The Largest Cities In The World

Have you ever wondered what makes a city the largest in the world, or what separates a true metropolis from an ordinary city or capital? Is it a million residents? Two? Five? Ten?

AdmiGram.com set out to answer that question as accurately as possible — though it’s worth noting upfront that pinning down exact numbers is harder than it sounds, since no one can measure every city’s population at the same moment.

Today, statisticians rely on census data (often collected only once every 10–15 years) cross-referenced with mobile subscriber counts.

This approach gives the most reliable estimate of how many people actually live within a city’s boundaries, but it’s still an estimate, not an exact count — which is why population figures for the same city can vary by several million depending on the source.

The Largest Cities in the World

São Paulo, Brazil

Urban population: around 12 million

São Paulo is Brazil’s largest metropolis, located in the country’s southeast. It’s the largest Portuguese-speaking city in the world — for comparison, all of Portugal, the homeland of the city’s founders, has roughly half as many people as the greater São Paulo area. Thanks to its dynamism and business-driven atmosphere, São Paulo is sometimes nicknamed “the Chicago of Latin America.”

Mumbai, India

Urban population: around 20 million

Mumbai is India’s financial capital. It’s home to the busiest port on the Indian Ocean, skyscrapers housing major global corporations, and the heart of the Bollywood film industry. Alongside its modern face, Mumbai holds onto striking historical landmarks, including the Gateway of India and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Colaba.

Lagos, Nigeria

Urban population: around 17 million

Lagos is one of Africa’s largest, most vibrant, and most fascinating cities — home to a highly multinational population and countless major companies, financial institutions, and startups. It’s also known for heavy traffic, particularly during rush hour, largely because the city is made up of many districts spread far apart and linked mainly by highways.

Moscow, Russia

Urban population: around 13 million

Moscow blends centuries of history with cutting-edge modern architecture. It’s sometimes called “a country within a country” for the scale of its infrastructure: the city is served by five airports, nine train stations, and three river ports, and functions as the intellectual, financial, and economic hub of the entire nation.

New York City, United States

Urban population: around 8.5 million (city proper); over 20 million (metro area)

New York City is a breathtaking metropolis that never sleeps — a place so full of energy that its nights can feel as alive as its days. It stands as one of the world’s leading financial capitals, home to major stock exchanges, banking institutions, and global corporations, and it offers an unmatched range of cuisine, music, art, and culture around the clock.

Karachi, Pakistan

Urban population: around 17 million

Two hundred years ago, Pakistan’s largest city was little more than a fishing village. Today, Karachi is one of the world’s biggest metropolises and Pakistan’s commercial heart, with a skyline that now includes a growing number of high-rises alongside older, denser neighborhoods — the product of rapid, often uneven urban growth.

Delhi, India

Urban population: around 32 million (metro area)

Delhi’s business districts are developing rapidly, fueled by foreign investment, modern infrastructure, and new commercial centers — a sharp contrast to the older parts of the city. Delhi also regularly ranks among the most polluted major cities in the world, a challenge the city continues to grapple with.

Beijing, China

Urban population: around 22 million

Beijing, China’s capital, embodies a striking contrast between ancient history and modern achievement. It’s among the most beautiful cities in the world in terms of cultural monuments, green space, and skyline density — a city that, despite its challenges, remains one of the most compelling places to live today.

Shanghai, China

Urban population: around 25–30 million (estimates vary by source)

Shanghai is one of the largest and fastest-developing cities in the world, blending energy, history, and modernity. Once a fishing village, it has grown into one of Asia’s wealthiest and most dynamic cities, known for technological innovation and rich cultural heritage, and ranks among the world’s leading concentrations of capital.

Tokyo, Japan

Urban population: around 37 million (Greater Tokyo Area)

Tokyo is the world’s largest metropolitan area — a city that never stops surprising its visitors. It’s a place where ancient traditions endure alongside constant modern reinvention, with a distinctive pace of life and labyrinthine districts packed with shops, cafés, and offices. It’s a true city of the future, one that never seems to pause.

image on top: Jerry Wang / Unsplash