Cities · 2026
Largest cities in the world
Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is the world's largest city in 2026, with about 42.5 million people, ahead of Dhaka (37.4 million) and Tokyo (33.3 million). 34 cities have 10 million people or more. These are the UN's 2025 figures, which measure every city the same way: its whole built-up area, not its municipal boundary.
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#1
Jakarta
42.5 million
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#2
Dhaka
37.4 million
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#3
Tokyo
33.3 million
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#4
Delhi
30.4 million
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#5
Shanghai
29.9 million
The 100 largest cities, 2026
Urban centre population: estimates to 2025, UN projection after. * Projection.
| # | City | Country | 2026 | 2000 | Since 2000 | 2050* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jakarta (capital)Indonesia | Indonesia | 42,459,070 | 25,591,966 | +66% | 51,784,216 |
| 2 | Dhaka (capital)Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 37,429,156 | 17,434,596 | +115% | 52,122,843 |
| 3 | Tokyo (capital)Japan | Japan | 33,338,852 | 30,302,560 | +10% | 30,657,618 |
| 4 | Delhi (capital)India | India | 30,446,254 | 17,969,092 | +69% | 33,890,685 |
| 5 | ShanghaiChina | China | 29,906,570 | 14,034,558 | +113% | 34,912,186 |
| 6 | GuangzhouChina | China | 27,739,195 | 18,970,258 | +46% | 29,243,076 |
| 7 | Cairo (capital)Egypt | Egypt | 25,889,876 | 15,676,619 | +65% | 32,365,955 |
| 8 | Manila (capital)Philippines | Philippines | 24,893,838 | 17,799,064 | +40% | 27,119,826 |
| 9 | KolkataIndia | India | 22,646,412 | 18,355,286 | +23% | 23,767,882 |
| 10 | Seoul (capital)South Korea | South Korea | 22,517,764 | 18,962,544 | +19% | 21,225,404 |
| 11 | KarachiPakistan | Pakistan | 21,857,801 | 10,799,503 | +102% | 32,592,965 |
| 12 | MumbaiIndia | India | 20,385,414 | 15,952,862 | +28% | 23,059,150 |
| 13 | São PauloBrazil | Brazil | 18,957,600 | 16,702,008 | +14% | 18,217,300 |
| 14 | Bangkok (capital)Thailand | Thailand | 18,338,825 | 8,377,066 | +119% | 20,462,207 |
| 15 | Mexico City (capital)Mexico | Mexico | 17,753,192 | 17,598,162 | +1% | 17,678,777 |
| 16 | Beijing (capital)China | China | 17,127,344 | 9,635,380 | +78% | 18,004,156 |
| 17 | LahorePakistan | Pakistan | 15,382,388 | 7,978,805 | +93% | 20,388,443 |
| 18 | IstanbulTurkey | Turkey | 15,089,414 | 10,633,602 | +42% | 16,303,309 |
| 19 | Moscow (capital)Russia | Russia | 14,571,370 | 11,194,627 | +30% | 15,521,567 |
| 20 | Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam | Vietnam | 14,213,778 | 6,006,090 | +137% | 17,201,445 |
| 21 | Buenos Aires (capital)Argentina | Argentina | 14,038,483 | 11,711,634 | +20% | 14,235,648 |
| 22 | ShenzhenChina | China | 13,957,317 | 8,180,960 | +71% | 14,660,570 |
| 23 | New York CityUnited States | United States | 13,902,818 | 13,044,483 | +7% | 13,224,531 |
