Top 100 most biggest cities in the world năm 2024

This article lists the largest human settlements in the world (by population) over time, as estimated by historians, from 7000 BC when the largest human settlement was a proto-city in the Ancient Near East with a population of about 1,000–2,000 people, to the year 2000 when the largest human settlement was Tokyo with 26 million. Alexandria, Rome, or Baghdad may have been the first city to have 1,000,000 people, as early as 100 BC or as late as 925 AD. Later cities that might have reached 1 million include Chang'an, Kaifeng, Hangzhou, Jinling, Beijing, Edo. There is wide agreement that London was the first city to reach 2 million, New York was the first to reach 10 million and Tokyo was the first to reach 20 million.

The Greater Tokyo Area has been the most populous metropolitan area in the world since 1955, with more than 37.393 million residents as of 2020. Jakarta is expected to overtake Tokyo by 2030, partly due to Tokyo's shrinking population.

As disagreements between the sources show, any of the pre-19th century figures are uncertain, especially in ancient times. Estimating population sizes before were conducted is a difficult task.

List of the most populous human settlements over time[edit]

The following table lists the most populous human settlements by estimated population at specified points in history according to three sources: Ian Morris, George Modelski and Tertius Chandler. City names are in bold where all three sources agree. It shows the evolution of the largest settlement from proto-city to city to urban area to metropolitan area.

