The Most Populous Cities in the World 2026
As of 2026, the world’s most populous cities: Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Dhaka, Cairo, and other metropolises with their population data and city profiles.
According to data from the United Nations and various research institutions for the year 2026, the world population has surpassed 8 billion, with some cities at the center of this growth. Global migration, urbanization, and economic development are rapidly increasing the populations of metropolitan areas. Here are the most populous cities in the world as of 2026:
Tokyo, with approximately 36.9 million people, is the most populous urban area in the world. Japan’s capital stands out with its advanced infrastructure, high living standards, and financial strength. However, issues such as traffic congestion, housing costs, and earthquake risks also remain.
Delhi, the capital of India, ranks second with a population of 35.5 million. In addition to its historical and cultural richness, the city struggles with severe air pollution and infrastructure pressure. Shanghai, China’s largest city, is third with 31 million inhabitants. As the country’s trade and financial hub, it also hosts one of the busiest ports in the world.
The World’s Most Populous Cities
| Rank | City | Country | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo | Japan | 36,954,000 |
| 2 | Delhi | India | 35,518,000 |
| 3 | Shanghai | China | 31,050,000 |
| 4 | Dhaka | Bangladesh | 25,359,000 |
| 5 | Cairo | Egypt | 23,535,000 |
| 6 | Sao Paulo | Brazil | 23,169,000 |
| 7 | Mexico City | Mexico | 23,017,000 |
| 8 | Beijing | China | 22,983,000 |
| 9 | Mumbai | India | 22,539,000 |
| 10 | New York City | United States | 19,293,000 |
| 11 | Osaka | Japan | 18,874,000 |
| 12 | Kinshasa | Republic of Congo | 18,553,000 |
| 13 | Chongqing | China | 18,532,000 |
| 14 | Karachi | Pakistan | 18,520,000 |
| 15 | Lagos | Nigeria | 17,804,000 |
| 16 | Istanbul | Turkey | 16,419,000 |
| 17 | Calcutta | India | 16,151,000 |
| 18 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | 15,891,000 |
| 19 | Manila | Philippines | 15,532,000 |
| 20 | Lahore | Pakistan | 15,238,000 |
| 21 | Guangzhou, Guangdong | China | 15,148,000 |
| 22 | Tianjin | China | 14,933,000 |
| 23 | Bangalore | India | 14,772,000 |
| 24 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 14,023,000 |
| 25 | Shenzhen | China | 13,770,000 |
| 26 | Los Angeles | United States | 12,770,000 |
| 27 | Moscow | Russia | 12,757,000 |
| 28 | Madras | India | 12,623,000 |
| 29 | Bogota | Colombia | 11,922,000 |
| 30 | Jakarta | Indonesia | 11,840,000 |
| 31 | Lima | Peru | 11,671,000 |
| 32 | Hyderabad | India | 11,608,000 |
| 33 | Bangkok | Thailand | 11,544,000 |
| 34 | Paris | France | 11,418,000 |
| 35 | Luanda | Angola | 10,421,000 |
| 36 | Nanjing, Jiangsu | China | 10,380,000 |
| 37 | Chengdu | China | 10,163,000 |
| 38 | Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 10,066,000 |
| 39 | Seoul | South Korea | 10,050,000 |
| 40 | Tehran | Iran | 9,840,000 |
| 41 | Nagoya | Japan | 9,512,000 |
| 42 | Xian, Shaanxi | China | 9,410,000 |
| 43 | Ahmadabad | India | 9,273,000 |
| 44 | Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 9,176,000 |
| 45 | Wuhan | China | 9,122,000 |
| 46 | Chicago | United States | 9,109,000 |
| 47 | Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | 8,977,000 |
| 48 | Surat | India | 8,821,000 |
| 49 | Suzhou, Jiangsu | China | 8,802,000 |
| 50 | Hangzhou | China | 8,750,000 |
| 51 | Baghdad | Iraq | 8,370,000 |
| 52 | Shenyang | China | 8,111,000 |
| 53 | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | 8,080,000 |
| 54 | Foshan | China | 7,931,000 |
| 55 | Dongguan | China | 7,876,000 |
| 56 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 7,813,000 |
| 57 | Poona | India | 7,706,000 |
| 58 | Haerbin | China | 7,189,000 |
| 59 | Santiago | Chile | 7,049,000 |
| 60 | Khartoum | Sudan | 6,981,000 |
| 61 | Houston | United States | 6,971,000 |