| 24 | BengaluruIndia | India | 13,261,056 | 6,051,928 | +119% | 14,258,150 |
| 25 | LagosNigeria | Nigeria | 12,956,639 | 7,908,961 | +64% | 16,180,326 |
| 26 | OsakaJapan | Japan | 12,853,431 | 14,487,830 | −11% | 10,449,439 |
| 27 | Los AngelesUnited States | United States | 12,806,288 | 11,195,626 | +14% | 13,862,284 |
| 28 | Luanda (capital)Angola | Angola | 11,723,099 | 714,643 | +1540% | 20,286,119 |
| 29 | ChennaiIndia | India | 11,192,733 | 7,612,508 | +47% | 11,756,606 |
| 30 | Kinshasa (capital)DR Congo | DR Congo | 11,078,527 | 5,328,174 | +108% | 13,210,577 |
| 31 | Bogotá (capital)Colombia | Colombia | 10,738,472 | 6,340,840 | +69% | 12,478,015 |
| 32 | Lima (capital)Peru | Peru | 10,693,197 | 6,991,685 | +53% | 12,358,372 |
| 33 | London (capital)United Kingdom | United Kingdom | 10,486,502 | 7,654,553 | +37% | 11,868,905 |
| 34 | HajipurIndia | India | 10,165,216 | 3,363,805 | +202% | 13,694,623 |
| 35 | Rio de JaneiroBrazil | Brazil | 9,508,383 | 8,416,754 | +13% | 9,299,537 |
| 36 | Paris (capital)France | France | 9,380,592 | 8,385,156 | +12% | 9,326,092 |
| 37 | HyderabadIndia | India | 9,216,127 | 6,340,661 | +45% | 9,546,498 |
| 38 | Tehran (capital)Iran | Iran | 9,206,970 | 6,999,195 | +32% | 9,499,466 |
| 39 | Taipei (capital)Taiwan | Taiwan | 9,120,152 | 7,898,577 | +15% | 8,176,644 |
| 40 | BandungIndonesia | Indonesia | 8,965,166 | 6,333,411 | +42% | 9,746,912 |
| 41 | Kuala Lumpur (capital)Malaysia | Malaysia | 8,565,445 | 4,143,915 | +107% | 10,627,280 |
| 42 | Dar es Salaam (capital)Tanzania | Tanzania | 8,009,189 | 2,071,645 | +287% | 13,159,908 |
| 43 | SuzhouChina | China | 7,741,751 | 3,671,581 | +111% | 7,639,262 |
| 44 | AhmedabadIndia | India | 7,667,167 | 5,119,105 | +50% | 8,235,676 |
| 45 | HangzhouChina | China | 7,627,713 | 4,964,897 | +54% | 9,624,602 |
| 46 | AlexandriaEgypt | Egypt | 7,348,119 | 4,477,718 | +64% | 9,022,625 |
| 47 | TianjinChina | China | 7,318,511 | 4,302,429 | +70% | 7,645,279 |
| 48 | WuhanChina | China | 7,317,134 | 5,637,243 | +30% | 6,157,042 |
| 49 | JohannesburgSouth Africa | South Africa | 7,173,199 | 2,767,803 | +159% | 8,916,021 |
| 50 | NagoyaJapan | Japan | 7,116,860 | 6,506,286 | +9% | 6,292,819 |
| 51 | ChongqingChina | China | 7,029,204 | 5,282,353 | +33% | 6,080,495 |
| 52 | Riyadh (capital)Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | 7,024,249 | 2,557,269 | +175% | 9,152,552 |
| 53 | SuratIndia | India | 6,970,910 | 3,293,268 | +112% | 8,048,617 |
| 54 | Khartoum (capital)Sudan | Sudan | 6,941,762 | 4,135,102 | +68% | 9,444,354 |
| 55 | Addis Ababa (capital)Ethiopia | Ethiopia | 6,888,446 | 2,791,724 | +147% | 10,782,580 |
| 56 | PuneIndia | India | 6,871,873 | 4,345,022 | +58% | 7,741,530 |
| 57 | SurabayaIndonesia | Indonesia | 6,836,214 | 5,721,915 | +19% | 6,342,808 |
| 58 | NanjingChina | China | 6,793,988 | 3,897,972 | +74% | 6,316,820 |
| 59 | Santiago (capital)Chile | Chile | 6,751,278 | 5,305,308 | +27% | 6,931,370 |
| 60 | Abidjan (capital)Côte d'Ivoire | Côte d'Ivoire | 6,745,225 | 3,441,806 | +96% | 9,775,147 |
| 61 | Amman (capital)Jordan | Jordan | 6,482,673 | 2,639,506 | +146% | 8,393,062 |
| 62 | ChaozhouChina | China | 6,446,205 | 4,212,863 | +53% | 6,836,503 |
| 63 | Baghdad (capital)Iraq | Iraq | 6,445,878 | 4,272,066 | +51% | 7,464,523 |
| 64 | Nairobi (capital)Kenya | Kenya | 6,244,748 | 2,580,212 | +142% | 8,514,575 |
| 65 | KozhikodeIndia | India | 6,185,294 | 2,317,498 | +167% | 7,104,281 |
| 66 | ChengduChina | China | 6,107,666 | 5,486,750 | +11% | 5,216,765 |
| 67 | OnitshaNigeria | Nigeria | 5,761,718 | 2,353,086 | +145% | 8,680,997 |
| 68 | Kabul (capital)Afghanistan | Afghanistan | 5,759,569 | 2,714,906 | +112% | 8,003,002 |
| 69 | ShenyangChina | China | 5,679,026 | 4,585,775 | +24% | 5,052,402 |
| 70 | Accra (capital)Ghana | Ghana | 5,667,516 | 2,612,071 | +117% | 7,231,113 |
| 71 | YangonMyanmar | Myanmar | 5,651,389 | 3,804,518 | +49% | 6,050,414 |
| 72 | FaisalabadPakistan | Pakistan | 5,640,667 | 2,816,755 | +100% | 7,311,253 |
| 73 | Madrid (capital)Spain | Spain | 5,591,755 | 3,920,824 | +43% | 5,588,668 |
| 74 | TorontoCanada | Canada | 5,539,951 | 3,793,456 | +46% | 6,168,899 |
| 75 | MashhadIran | Iran | 5,417,340 | 3,470,089 | +56% | 5,669,798 |
| 76 | DubaiUnited Arab Emirates | United Arab Emirates | 5,356,637 | 1,297,363 | +313% | 6,851,740 |
| 77 | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte - Colombo (capital)Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka | 5,264,063 | 3,818,464 | +38% | 5,816,080 |
| 78 | Yaoundé (capital)Cameroon | Cameroon | 5,244,714 | 1,578,631 | +232% | 8,661,147 |
| 79 | Xi'anChina | China | 5,216,357 | 3,982,040 | +31% | 4,744,642 |
| 80 | KochiIndia | India | 5,152,610 | 3,393,587 | +52% | 5,843,908 |
| 81 | LucknowIndia | India | 5,087,496 | 3,199,765 | +59% | 5,689,737 |
| 82 | Hanoi (capital)Vietnam | Vietnam | 5,064,339 | 3,024,032 | +67% | 4,789,526 |
| 83 | ChattogramBangladesh | Bangladesh | 5,044,182 | 3,779,341 | +33% | 5,938,088 |
| 84 | Kampala (capital)Uganda | Uganda | 5,012,188 | 1,696,917 | +195% | 7,893,623 |
| 85 | Singapore (capital)Singapore | Singapore | 4,989,549 | 3,539,148 | +41% | 5,125,633 |
| 86 | Islāmābād (capital)Pakistan | Pakistan | 4,945,537 | 2,589,798 | +91% | 6,678,472 |
| 87 | KanoNigeria | Nigeria | 4,906,917 | 2,719,854 | +80% | 6,361,602 |
| 88 | ZhengzhouChina | China | 4,867,461 | 2,795,397 | +74% | 4,438,815 |
| 89 | HefeiChina | China | 4,864,171 | 3,019,019 | +61% | 4,484,853 |
| 90 | Saint PetersburgRussia | Russia | 4,734,157 | 3,979,494 | +19% | 4,686,636 |
| 91 | Hong Kong (capital)Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 4,731,419 | 4,304,726 | +10% | 3,929,305 |
| 92 | Santo Domingo (capital)Dominican Republic | Dominican Republic | 4,638,389 | 2,920,445 | +59% | 5,260,910 |
| 93 | Cape Town (capital)South Africa | South Africa | 4,585,729 | 2,427,022 | +89% | 6,127,476 |
| 94 | Mogadishu (capital)Somalia | Somalia | 4,518,627 | 1,239,319 | +265% | 7,194,603 |
