The largest cities in the world by
land area, population and density

6 January 2007: With the merger of core cities, suburbs and satellite towns into large metropolitan areas, the very largest cities in the world have in fact become megacities, i.e. cities with more than 10 million people. The area comprising Tokyo and Yokohama is, with a population of between 33 and 35 million, the world’s largest megacity. Other cities among the world’s top five megacities are Mexico City, New York Metro, Sao Paulo and Mumbai.

2018 UPDATE: 300 LARGEST CITIES IN THE WORLD

The list of the world’s largest cities, by land area, is headed by New York Metro, with a total area of 8,700 square kilometres. Tokyo/Yokohama is in second place with almost 7,000 square kilometres, followed by ten cities from the US. Mumbai, with a population density of almost 30,000 people per square kilometre, is the world’s most crowded city. Kolkata (Calcutta), Karachi and Lagos follow behind. The tables 'Largest cities by land area, population and density' rank cities with the largest land areas by population, density and, of course, land area. The largest cities and urban areas, irrespective of land area, are ranked in the section 'Urban'.

THE LARGEST CITIES IN THE WORLD AND THEIR MAYORS 2010
Introduction
Cities by size: 1 to 150 | 151 to 300 | 301 to 450 | 451 to 600 |
Cities in alphabetical order: A to D | E to L | M to R | S to Z |
Cities by countries: A to D | E to L | M to R | S to Z |

LARGEST CITIES RANKED BY LAND AREA, POPULATION AND DENSITY
Introduction & methodology
Land area: Cities ranked 1 to 125 | Cities ranked 126 to 250 |
Population: Cities ranked 1 to 125 | Cities ranked 126 to 250 |
Population density: Cities ranked 1 to 125 | Cities ranked 126 to 250 |

URBAN AND METRO AREAS
Largest urban and metropolitan areas: In 2006 | In 2020 | Fastest growing | Alphabetical index |

CITIES
Core cities: Largest core cities | Capital cities |

RICHEST CITIES BY GDP
Introduction | 150 richest cities in 2005 | 150 richest cities in 2020 | Europe's richest cities |

RICHEST CITIES BY PERSONAL EARNINGS
70 richest cities

City Mayors’ statistical pages present population figures for cities, metropolitan areas and urban areas. The section ‘The world’s largest cities’ provides population figures for cities with legally defined boundaries, with recognised urban status and with its own local government. The figures do not take into account suburban settlements or other heavily populated areas outside city boundaries.

The tables ‘The world’s largest urban areas in 2006 and 2020’ provide population figures for cities and their surrounding urban areas. Most such agglomerations are economically, socially and culturally dominated by one city at their centre. Occasionally however, several cities of similar status and their suburbs make up an urban area. The 2006 population figures are based on censuses carried out between 2000 and 2005 and adjusted to take account of average annual population changes.

City Mayors’ ‘Land area, Population and Density’ tables rank the 250 largest, by land area, cities and metropolitan as well as urban areas. The data was mostly collected between 2000 and 2005, however, in some cases figures from the late 1990s were used. The data was provided by Demographia who sourced much of the material from the United Nation and national statistical offices.

Definitions
Supplied by Demographia
An urban area (urbanized area agglomeration or urban centre) is a continuously built up landmass of urban development. National census authorities in Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States designate urban areas. Except in Australia, the authorities use a minimum urban density definition of 400 persons per square kilometer (or the nearly identical 1,000 per square mile in the United States).

International urban areas
Urban areas are confined to a single nation, unless there is freedom of movement (including labor) between the adjacent nations. Currently, this condition is met only between some continental nations of the European Union. For example, the Lille urban area is in both France and Belgium yet is considered a single urban area because there is freedom of labor movement without trade, immigration or customs barriers. Alternatively, Geneva (Switzerland)/Annemasse (France), Detroit/Windsor and San Diego/Tijuana are not considered single urban areas because there is not freedom of movement.

Metropolitan Area
An urban area is different from a metropolitan area. A metropolitan area is a labor market and includes substantial rural (non-urban) territory or area of discontinuous urban development (beyond the developed urban fringe). Urban areas draw employees from a much larger area than the area of continuous development.

Municipality (City or Commune)
An urban area is different from a municipality (also often called a city). Municipalities have political boundaries that usually include only a part of the urban area. For example, the city of Seoul represents barely one-half of the population of the Seoul urban area, which extends well beyond the municipality. On the other hand, a municipality may be considerably larger than an urban area and therefore contain considerable non-urban (or rural) territory. Zaragoza, Spain is an example. A large part of the municipality of Mumbai is rural, composed of the Rajiv Ghandi National Park. The large cities of China extend far beyond the area of continuous urbanization (Beijing, Chongquing, Tianjin and Shanghai). Chongquing has a land area similar to that of Austria.

Note
Students of population statistics please note that City Mayors collects raw data from numerous sources. While these sources are the most reliable available, they do not always apply the same definitions to cities, metropolitan and urban areas. Our population figures for 2006 and 2020 assume annual growth/decline rates based on past growth/decline and forecasts by international and national statistics organisations. The tables 'Largest cities by land area, population and density' rank cities with the largest land areas by population, density and, of course, land area. The largest cities and urban areas, irrespective of land area, are ranked in the section 'Urban'.