Year Morris (2010) Modelski (2003) Chandler (1987) Population Name Present location Population Name Present location Population Name Present location7000 BC 1,000 Beidha Jordan 1,000–2,000 Jericho West Bank Basta Jordan Çatalhöyük Turkey 6500 BC 5,000–10,000 Çatalhöyük Turkey 6000 BC 3,000 Çatalhöyük Turkey 4000 BCE 5,000 Uruk Iraq 4,000 Eridu Iraq Tell Brak Syria 3800 to 3700 BC < 10,000 Dobrovody Ukraine 3700 BC 6,000–10,000 Eridu Iraq 3600 to 3500 BC < 10,000 Maydanets Ukraine < 10,000 Talianki Ukraine 3500 BC 14,000 Uruk Iraq 3300 BC 40,000 Uruk Iraq 3200 BC 20,000 Abydos Egypt 3100 BC 20,000 Memphis Egypt 3000 BC 45,000 Uruk Iraq 40,000 Uruk Iraq 30,000 Memphis Egypt 2800 BC 80,000 Uruk Iraq Memphis Egypt 2500 BC 60,000 Lagash Iraq Memphis Egypt 20,000 Nippur Iraq 2400 BC 50,000 Mari Syria Memphis Egypt 40,000 Umma Iraq Girsu Iraq Mohenjo-daro Pakistan 2300 BC 80,000 Girsu Iraq Memphis Egypt 50,000 Mari Syria 2250 BC > 30,000 Memphis Egypt 2240 BC Akkad Iraq 2200 BC 50,000 Girsu Iraq Akkad Iraq 2100 BC 100,000 Ur Iraq Akkad Iraq 2075 BC 50,000 Girsu Iraq 2059 BC Girsu Iraq 2030 BC Ur Iraq 2000 BC 60,000 Memphis Egypt 40,000 Isin Iraq 65,000 Ur Iraq Larsa Iraq Girsu Iraq 1991 BC Ur Iraq 1980 BC Thebes Egypt 1900 BC 40,000 Isin Iraq Thebes Egypt Larsa Iraq 1800 BC 60,000 Mari Syria > 25,000 Thebes Egypt 1770 BC 60,000 Babylon Iraq 1700 BC 60,000 Babylon Iraq Babylon Iraq 1670 BC Avaris Egypt 1650 BC 100,000 Avaris Egypt 1600 BC 50,000–100,000 Avaris Egypt 100,000 Avaris Egypt 1595 BC Avaris Egypt 1580 BC Avaris Egypt 1557 BC Memphis Egypt 1500 BC 75,000 Uruk Iraq 60,000 Thebes Egypt Memphis Egypt Thebes Egypt 1400 BC 80,000 Thebes Egypt Thebes Egypt 1375 BC 100,000 Thebes Egypt 1360 BC 80,000 Thebes Egypt 1350 BC Thebes Egypt 1300 BC 120,000 Yinxu (Anyang) China Thebes Egypt 1205 BC Memphis Egypt 1200 BC 80,000 Babylon Iraq 160,000 Pi-Ramses Egypt 50,000 Memphis Egypt Thebes Egypt 1188 BC Thebes Egypt 1184 BC 120,000 Thebes Egypt 1100 BC 120,000 Pi-Ramses Egypt Thebes Egypt 1000 BC 35,000 Qiyi (Qi) China 120,000 Thebes Egypt > 50,000 Thebes Egypt 100,000 Haojing (Xi'an) China > 50,000 Haojing (Xi'an) China Memphis Egypt 50,000 Chengzhou (Luoyang) China Babylon Iraq 100,000 900 BC 120,000 Haojing China Thebes Egypt 800 BC 125,000 Haojing China > 50,000 Thebes Egypt 700 BC 100,000 Thebes Egypt Thebes Egypt Memphis Egypt Nineveh Iraq Babylon Iraq Luoyi (Luoyang) China Linzi China 668 BC 100,000 Nineveh Iraq 650 BC 120,000 Nineveh Iraq 612 BC Babylon Iraq 600 BC 200,000 Babylon Iraq 100,000 Babylon Iraq Luoyi China 562 BC 200,000 Babylon Iraq 500 BC 150,000 Babylon Iraq 200,000 Babylon Iraq Babylon Iraq Luoyi China Linzi China 479 BC Babylon Iraq 460 BC Babylon Iraq 440 BC Babylon Iraq 430 BC 200,000 Babylon Iraq 400 BC 320,000 Xiadu China Babylon Iraq 320 BC > 300,000 Alexandria Egypt 300 BC 500,000 Carthage Tunisia Pataliputra (Patna) India 220 BC Pataliputra India 206 BC Pataliputra India 200 BC 300,000 Alexandria Egypt 600,000 Alexandria Egypt 350,000 Pataliputra India 400,000 Chang'an (Xi'an) China 195 BC Chang'an China 190 BC Chang'an China 170 BC Chang'an China 160 BC Chang'an China 100 BC 1,000,000 Alexandria Egypt Chang'an China 25 BC Rome Italy AD 1 1,000,000 Rome Italy 800,000 Rome Italy Rome Italy 100 1,000,000 Rome Italy 450,000 Rome Italy 180 600,000 Rome Italy 200 800,000 Rome Italy 1,200,000 Rome Italy Rome