| 95 | CasablancaMorocco | Morocco | 4,487,289 | 3,171,277 | +41% | 4,988,449 |
| 96 | Damascus (capital)Syria | Syria | 4,426,767 | 2,527,484 | +75% | 6,336,460 |
| 97 | Bamako (capital)Mali | Mali | 4,378,826 | 1,249,186 | +251% | 7,639,829 |
| 98 | HarbinChina | China | 4,370,578 | 3,475,651 | +26% | 4,140,927 |
| 99 | KumasiGhana | Ghana | 4,357,357 | 1,488,822 | +193% | 5,448,725 |
| 100 | JeddahSaudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia | 4,351,700 | 1,682,112 | +159% | 5,784,917 |
Largest city in every country
191 countries with UN city data, most populous country first. In 31 of them the largest city is not the capital.
| Country | Largest city | Population 2026 | Capital? |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Delhi | 30,446,254 | Yes |
| China | Shanghai | 29,906,570 | No |
| United States | New York City | 13,902,818 | No |
| Indonesia | Jakarta | 42,459,070 | Yes |
| Pakistan | Karachi | 21,857,801 | No |
| Nigeria | Lagos | 12,956,639 | No |
| Brazil | São Paulo | 18,957,600 | No |
| Bangladesh | Dhaka | 37,429,156 | Yes |
| Russia | Moscow | 14,571,370 | Yes |
| Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | 6,888,446 | Yes |
| Mexico | Mexico City | 17,753,192 | Yes |
| Japan | Tokyo | 33,338,852 | Yes |
| Egypt | Cairo | 25,889,876 | Yes |
| Philippines | Manila | 24,893,838 | Yes |
| DR Congo | Kinshasa | 11,078,527 | Yes |
| Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City | 14,213,778 | No |
| Iran | Tehran | 9,206,970 | Yes |
| Turkey | Istanbul | 15,089,414 | No |
| Germany | Berlin | 3,549,560 | Yes |
| Tanzania | Dar es Salaam | 8,009,189 | Yes |
| Thailand | Bangkok | 18,338,825 | Yes |
| United Kingdom | London | 10,486,502 | Yes |
| France | Paris | 9,380,592 | Yes |
| South Africa | Johannesburg | 7,173,199 | No |
| Italy | Naples | 2,754,762 | No |
| Kenya | Nairobi | 6,244,748 | Yes |
| Myanmar | Yangon | 5,651,389 | No |
| Colombia | Bogotá | 10,738,472 | Yes |
| Sudan | Khartoum | 6,941,762 | Yes |
| Uganda | Kampala | 5,012,188 | Yes |
| South Korea | Seoul | 22,517,764 | Yes |
| Algeria | Algiers | 3,274,363 | Yes |
| Iraq | Baghdad | 6,445,878 | Yes |
| Spain | Madrid | 5,591,755 | Yes |
| Argentina | Buenos Aires | 14,038,483 | Yes |
| Afghanistan | Kabul | 5,759,569 | Yes |
| Yemen | Sana'a | 4,096,109 | Yes |
| Canada | Toronto | 5,539,951 | No |
| Angola | Luanda | 11,723,099 | Yes |
| Ukraine | Kiev | 2,630,590 | Yes |
| Morocco | Casablanca | 4,487,289 | No |
| Poland | Warsaw | 1,877,052 | Yes |
| Uzbekistan | Tashkent | 3,998,612 | Yes |
| Mozambique | Maputo | 3,233,347 | Yes |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | 8,565,445 | Yes |
| Ghana | Accra | 5,667,516 | Yes |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | 7,024,249 | Yes |
| Peru | Lima | 10,693,197 | Yes |
| Madagascar | Antananarivo | 3,992,888 | Yes |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Abidjan | 6,745,225 | Yes |
