Because population lists are outdated even before they can be published, the following estimates have been rounded for easier comparison.
1. Tokyo, Japan – 37,036,000
Global finance, tech, and culture hub.
2. Delhi, India – 34,666,000
India’s capital territory and administrative center.
3. Shanghai, China – 30,482,000
Yangtze Delta powerhouse and major port.
4. Dhaka, Bangladesh – 24,653,000
Extremely dense capital on the Buriganga.
5. Cairo, Egypt – 23,074,000
Historic Nile metropolis and regional hub.
6. São Paulo, Brazil – 22,990,000
Brazil’s largest city and economic engine.
7. Mexico City, Mexico – 22,752,000
High-altitude capital in the Valley of Mexico.
8. Beijing, China – 22,596,000
Political and cultural center of China.
9. Mumbai, India – 22,089,000
India’s financial and entertainment capital.
10. Osaka, Japan – 18,922,000
Keihanshin core alongside Kobe and Kyoto.
11. Chongqing, China – 18,171,000
Vast inland municipality on the Yangtze.
12. Karachi, Pakistan – 18,077,000
Arabian Sea port and industrial center.
13. Kinshasa, DR Congo – 17,779,000
Congo River capital and Francophone Africa’s largest city.
14. Lagos, Nigeria – 17,156,000
West Africa’s commercial hub.
15. Istanbul, Türkiye – 16,237,000
Transcontinental city spanning the Bosphorus.
16. Kolkata, India – 15,845,000
Eastern India’s cultural capital.
17. Buenos Aires, Argentina – 15,752,000
Capital beside the Río de la Plata.
18. Manila, Philippines – 15,231,000
Densely populated bayside capital.
19. Guangzhou, China – 14,879,000
Pearl River Delta commercial hub.
20. Lahore, Pakistan – 14,826,000
Punjab’s cultural center on the Ravi.
21. Tianjin, China – 14,704,000
Northern port at the Hai estuary.
22. Bengaluru (Bangalore), India – 14,395,000
India’s technology and startup hub.
23. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 13,923,000
Guanabara Bay metropolis.
24. Shenzhen, China – 13,545,000
High-tech city bordering Hong Kong.
25. Moscow, Russia – 12,737,000
Capital on the Moskva River.
26. Chennai, India – 12,336,000
Bay of Bengal industrial and IT center.
27. Bogotá, Colombia – 11,796,000
Andean plateau capital.
28. Jakarta, Indonesia – 11,634,000
Capital on Java’s northwest coast.
29. Lima, Peru – 11,517,000
Coastal capital including Callao.
30. Bangkok, Thailand – 11,392,000
Tourism and transport hub on the Chao Phraya.
31. Paris, France – 11,347,000
Île-de-France urban core along the Seine.
32. Hyderabad, India – 11,338,000
Tech and pharma center of Telangana.
33. Nanjing, China – 10,175,000
Historic capital on the Yangtze.
34. Luanda, Angola – 10,028,000
Rapidly growing Atlantic capital.
35. Seoul, South Korea – 10,026,000
Capital on the Han River.
36. Chengdu, China – 9,999,000
Western China’s tech and logistics hub.
37. London, United Kingdom – 9,841,000
Global finance and culture capital.
38. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – 9,816,000
Southern Vietnam’s commercial center.
39. Tehran, Iran – 9,730,000
Capital at the foot of the Alborz.
40. Nagoya, Japan – 9,535,000
Chūkyō industrial heartland.
41. Xi’an, China – 9,222,000
Shaanxi capital and transport hub.
42. Ahmedabad, India – 9,062,000
Gujarat’s largest urban economy.
43. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 9,000,000
Klang Valley capital.
44. Wuhan, China – 8,986,000
Yangtze–Han confluence city.
45. Suzhou, China – 8,593,000
Canal city and manufacturing hub.
46. Hangzhou, China – 8,591,000
E-commerce and tech center by West Lake.
47. Surat, India – 8,582,000
Diamond-polishing and textile powerhouse.
48. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – 8,562,000
Indian Ocean port and former capital.
49. Baghdad, Iraq – 8,141,000
Historic city on the Tigris.
50. Shenyang, China – 7,974,000
Liaoning industrial and transport center.
51. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 7,953,000
Modern desert capital and financial hub.
52. New York City, United States – 7,937,000
Global finance, culture, and media powerhouse.
53. Foshan, China – 7,817,000
Manufacturing center in Guangdong province.
54. Dongguan, China – 7,773,000
Export-oriented factory city in the Pearl River Delta.
55. Hong Kong, China – 7,769,000
Global finance hub and maritime gateway.
56. Pune, India – 7,526,000
Educational and IT center in Maharashtra.
57. Harbin, China – 7,067,000
Northeastern city famed for its ice festival.
58. Santiago, Chile – 6,999,000
Andean valley capital and cultural center.
59. Madrid, Spain – 6,811,000
Iberian capital and cultural powerhouse.
60. Khartoum, Sudan – 6,754,000
City at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile.
61. Toronto, Canada – 6,491,000
Canada’s largest city and financial hub.
62. Johannesburg (Metro), South Africa – 6,445,000
Economic heart of Gauteng province.
63. Belo Horizonte, Brazil – 6,352,000
Industrial hub in Minas Gerais.
64. Dalian, China – 6,347,000
Port and shipbuilding city on the Bohai Sea.
65. Qingdao, China – 6,218,000
Shandong port known for beer and trade.
66. Singapore, Singapore – 6,157,000
Island city-state and global trade hub.
67. Zhengzhou, China – 6,156,000
Key rail and logistics hub in Henan province.
68. Jinan, China – 6,066,000
Shandong capital famed for its springs.
69. Abidjan, Ivory Coast – 6,057,000
West Africa’s economic capital on the Ébrié Lagoon.
70. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – 5,957,000
Highland capital and African Union headquarters.
71. Yangon, Myanmar – 5,813,000
Former capital with colonial architecture and trade arteries.
72. Alexandria, Egypt – 5,086,000
Historic Mediterranean port city.
73. Nairobi, Kenya – 5,157,000
East Africa’s business and diplomatic hub.
74. Barcelona, Spain – 5,733,000
Mediterranean city renowned for Gaudí and gastronomy.
75. Chittagong, Bangladesh – 5,654,000
Major port and export city.
76. Hanoi, Vietnam – 5,602,000
Capital city with French colonial charm.
77. Saint Petersburg, Russia – 5,383,000
Cultural capital on the Neva River.
78. Guadalajara, Mexico – 5,023,000
Cultural and tech hub of western Mexico.
79. Philadelphia, United States – 5,695,000
Historic city where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
80. Kabul, Afghanistan – 5,531,000
Mountain-ringed capital of Afghanistan.
81. Montreal, Canada – 5,465,000
Quebec’s multicultural cultural and economic center.
82. Monterrey, Mexico – 5,388,000
Industrial and business city in the north.
83. Pyongyang, North Korea – 5,369,000
Planned capital on the Taedong River.
84. Busan, South Korea – 5,227,000
Major port city and beach destination.
85. Medellín, Colombia – 5,309,000
Mountain city famed for innovation and transformation.
86. Pretoria–Witwatersrand, South Africa – 5,288,000
Industrial and administrative cluster around Pretoria.
87. Recife, Brazil – 5,248,000
Coastal city known as the “Venice of Brazil.”
88. Brasília, Brazil – 5,246,000
Planned modernist capital in the Brazilian highlands.
89. Accra, Ghana – 5,236,000
Vibrant coastal capital of Ghana.
90. Fukuoka, Japan – 5,551,000
Kyushu’s largest metropolis with livability acclaim.
91. Cape Town, South Africa – 4,800,000
Tourist capital beneath Table Mountain.
92. Casablanca, Morocco – 4,800,000
Morocco’s largest city and Atlantic port.
93. Mashhad, Iran – 4,900,000
Pilgrimage city around the Imam Reza shrine.
The above is subject to change.
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