Italy 280 500,000 Rome Italy 300 1,000,000 Rome Italy Rome Italy 340 Constantinople (Istanbul) Turkey 350 Constantinople Turkey 361 300,000 Constantinople Turkey 400 500,000 Rome Italy 800,000 Rome Italy Constantinople Turkey 410 Constantinople Turkey 450 Constantinople Turkey 500 500,000 Constantinople Turkey 400,000 Constantinople Turkey Jiankang (Nanjing) China Luoyang China 570 Ctesiphon Iraq 575 500,000 Ctesiphon Iraq 600 600,000 Daxing (Chang'an) China 600,000 Constantinople Turkey 500,000 Ctesiphon Iraq 622 500,000 Ctesiphon Iraq 637 400,000 Chang'an China 650 Chang'an China 700 1,000,000 Chang'an China 800,000 Chang'an China 750 800,000 Chang'an China 775 600,000 Baghdad Iraq 800 1,000,000 Chang'an China 800,000 Chang'an China 700,000 Baghdad Iraq 833 900,000 Baghdad Iraq 900 750,000 Chang'an China 900,000 Baghdad Iraq 900,000 Baghdad Iraq 925 1,100,000 Baghdad Iraq 932 1,100,000 Baghdad Iraq 935 350,000 Cordoba Spain 1000 1,000,000 Kaifeng China 1,200,000 Baghdad Iraq 350,000 Cordoba Spain 1013 400,000 Kaifeng China 1050 400,000 Kaifeng China 1071 400,000 Kaifeng China 1100 1,200,000 Baghdad Iraq 442,000 Kaifeng China 1102 442,000 Kaifeng China 1126 420,000 Kaifeng China 1127 200,000 Constantinople Turkey 1145 200,000 Merv Turkmenistan 1150 200,000 Merv Turkmenistan 1153 200,000 Constantinople Turkey 1160 200,000 Constantinople Turkey 1170 200,000 Fez Morocco 1180 200,000 Hangzhou China 1200 1,000,000 Hangzhou China 1,000,000 Baghdad Iraq 255,000 Hangzhou China Hangzhou China Kaifeng China 1210 260,000 Hangzhou China 1250 320,000 Hangzhou China 1273 432,000 Hangzhou China 1300 1,500,000 Hangzhou China 432,000 Hangzhou China 1315 432,000 Cairo Egypt 1325 500,000 Cairo Egypt 1348 432,000 Hangzhou China 1350 432,000 Hangzhou China 1358 Jinling (Nanjing) China 1391 473,000 Jinling China 1400 500,000 Jinling (Nanjing) China 1,000,000 Jinling (Nanjing) China 487,000 Jinling China 1420 Jinling China 1425 Beijing China 1450 600,000 Beijing China 1492 669,000 Beijing China 1500 600,000 Beijing China 1,000,000 Beijing China 672,000 Beijing China 1550 690,000 Beijing China 1575 706,000 Beijing China 1579 706,000 Beijing China 1600 700,000 Beijing China 1,000,000 Beijing China 706,000 Beijing China 1635 Beijing China 1637 Beijing China 1650 700,000 Constantinople Turkey 1670 Constantinople Turkey 1675 750,000 Constantinople Turkey 1684 Constantinople Turkey 1685 Constantinople Turkey 1690 700–800,000 Constantinople Turkey 1700 650,000 Beijing China 1,000,000 Ayutthaya Thailand 700,000 Constantinople Turkey 1710 Beijing China 1720 Edo Japan Beijing China 1750 900,000 Beijing China 1775 1,000,000 Beijing China 1800 1,100,000 Beijing China 1,100,000 Beijing China 1,100,000 Beijing China 1821 1,300,000 Beijing China 1825 1,350,000 Beijing China 1,335,000 London (urban area) United Kingdom 1841 1,948,000 London United Kingdom 1850 2,320,000 London United Kingdom 1851 2,362,000 London United Kingdom 1861 2,803,000 London United Kingdom 1875 4,241,000 London United Kingdom 1900 6,600,000 London United Kingdom 6,500,000 London United Kingdom 6,480,000 London United Kingdom 1914 7,419,000 London United Kingdom 1925 7,774,000 New York (urban area) United States 1936 10,150,000 New York United States 1950 12,463,000 New York United States 1965 15,000,000 Tokyo (urban area) Japan 1975 20,500,000 Tokyo Japan 2000 26,400,000 Tokyo Japan