| Cameroon | Yaoundé | 5,244,714 | Yes |
| Nepal | Kathmandu | 3,271,272 | Yes |
| Niger | Niamey | 1,425,659 | Yes |
| Venezuela | Caracas | 2,578,410 | Yes |
| Australia | Sydney | 4,175,163 | No |
| North Korea | Pyongyang | 2,903,840 | Yes |
| Syria | Damascus | 4,426,767 | Yes |
| Mali | Bamako | 4,378,826 | Yes |
| Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou | 3,262,758 | Yes |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte - Colombo | 5,264,063 | Yes |
| Taiwan | Taipei | 9,120,152 | Yes |
| Malawi | Lilongwe | 1,004,652 | Yes |
| Zambia | Lusaka | 3,629,896 | Yes |
| Chad | N'Djaména | 1,981,353 | Yes |
| Kazakhstan | Almaty | 2,418,762 | No |
| Somalia | Mogadishu | 4,518,627 | Yes |
| Chile | Santiago | 6,751,278 | Yes |
| Senegal | Dakar | 3,921,430 | Yes |
| Guatemala | Guatemala City | 2,861,001 | Yes |
| Romania | Bucharest | 1,903,867 | Yes |
| Netherlands | Amsterdam | 1,243,191 | Yes |
| Ecuador | Guayaquil | 3,187,080 | No |
| Cambodia | Phnom Penh | 2,264,539 | Yes |
| Zimbabwe | Harare | 2,163,148 | Yes |
| Guinea | Conacry | 2,764,344 | No |
| Benin | Cotonou | 2,549,482 | Yes |
| Rwanda | Kigali | 1,519,860 | Yes |
| Burundi | Bujumbura | 1,272,585 | Yes |
| Bolivia | La Paz | 2,042,056 | Yes |
| South Sudan | Nimule | 595,492 | No |
| Tunisia | Tunis | 2,478,891 | Yes |
| Haiti | Port-au-Prince | 1,871,875 | Yes |
| Belgium | Brussels | 1,406,939 | Yes |
| Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | 4,638,389 | Yes |
| Jordan | Amman | 6,482,673 | Yes |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai | 5,356,637 | No |
| Honduras | Tegucigalpa | 1,621,765 | Yes |
| Tajikistan | Dushanbe | 1,472,294 | Yes |
| Papua New Guinea | Port Moresby | 419,038 | Yes |
| Cuba | Havana | 1,587,893 | Yes |
| Sweden | Stockholm | 1,515,492 | Yes |
| Czechia | Prague | 1,196,162 | Yes |
| Azerbaijan | Baku | 1,986,444 | Yes |
| Portugal | Lisbon | 1,917,759 | Yes |
| Togo | Lomé | 2,458,627 | Yes |
| Greece | Athens | 3,103,680 | Yes |
| Israel | Tel Aviv | 2,676,126 | No |
| Hungary | Budapest | 1,604,489 | Yes |
| Austria | Vienna | 2,031,120 | Yes |
| Switzerland | Zurich | 692,416 | No |
| Sierra Leone | Freetown | 1,970,485 | Yes |
| Belarus | Minsk | 1,947,557 | Yes |
| Laos | Vientiane | 218,277 | Yes |
| Turkmenistan | Ashgabat | 1,238,407 | Yes |
| Libya | Tripoli | 1,250,748 | Yes |
| Kyrgyzstan | Bishkek | 1,356,428 | Yes |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 4,731,419 | Yes |
| Nicaragua | Managua | 1,322,626 | Yes |
| Paraguay | Asunción | 1,314,539 | Yes |
| Bulgaria | Sofia | 1,063,522 | Yes |
| Serbia | Belgrade | 1,118,314 | Yes |
| Congo | Brazzaville | 3,737,458 | Yes |
| El Salvador | San Salvador | 1,618,561 | Yes |
| Denmark | Copenhagen | 1,232,264 | Yes |
| Singapore | Singapore | 4,989,549 | Yes |
| Lebanon | Beirut | 1,807,846 | Yes |
| Liberia | Monrovia | 1,906,670 | Yes |
| Central African Republic | Bangui | 1,084,386 | Yes |
| Palestine | East Jerusalem | 1,124,887 | Yes |
