List of cities proper by Population - wikipedia List of cities proper by Population It has been suggested that this article be merged with List of largest cities. ( Discuss ) Proposed since June 2017. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( September 2017 ) Population tables of world cities World 's largest cities World 's largest cities proper World 's largest conurbations World 's largest agglomerations World 's largest urban areas World megacities World megalopolises This article lists the most populous cities in the world defined according to a concept of city proper. A city proper is a locality defined according to legal or political boundaries and an administratively recognised urban status that is usually characterised by some form of local government. Cities proper and their boundaries and population data may not include suburbs. World Urbanization Prospects, a UN publication, defines population of a city proper as `` the population living within the administrative boundaries of a city or controlled directly from the city by a single authority. '' The book continues to say that `` city proper as defined by administrative boundaries may not include suburban areas where an important proportion of the population working or studying in the city lives. '' This definition does not give an accurate picture of the urban area or metropolitan area of cities. Using this strictly administrative definition, many cities will be included on this list that are smaller than their urban area. However, many Chinese cities included govern territories that extend well beyond the traditional `` city proper '' into suburban and rural areas. Contents 1 Cities proper by population 2 Notes 3 References 4 See also 5 External links Cities proper by Population This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries. Please observe the definition of the list when adding or editing entries. Rank City Image Population Definition Total area ( km2 ) Population density ( / km2 ) Country Shanghai 7007242568000000000 ♠ 24,256,800 Municipality 7003634050000000000 ♠ 6,340.5 3,826 China Beijing 7007215160000000000 ♠ 21,516,000 Municipality 7004164105400000000 ♠ 16,410.54 1,311 China Delhi 7007167879410000000 ♠ 16,787,941 Union territory 7003148400000000000 ♠ 1,484 11,313 India Lagos 7007160603030000000 ♠ 16,060,303 Metropolitan City 7003117128000000000 ♠ 1,171.28 13,712 Nigeria 5 Tianjin 7007152000000000000 ♠ 15,200,000 Municipality 7004117600000000000 ♠ 11,760 1,293 China 6 Karachi 7007149103520000000 ♠ 14,910,352 Metropolitan Corporation 7003352700000000000 ♠ 3,527 4,572 Pakistan 7 Chengdu 7007144275000000000 ♠ 14,427,500 Sub-provincial City 7004143120000000000 ♠ 14,312 11,263 China 8 Istanbul 7007141604670000000 ♠ 14,160,467 Metropolitan Municipality 7003546100000000000 ♠ 5,461 2,593 Turkey 9 Tokyo 7007135137340000000 ♠ 13,513,734 Metropolis 7003219100000000000 ♠ 2,191 6,168 Japan 10 Guangzhou 7007130805000000000 ♠ 13,080,500 Sub-provincial City 7003743440000000000 ♠ 7,434.4 1,759 China 11 Mumbai 7007124423730000000 ♠ 12,442,373 Municipal Corporation 7002603400000000000 ♠ 603.4 20,680 India 12 Moscow 7007123806640000000 ♠ 12,380,664 Federal City 7003251012000000000 ♠ 2,510.12 4,859 Russia 13 São Paulo 7007120381750000000 ♠ 12,038,175 Municipality City 7003152111000000000 ♠ 1,521.11 7,914 Brazil 14 Lahore 7007111262850000000 ♠ 11,126,285 City District 7003177200000000000 ♠ 1,772 5,673 Pakistan 15 Shenzhen 7007104674000000000 ♠ 10,467,400 Sub-provincial City 7003199164000000000 ♠ 1,991.64 5,256 China 16 Jakarta 7007100753100000000 ♠ 10,075,310 DKI Jakarta 7002664120000000000 ♠ 664.12 15,171 Indonesia 17 Seoul 7006999578400000000 ♠ 9,995,784 Special City 7002605210000000000 ♠ 605.21 17,134 South Korea 18 Wuhan 7006978539200000000 ♠ 9,785,392 Sub-provincial City 7003132761000099999 ♠ 1,327.61 5,187 China 19 Kinshasa 7006973500000000000 ♠ 9,735,000 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7003111762000099999 ♠ 1,117.62 8,710 Democratic Republic of the Congo 20 Cairo 7006927844100000000 ♠ 9,278,441 Governorate 7003308510000000000 ♠ 3,085.1 3,008 Egypt 21 Dhaka 7006890603900000000 ♠ 8,906,039 City Corporation 7002300000000000000 ♠ 300 29,687 Bangladesh 22 Mexico City 7006887472400000000 ♠ 8,874,724 Federal District 7003148549000000000 ♠ 1,485.49 5,974 Mexico 23 London 7006878789200000000 ♠ 8,787,892 Greater London Authority 