See also[edit]

• Historical urban community sizes, 7000 BC – 1875
• List of largest European cities in history
• List of largest cities, present day
• Estimates of historical world population
• Valeriepieris circle

References[edit]

• "The World's Cities in 2018" (PDF). United Nations. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
• "Jakarta to Topple Tokyo as World's Biggest City by 2030". Bloomberg. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
• Rosenberg, Matt (4 November 2019), "Largest Cities Throughout History", ThoughtCo, archived from the original on 18 August 2016, retrieved 28 December 2020
• ^ (a) Morris, Ian (October 2010). "Social Development" (PDF). Ian Morris. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. This contains supporting materials for the following book: (b) Morris, Ian (2010). Why the West Rules—For Now. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-29002-3.
• Modelski, George (2003). World Cities: -3000 to 2000. Washington DC: Faros2000. ISBN 0-9676230-1-4. Figures in main tables are preferentially cited. Part of former estimates can be read at Modelski, George (12 January 2008). "The Evolutionary World Politics Homepage". The Evolutionary World Politics Homepage. Archived from the original on 28 December 2008.
• Chandler, Tertius (1987). Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth: An Historical Census. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press. ISBN 0-88946-207-0. Chandler defines a city as a continuously built-up area (urban) with suburbs but without farmland inside the municipality. Figures in main tables are preferentially cited. Part of Chandler's estimates are summarized or modified at: (a) Chase-Dunn, Christopher. "Polities and Settlements Research Working Group". The Institute for Research on World-Systems. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022. (b) Rosenberg, Matt (4 November 2019). "Largest Cities Throughout History: Determining population prior to census-taking was no easy task". ThoughtCo. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2020. (c) "Populations of Largest Cities in PMNs from 2000BC to 1988AD". Etext Archives. Archived from the original on 11 February 2008.
• The date that the population of Beidha, Basta and Çatalhöyük is estimated to be 1,000 is given as 7500 BC in Morris's published text (p. 632).
• ^ Suggested to be the largest cities in Modelski's text, but not given constantly prior to 3700 BC (p. 3, p. 17, and p. 20). No entry is suggested for the Halafian and Ubaid periods.
• A Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlement located ca. 25 km north of Petra.
• The rough year that Çatalhöyük was supposed to be the largest is not given in Modelski's text which cites Ian Hodder's report (p. 3 and p. 17). The year 6500 BC is based on the recent report by Hodder (Inhabiting Çatalhöyük: Reports from the 1995–99 Seasons (Çatalhöyük Research Project), Cambridge, UK: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 2005.) where less inhabitants (1,500 to 2,000) are suggested by Craig Cessford (pp. 323–326).
• The date that the population of Çatalhöyük is estimated to be 3,000 is given as 6500 BC in Morris's published text (p. 632).
• ^ Suggested to be housing up to 10,000 people in Modelski's text (pp. 24–25), but only Eridu is listed as the largest city in Table 2 (a) (p. 22). The estimate is based on the author's personal communication with Mikhail Videiko, Institute of Archaeology, Kiev, October 2002 (p. 75). The previous estimates by S. I. Kruts for Maydanets and Talianki are 8,000 (1,575 housed within 270 ha) and 14,000 (2,700 houses within 450 ha), respectively (Pitskhelauri, K. N., and Chernykh, E. N. Eds., Kavkaz v sisteme paleometallicheskikh kultur Evrazii, Metsniereba, Tbilisi, 1989, pp. 146–156.).
• Suggested to be more than 45,000 in Morris's published text (p. 632).
• ^ According to Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 218), Nippur shares the top with Lagash with 60,000 inhabitants in 2500 BC, though Table 2 (b) suggests that the population of Nippur is 20,000, the value of which is even lower than those estimated for Mari (50,000); Uruk and Umma (40,000); Memphis, Ebla, Urkesh, and Shuruppak (30,000) (p. 28).
• ^ Girsu (Telloh), the later capital of the state of Lagash, was situated 25 km NW of Lagash (Tell al Hiba), though both sites are frequently referred as Lagash.
• ^ According to Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 218), Girsu shares the top with Mari with 50,000 inhabitants, though Table 2 (b) suggests that the population of Girsu as well as Umma and Mohenjo-daro is 40,000 (p. 28).
• ^ According to Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 218), the population of Girsu for 2300 BC is estimated as 50,000, which is less than that appears in Table 2 (b) and is the same value with that estimated for Mari (p. 28).
• Location uncertain. Maybe west of Sippar.
• Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 218) excludes Girsu for 2000 BCE, though Table 2 (b) lists Girsu with 40,000 inhabitants (p. 28), sharing the top with Isin and Larsa.
• ^ The palace of Pi-Ramses (Qantir) was founded 2 km NE of Avaris (or Hawaret, Tell el-Dab'a), the residential area of which overlaps.
• ^ When the city first passed 100,000, suggested by Richard Forstall (pp. 541–542).
• ^ According to Chandler's list of the largest cities (pp. 523–527), Thebes was the largest for 1400–668 BC, but Memphis was also supposed to be somewhat larger during 1205–1188 (p. 94, p. 460).
• ^ Modelski's list of the world's largest cities treats Thebes and Haojing as the top cities with 100,000 inhabitants (p. 218), though the same list on the next page (p. 219) as well as Table 2 (c) place the population of Thebes at 120,000, while that for Haojing as well as Memphis and Babylon at 100,000 (pp. 33–34).
• ^ Chandler listed Thebes, Haojing, and Chengzhou (Luoyang) as the largest, second-largest, and third-largest cities (p. 460), though Luoyang is supposed to pass 100,000 in 1000 BC (p. 541).
• ^ Haojing, which formed the capital of Western Zhou together with Fenghao, was located 15 km SW of Chang'an, the capital of Tang Dynasty as well as the present center of Xi'an. Han capital was located 5 km NW of the center of modern Xi'an. All these sites are now within the sub-provincial city of Xi'an.
• ^ Chengzhou was founded on the east side of the Luo river with Wangzheng on the west side. Both cities were later annexed to form Luoyi (Luoyang), the center of which has often shifted.
• According to Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 219), the population of Babylon for 700 BC is estimated as 120,000, which makes Babylon the only city to appear as the largest, while Table 8 (a) shows that Babylon has 100,000 inhabitants in 700 BC (p. 55).
• Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 219) excludes Linzi for 500 BC, though Table 5 (a) lists Linzi with 200,000 inhabitants (p. 41).
• ^ According to Chandler's list of the largest cities (pp. 523–527), Pataliputra was the largest for 300 to 195 BC, but Chang'an is listed as the largest already in 200 BC (p. 462).
• Based on historical documents, in Southern Liang dynasty, Jiankang (Nanjing) had 280,000 registered households, and assuming an average Nanjing household had about 5.1 people at that time, the city had more than 1.4 million residents. (Shufen Liu, "Jiankang and the Commercial Empire of the Southern Dynasties", in Pearce, Spiro, Ebrey eds. Culture and Power, 2001:35.)
• Seleucia was founded on the right bank of Tigris opposite to Ctesiphon. Figures for Seleucia include the population of Ctesiphon as a suburb during the Seleucid era and vice versa during the Sassanid era.
• The population of Daxing (Chang'an) in AD 600 is estimated at 250,000 in Morris's published text (p. 632), while the supporting material describes 600,000.
• Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 219) estimates the population of Baghdad for AD 1000 as 1,500,000, which is much higher than the value listed in Table 8 (b) (1,200,000 inhabitants) (p. 55).
• The population of Hangzhou in AD 1200 is estimated at 800,000 in Morris's published text (p. 632), while the supporting material describes 1,000,000.
• Includes Üsküdar in Asia Minor as a suburb.
• According to Morris (p. 483), Edo grew into the world's biggest city by 1720, but the estimated population for Edo is not given. The population of Tokyo in AD 2000 is estimated at 26,700,000 in Morris's published text (p. 632), while the supporting material describes 26,400,000.

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