| Oman | Muscat | 794,239 | Yes |
| Norway | Oslo | 878,052 | Yes |
| Finland | Helsingfors | 1,014,318 | Yes |
| Mauritania | Nouakchott | 1,604,131 | Yes |
| Slovakia | Bratislava | 287,496 | Yes |
| Ireland | Dublin | 1,150,185 | Yes |
| New Zealand | Auckland | 1,131,168 | No |
| Costa Rica | San José | 2,175,934 | Yes |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City | 4,315,600 | Yes |
| Panama | Panama City | 1,540,128 | Yes |
| Croatia | Zagreb | 621,645 | Yes |
| Georgia | Tbilisi | 907,997 | Yes |
| Eritrea | Massawa | 364,227 | No |
| Mongolia | Ulaanbaatar | 1,618,573 | Yes |
| Uruguay | Montevideo | 1,239,481 | Yes |
| Puerto Rico | San Juan | 676,237 | Yes |
| Qatar | Doha | 2,221,780 | Yes |
| Namibia | Windhoek | 419,202 | Yes |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Sarajevo | 253,339 | Yes |
| Moldova | Chișinău | 419,397 | Yes |
| Armenia | Yerevan | 1,082,723 | Yes |
| Gambia | Serrekunda | 1,176,523 | No |
| Jamaica | Kingston | 596,817 | Yes |
| Lithuania | Vilnius | 335,746 | Yes |
| Albania | Tirana | 830,338 | Yes |
| Gabon | Libreville | 932,029 | Yes |
| Botswana | Gaborone | 259,178 | Yes |
| Lesotho | Maseru | 289,259 | Yes |
| Guinea-Bissau | Bissau | 620,983 | Yes |
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | 246,354 | Yes |
| Equatorial Guinea | Bata | 884,258 | No |
| Latvia | Riga | 548,532 | Yes |
| North Macedonia | Skopje | 351,793 | Yes |
| Bahrain | Manama | 1,561,858 | Yes |
| Kosovo | Pristina | 214,902 | Yes |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain | 477,925 | Yes |
| Timor Leste | Dili | 348,262 | Yes |
| Cyprus | Nicosia | 335,206 | Yes |
| Estonia | Tallinn | 437,017 | Yes |
| Eswatini | Manzini | 94,803 | No |
| Mauritius | Port Louis | 547,783 | Yes |
| Djibouti | Djibouti | 747,695 | Yes |
| Fiji | Suva | 226,487 | Yes |
| Comoros | Fomboni | 243,616 | No |
| Reunion | Saint-Denis | 146,438 | Yes |
| Solomon Islands | Honiara | 132,824 | Yes |
| Guyana | Georgetown | 135,156 | Yes |
| Bhutan | Phuntsholing | 77,922 | No |
| Macao | Macau - Zhuhai | 2,214,314 | Yes |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg-Ville | 158,233 | Yes |
| Suriname | Paramaribo | 255,240 | Yes |
| Montenegro | Podgorica | 149,701 | Yes |
| Western Sahara | Dakhla | 164,087 | No |
| Malta | Valletta | 374,568 | Yes |
| Maldives | Malé | 237,815 | Yes |
| Cabo Verde | João Teves | 135,703 | No |
| Brunei | Bandar Seri Begawan | 72,541 | Yes |
| Belize | Belize City | 76,271 | No |
| Bahamas | Nassau | 250,305 | Yes |
| Iceland | Reykjavík | 220,459 | Yes |
| Mayotte | Mamoudzou | 124,113 | Yes |
| Vanuatu | Port Vila | 61,166 | Yes |
| Martinique | Fort-de-France | 73,967 | Yes |
| French Guiana | Cayenne | 77,211 | Yes |
| New Caledonia | Nouméa | 125,016 | Yes |
| French Polynesia | Papeete | 92,600 | Yes |
| Barbados | Bridgetown | 121,359 | Yes |
| Sao Tome and Principe | São Tomé | 150,852 | Yes |
| Curacao | Sapate | 110,433 | No |
