab Emirates | 5,283,789 | from 1980 | 6.9 million |
| 77 | Xi'an | China | 5,231,053 | 1.5 million | 4.7 million |
| 78 | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte - Colombo | Sri Lanka | 5,223,838 | 2.1 million | 5.8 million |
| 79 | Yaoundé | Cameroon | 5,106,087 | 455,219 | 8.7 million |
| 80 | Kochi | India | 5,077,670 | 1.6 million | 5.8 million |
| 81 | Hanoi | Vietnam | 5,068,414 | 1.5 million | 4.8 million |
| 82 | Lucknow | India | 5,052,444 | 1.5 million | 5.7 million |
| 83 | Chattogram | Bangladesh | 4,983,553 | 1.4 million | 5.9 million |
| 84 | Singapore | Singapore | 4,963,998 | 2.0 million | 5.1 million |
| 85 | Kampala | Uganda | 4,880,943 | 604,015 | 7.9 million |
| 86 | Zhengzhou | China | 4,878,035 | 976,638 | 4.4 million |
| 87 | Hefei | China | 4,867,000 | 1.2 million | 4.5 million |
| 88 | Islāmābād | Pakistan | 4,860,084 | 809,580 | 6.7 million |
| 89 | Kano | Nigeria | 4,840,280 | 773,600 | 6.4 million |
| 90 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 4,749,543 | 2.9 million | 3.9 million |
| 91 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | 4,736,499 | 3.7 million | 4.7 million |
| 92 | Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 4,600,064 | 1.2 million | 5.3 million |
| 93 | Cape Town | South Africa | 4,508,921 | 983,713 | 6.1 million |
| 94 | Casablanca | Morocco | 4,457,471 | 1.7 million | 5.0 million |
| 95 | Mogadishu | Somalia | 4,399,430 | 442,327 | 7.2 million |
| 96 | Harbin | China | 4,376,259 | 1.7 million | 4.1 million |
| 97 | Kanpur | India | 4,329,973 | 2.1 million | 4.6 million |
| 98 | Kumasi | Ghana | 4,297,984 | 415,938 | 5.4 million |
| 99 | Damascus | Syria | 4,287,746 | 1.2 million | 6.3 million |
| 100 | Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | 4,284,080 | 189,325 | 5.8 million |
Every country page lists its own cities.
Back to the count
How this rests on the census
A city's count is people of every age, found on the UN's grid of one-kilometre squares. Half of the world's people are younger than 31: ages 0 to 30 alone were 4.01 billion people in mid-2025 — 49 of every 100.
aged 0–30 everyone else
How to read this: one column for each year of age, from newborn babies on the left to people aged 100 and over on the right. The taller the column, the more people of that age were alive in mid-2025 — 8.23 billion in all, counted by the UN.
The UN's city data has no ages, so this site cannot say how old each city's people are. What it can say is that every city number is drawn from the same count of everyone, of every age.
Questions
Questions people ask
How many cities are there in the world?
12,138 in 2025, by the UN's one international rule.
What is the biggest city in the world?
Jakarta, with 41,913,860 people in 2025, counting everyone in its built-up area.
What counts as a city?
At least 50,000 people living close together, with 1,500 or more on every square kilometre. The same rule is used in every country.
Why are the numbers different from other lists?
Most lists use each city’s official boundary, which every country draws differently. This one counts the whole built-up area.
How many people live in cities?
45 of every 100 people in 2025: 3.69 billion.
Which city has grown the most?
Since 2000, Dhaka has: 19.2 million more people by 2025.
Which country has the most cities?
China, with 2,082 in 2025; India is close behind with 2,054.
How many cities will there be in 2050?
15,445 on the UN's projection, against 5,713 in 1975.
Apparatus
Sources and method
The 12,138 cities counted here in 2025 are the UN's Degree of Urbanization cities: built-up areas read from satellite pictures and census maps, measured the same way in every country, rather than whatever each country calls a city. The UN estimates them every five years, 1975 to 2050, and everything after 2025 is projection with no range of uncertainty. Every city that reaches 300,000 people in some year has a page here; the rest are counted in the totals and on the map. The full rule, and what it does to the numbers.
Sources: UN WUP 2025 · Natural Earth · flag-icons. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →
Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries