Largest Cities in the World (2022)

This content was last updated on 22.05.2023 00:59

Migration from rural areas to cities continues to increase in the 21st century. With the shift from agriculture to industrial and service-based economies, expectations for better job opportunities and higher wages are driving mass movements to cities. This situation causes an increase in human population and urbanization in some cities. Today, more than half of the world's population lives in cities, and it is clear that more and more people will find themselves in cities over the years. Today, one in five people worldwide lives in a city with a population of more than 1 million people.

The United Nations defines cities with a population of more than 10 million as megacities. This means that all 25 of the world's most populated cities are megacities. So, which are the most populated cities in the world? In this article, we have compiled the world's most populous cities list for you.

The Most Populated City in the World

As of 2022, the most populated city in the world is Tokyo.

While Tokyo is the most populous city in the world with a population of 39 million today, this number is on a decreasing trend due to declining birth rates and aging population.

On the other hand, the cities of India and China seem to continue to grow rapidly in the coming years. Delhi's population is expected to surpass Tokyo's by 2028.

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The Most Populated Cities in the World

Below, we have compiled a list of the top 25 largest cities in the world by population by 2022 for you.

While Tokyo is the largest city globally with a combined population of over 39 million, the majority of the world's most populous cities are located in the two most populous countries, China and India.

Among them are 6 cities from China. These; Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Tianjin and Guangzhou, Shenzhen.

There are 4 cities in India. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bangalore.

The largest city in the Americas is Sao Paulo, Brazil, with a population of 22 million. It is followed by Mexico City from Mexico and Buenos Aires from Argentina.

Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, ranks 13th in the list of the world's most populated cities.