Asian and African countries remain the main engine of population growth on the planet. Europe, on the other hand, is suffering a severe slowdown in its population. More specifically, the largest cities are mainly in China, India and Japan.

In America, the largest cities concentrate in the United States, Mexico and Brazil.

Defining and enumerating the most populated cities in the world has always been the subject of debate. The distinction of a city is not always the same and may differ depending on the country and the source. In addition, metropolitan areas, as well as cities that surround a large city are sometimes included and sometimes not.

The most populated cities in the world

Rating Sources: [1] World Population Review [2] Worldatlas

1. Tokyo (Japan) – 37.3 million inhabitants

Tokyo is regarded as the de facto capital of Japan. It is also one of the most developed and tourist in the country, in addition to the political, economic and cultural center of the region.

The city of Tokyo has a population of 37.3 million inhabitants, which makes it the most populous city on the planet. Tokyo is divided into 23 neighborhoods, 26 cities, a subdivided district, a village and four sub-prefectures.

Given the high demand for housing in the city, at the beginning of the 21st century, small traditional houses began to be demolished to give rise to residential buildings with more height and capacity. Despite this, demand remained higher than supply and many inhabitants moved around the city.

Due to the demographic displacement towards the suburbs, the population density of the city decreased to 6 thousand people per square kilometer. During much of the nineteenth century, the population density of the city reached 14 thousand inhabitants per square kilometer.

2. New Delhi (India) – 30.2 million inhabitants

New Delhi is the capital of the Republic of India and the seat of the executive, legislative and judicial power of the national government. The city has more than 30 million inhabitants.

3. Shanghai (China) – 27 million inhabitants

Shanghai is located east of the People’s Republic of China. Today, it is one of the most prosperous and developed cities in the world. It currently has more than 27 million inhabitants.

4. São Paulo (Brazil) – 22 million inhabitants

According to studies by various consultants such as America Economía and Brookings, Sao Paulo is the richest city in Latin America. With a population of 22 million inhabitants, Sao Paulo is also the most populous city in the United States.

5. Mexico City (Mexico) – 21.7 million inhabitants

Mexico City – the capital of Mexico – is the most populous city in Latin America. The city has experienced great population growth in recent years and already has a population of 21.7 million inhabitants.

See below the list of the most populous cities of the world according to World Population Review;

List of the 30 most populated cities in the world

The figures include the population of the metropolitan areas.

	City	Country	Population (in millions)
1.	Tokyo	Japan	37.3
2.	New Delhi	India	30.2
3.	Shanghai	China	27
4.	São Paulo	Brazil	22
5.	Mexico City	Mexico	21.7
6.	Dhaka	Bangladesh	21
7.	Cairo	Egypt	20.9
8.	Peking	China	20.4
9.	Bombay	India	20.2
10.	Osaka	Japan	19.1
11.	Karachi	Pakistan	16
12.	Chongqing	China	15.8
13.	Istanbul	Turkey	15.2
14.	Buenos Aires	Argentina	15.1
15.	Calcutta	India	14.8
16.	Lagos	Nigeria	14.3
17.	Kinsasa	Democratic Republic of Congo	14.2
18.	Manila	Philippines	13.9
19.	Tianjin	China	13.5
20.	Rio de Janeiro	Brazil	13.4
21.	Canton	China	13.3
22.	Lahore	Pakistan	12.6
23.	Moscow	Russia	12.5
24.	Shenzhen	China	12.3
25.	Bangalore	India	12.3
26.	Paris	France	11
27.	Chennai	India	10.9
28.	Jakarta	Indonesia	10.7
29.	Lima	Peru	10.4
30.	Bangkok	Thailand	10.5

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The 30 Most Populated Cities In The World