| 62 | Madrid | Spain | 6,834,000 |
| 63 | Dallas-Fort Worth | United States | 6,805,000 |
| 64 | Johannesburg | South Africa | 6,559,000 |
| 65 | Toronto | Canada | 6,551,000 |
| 66 | Dalian | China | 6,467,000 |
| 67 | Miami | United States | 6,429,000 |
| 68 | Belo Horizonte | Brazil | 6,402,000 |
| 69 | Atlanta | United States | 6,345,000 |
| 70 | Qingdao | China | 6,325,000 |
| 71 | Zhengzhou | China | 6,283,000 |
| 72 | Abidjan | Cote dIvoire | 6,256,000 |
| 73 | Addis Ababa | Ethiopia | 6,219,000 |
| 74 | Singapore | Singapore | 6,196,000 |
| 75 | Jinan, Shandong | China | 6,181,000 |
| 76 | Nairobi | Kenya | 6,002,000 |
| 77 | Yangon | Myanmar | 5,921,000 |
| 78 | Alexandria | Egypt | 5,921,000 |
| 79 | Philadelphia | United States | 5,907,000 |
| 80 | Chittagong | Bangladesh | 5,798,000 |
| 81 | Ha Noi | Vietnam | 5,765,000 |
| 82 | Barcelona | Spain | 5,752,000 |
| 83 | Guadalajara | Mexico | 5,656,000 |
| 84 | Washington DC | United States | 5,654,000 |
| 85 | Ankara | Turkey | 5,619,000 |
| 86 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | 5,609,000 |
| 87 | Melbourne | Australia | 5,465,000 |
| 88 | Kitakyushu-Fukuoka | Japan | 5,453,000 |
| 89 | Monterrey | Mexico | 5,347,000 |
| 90 | Sydney | Australia | 5,313,000 |
| 91 | Wulumqi | China | 5,244,000 |
| 92 | Changsha | China | 5,222,000 |
| 93 | Cape Town | South Africa | 5,147,000 |
| 94 | Jiddah | Saudi Arabia | 5,098,000 |
| 95 | Kunming | China | 5,044,000 |
| 96 | Brasilia | Brazil | 5,041,000 |
| 97 | Kabul | Afghanistan | 5,034,000 |
| 98 | Yaounde | Cameroon | 5,027,000 |
| 99 | Changchun | China | 4,975,000 |
| 100 | Hefei | China | 4,924,000 |
| 101 | Phoenix | United States | 4,887,000 |
| 102 | Ningbo | China | 4,869,000 |
| 103 | Shantou | China | 4,816,000 |
| 104 | Kano | Nigeria | 4,811,000 |
| 105 | Tel Aviv-Jaffa | Israel | 4,640,000 |
| 106 | Shijiazhuang | China | 4,612,000 |
| 107 | Xinbei | Taiwan | 4,591,000 |
| 108 | Calicut | India | 4,520,000 |
| 109 | Jaipur | India | 4,515,000 |
| 110 | Douala | Cameroon | 4,493,000 |
| 111 | Kampala | Uganda | 4,491,000 |
| 112 | Malappuram | India | 4,488,000 |
| 113 | Nanning | China | 4,468,000 |
| 114 | Boston | United States | 4,428,000 |
| 115 | Montreal | Canada | 4,415,000 |
| 116 | Antananarivo | Madagascar | 4,413,000 |
| 117 | Abuja | Nigeria | 4,392,000 |
| 118 | Recife | Brazil | 4,381,000 |
| 119 | Taiyuan, Shanxi | China | 4,380,000 |
| 120 | Rome | Italy | 4,361,000 |
| 121 | Ekurhuleni | South Africa | 4,332,000 |
| 122 | Fortaleza | Brazil | 4,320,000 |
| 123 | Porto Alegre | Brazil | 4,299,000 |
| 124 | Ibadan | Nigeria | 4,293,000 |
| 125 | Changzhou, Jiangsu | China | 4,265,000 |
| 126 | Lucknow | India | 4,229,000 |
| 127 | Medellin | Colombia | 4,208,000 |
| 128 | Nanchang | China | 4,184,000 |
| 129 | Wenzhou | China | 4,170,000 |
| 130 | Kumasi | Ghana | 4,167,000 |
| 131 | Xiamen | China | 4,145,000 |
| 132 | Fuzhou, Fujian | China | 4,142,000 |
| 133 | Tangshan, Hebei | China | 4,112,000 |
| 134 | Casablanca | Morocco | 4,077,000 |
| 135 | Salvador | Brazil | 4,063,000 |
| 136 | Bekasi | Indonesia | 4,016,000 |
| 137 | Faisalabad | Pakistan | 3,989,000 |
| 138 | Port Harcourt | Nigeria | 3,952,000 |
| 139 | Curitiba | Brazil | 3,923,000 |
| 140 | Thrissur | India | 3,828,000 |
| 141 | Guiyang | China | 3,806,000 |
| 142 | Dakar | Senegal | 3,784,000 |
| 143 | Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 3,706,000 |
| 144 | Cochin | India | 3,699,000 |
| 145 | Ouagadougou | Burkina Faso | 3,689,000 |
| 146 | Asuncion | Paraguay | 3,686,000 |
| 147 | Sanaa | Yemen | 3,651,000 |
| 148 | Lusaka | Zambia | 3,621,000 |
| 149 | Wuxi, Jiangsu | China | 3,617,000 |
| 150 | Seattle | United States | 3,613,000 |
As of 2026, the world’s most populous cities are not only defined by their populations but also by their economic, environmental, and social dynamics, placing them at the center of the global agenda. These cities are critically important for sustainable development and smart city planning.