| Jersey | Saint Helier | 53,320 | Yes |
| Gibraltar | Gibraltar | 89,487 | Yes |
| Monaco | Monaco | 57,024 | Yes |
Why these numbers differ from other lists
Cities have no single boundary. A city's municipality can be a small core (Paris, Manila) or a huge province (Chongqing); its metropolitan area depends on how each country draws commuting zones. Lists that mix those definitions compare different things.
In 2025 the UN switched to the Degree of Urbanisation, the method the UN Statistical Commission adopted for international comparison: a city is a contiguous area of at least 50,000 people living at 1,500 or more per km², mapped from satellite data. Every city on this page is measured that way, which is why Jakarta, Dhaka and Delhi rank above Tokyo, and why some figures look larger or smaller than official city counts.
For a country's own city figures, see its page: United States, China, India, or every country. For how urban each country is overall, see urban population by country.
Questions
What is the largest city in the world in 2026?
Jakarta, Indonesia, with about 42.5 million people on the UN's World Urbanization Prospects 2025. Tokyo, long ranked first, is now third with 33.3 million, and shrinking.
Why is Jakarta now bigger than Tokyo?
The UN changed how it measures cities in 2025. It now draws every city's boundary the same way, from satellite maps of built-up land and population density, instead of using each country's own definition. On that measure Greater Jakarta's dense suburbs count fully, while Tokyo’s population is ageing and starting to fall.
How many megacities are there?
34 cities have 10 million people or more in 2026: Jakarta, Dhaka, Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Cairo, Manila, Kolkata, Seoul, Karachi, Mumbai, São Paulo, Bangkok, Mexico City, Beijing, Lahore, Istanbul, Moscow, Ho Chi Minh City, Buenos Aires, Shenzhen, New York City, Bengaluru, Lagos, Osaka, Los Angeles, Luanda, Chennai, Kinshasa, Bogotá, Lima, London, Hajipur.
What will be the largest city in 2050?
Dhaka, with about 52.1 million on the UN projection, then Jakarta (51.8 million), Shanghai (34.9 million), Delhi (33.9 million).
What is the largest city in Asia?
Jakarta, Indonesia, with about 42.5 million people in 2026.
What is the largest city in Africa?
Cairo, Egypt, with about 25.9 million people in 2026.
What is the largest city in Europe?
Moscow, Russia, with about 14.6 million people in 2026.
What is the largest city in North America?
Mexico City, Mexico, with about 17.8 million people in 2026.
What is the largest city in South America?
São Paulo, Brazil, with about 19 million people in 2026.
What is the largest city in Oceania?
Sydney, Australia, with about 4.2 million people in 2026.
Source
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025). World Urbanization Prospects 2025. File 21, cities by the Degree of Urbanisation. Licence CC BY 3.0 IGO. 237 countries and areas in all; countries without a city of 50,000 people are not listed.