Mega cities – the biggest cities all over the world

They are the largest cities in the world, have several million people and an amazing cultural mixture within their broad levels of population. Governments and politics aren’t comparable with those of a small town somewhere in the meadowy countryside. But duties and responsibilities are also immense: Infrastructure and environment are on top of the list of problems each megacity faces.The Asian continent is the obvious leader of our ranking of worldwide megacities. But Asia also provides the largest urban agglomerations worldwide, which consist of a bundle of politically separated cities, such as Tokyo-Yokohama, New York, Manila or Delhi.The biggest US-city is New York City, which comes 31st in the worldwide ranking.Our comparison lists the populations of the actual cities (no summarized metropolitan areas or districts). See also our ranking of the world’s capital cities

What is a megacity?

A megacity is, according to the definition of the United Nations, a city with more than 10 million inhabitants. Elsewhere, you can find thresholds between five and eight million. To make matters worse, a city is often confused with a metropolitan area. For example, the area known as “Metro Manila” has about 13 million inhabitants and is often referred to as a megacity. But the city of Manila itself has less than two million inhabitants.

Our ranking lists the population of the actual cities with more than five million inhabitants, so no combined metropolitan regions or higher-level government districts.

Megacities in China

The statistics above show the official numbers. In China, in particular, these may seem a little unfair, as large cities are disproportionately “constructed” there. Normally, cities grow and shrink through natural urbanization. But often, especially in China, political decisions are used to combine one or more existing cities that used to coexist separately. This leads to a common municipal law structure with unified administration. From a political point of view, this is indeed a single city.

The Chinese government is currently planning to amalgamate the largest megacity Shanghai with eight surrounding cities and to create the planned city of Jing-Jin-Ji with 130 million inhabitants. Another megacity with a planned population of 40 million people is slated to be built around 2030 at the Pearl River Delta north of Hong Kong around the present cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou. This corresponds to the population of the entire state of California.

According to current plans, there will be over 200 planned cities with a population of more than one million people throughout the country by 2025, eight of them with more than 10 million.

Data as CSV file

A list of all cities with more than one million inhabitants can also be obtained as a CSV file in the

A megacity is, according to the definition of the United Nations, a city with more than 10 million inhabitants. Elsewhere, you can find thresholds between five and eight million. To make matters worse, a city is often confused with a metropolitan area. For example, the area known as “Metro Manila” has about 13 million inhabitants and is often referred to as a megacity. But the city of Manila itself has less than two million inhabitants.Our ranking lists the population of the actual cities with more than five million inhabitants, so no combined metropolitan regions or higher-level government districts.The statistics above show the official numbers. In China, in particular, these may seem a little unfair, as large cities are disproportionately “constructed” there. Normally, cities grow and shrink through natural urbanization. But often, especially in China, political decisions are used to combine one or more existing cities that used to coexist separately. This leads to a common municipal law structure with unified administration. From a political point of view, this is indeed a single city.The Chinese government is currently planning to amalgamate the largest megacity Shanghai with eight surrounding cities and to create the planned city of Jing-Jin-Ji with 130 million inhabitants. Another megacity with a planned population of 40 million people is slated to be built around 2030 at the Pearl River Delta north of Hong Kong around the present cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou. This corresponds to the population of the entire state of California.According to current plans, there will be over 200 planned cities with a population of more than one million people throughout the country by 2025, eight of them with more than 10 million.A list of all cities with more than one million inhabitants can also be obtained as a CSV file in the download area