7003157215000000000 ♠ 1,572.15 5,590 United Kingdom 24 Xi'an 7006870560000000000 ♠ 8,705,600 Sub-provincial City 7002832170000000000 ♠ 832.17 5,369 China 25 Tehran 7006869370600000000 ♠ 8,693,706 City Municipality 7002450930000000000 ♠ 450.93 18,083 Iran 26 Lima 7006869338700000000 ♠ 8,693,387 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7003267230000000000 ♠ 2,672.3 3,253 Peru 27 New York City 7006853767300000000 ♠ 8,537,673 City 7002783840000000000 ♠ 783.84 10,892 United States 28 Bengaluru 7006844367500000000 ♠ 8,443,675 Municipal Corporation 7002741000000000000 ♠ 741.00 11,876 India 29 Bangkok 7006828092500000000 ♠ 8,280,925 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7003156874000000000 ♠ 1,568.74 5,279 Thailand 30 Ho Chi Minh City 7006822440000000000 ♠ 8,224,400 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7003209550000000000 ♠ 2,095.5 3,925 Vietnam 31 Dongguan 7006822020700000000 ♠ 8,220,207 Prefecture - level City 7003246940000000000 ♠ 2,469.4 3,329 China 32 Chongqing 7006818980000000000 ♠ 8,189,800 Central Chongqing Municipality 7003547300000000000 ♠ 5,473 1,496 China 33 Nanjing 7006818782800000000 ♠ 8,187,828 Sub-provincial City 7003471385000000000 ♠ 4,713.85 1,737 China 34 Shenyang 7006810617100000000 ♠ 8,106,171 Sub-provincial City 7004129420000000000 ♠ 12,942 626 China 35 Bogotá 7006777684500000000 ♠ 7,776,845 Capital District 7002859110000000000 ♠ 859.11 9,052 Colombia 36 Ningbo 7006760568900000000 ♠ 7,605,689 Sub-provincial city 7003981623000000000 ♠ 9,816.23 775 China 37 Hong Kong 7006729860000000000 ♠ 7,298,600 Special Administrative Region 7003110443000000000 ♠ 1,104.43 6,608 China 38 Hanoi 7006723270000000000 ♠ 7,232,700 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7003332450000000000 ♠ 3,324.5 2,176 Vietnam 39 Baghdad 7006718088900000000 ♠ 7,180,889 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7003455500000000000 ♠ 4,555 1,576 Iraq 40 Changsha 7006704411800000000 ♠ 7,044,118 Prefecture - level City 7004118190000000000 ♠ 11,819 596 China 41 Hyderabad 7006673179000000000 ♠ 6,731,790 Municipal Corporation 7002621480000000000 ♠ 621.48 10,832 India 42 Chennai 7006672700000000000 ♠ 6,727,000 Municipal Corporation 7002426510000000000 ♠ 426.51 15,772 India 43 Rio de Janeiro 7006649883700000000 ♠ 6,498,837 Municipality City 7003120027000000000 ♠ 1,200.27 5,414 Brazil 44 Foshan 7006615162200000000 ♠ 6,151,622 Prefecture - level City 7003203462000000000 ♠ 2,034.62 3,023 China 45 Santiago 7006574371900000000 ♠ 5,743,719 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7003124990000000000 ♠ 1,249.9 4,595 Chile 46 Riyadh 7006567662100000000 ♠ 5,676,621 Municipality City 7003123398000000000 ♠ 1,233.98 4,600 Saudi Arabia 47 Ahmedabad 7006557058500000000 ♠ 5,570,585 Municipal Corporation 7002475000000000000 ♠ 475 11,728 India 48 Singapore 7006553500000000000 ♠ 5,535,000 City State 7002719100000000000 ♠ 719.1 7,697 Singapore 49 Shantou 7006539102800000000 ♠ 5,391,028 Prefecture - level City 7003206442000000000 ♠ 2,064.42 2,611 China 50 Saint Petersburg 7006528157900000000 ♠ 5,281,579 Federal City 7003143900000000000 ♠ 1,439 3,608 Russia 51 Yangon 7006521400000000000 ♠ 5,214,000 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7002598750000000000 ♠ 598.75 8,708 Myanmar 52 Abidjan 7006476500000000000 ♠ 4,765,000 Department / City District 7003211900000000000 ♠ 2,119 2,249 Ivory Coast 53 Alexandria 7006461662500000000 ♠ 4,616,625 Governorate 7003230000000000000 ♠ 2,300 2,007 Egypt 54 Kolkata 7006449669400000000 ♠ 4,496,694 Municipal Corporation 7002185000000000000 ♠ 185 24,306 India 55 Ankara 7006447080000000000 ♠ 4,470,800 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7003191092000000000 ♠ 1,910.92 2,340 Turkey 56 Surat 7006446200200000000 ♠ 4,462,002 Municipal Corporation 7002326515000000000 ♠ 326.515 13,666 India 57 Johannesburg 7006443482700000000 ♠ 4,434,827 Municipality City 7003164498000000000 ♠ 1,644.98 2,696 South Africa 58 Dar es Salaam 7006436454100000000 ♠ 4,364,541 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7003163112000000000 ♠ 1,631.12 2,676 Tanzania 59 Suzhou 7006432706600000000 ♠ 4,327,066 Prefecture - level City 7003164972000000000 ♠ 1,649.72 2,623 China 60 Harbin 7006428070100000000 ♠ 4,280,701 Sub-provincial City 7003171820000000000 ♠ 1,718.2 2,491 China 61 Giza 7006423998800000000 ♠ 4,239,988 Governorate 7002289080000000000 ♠ 289.08 14,667 Egypt 62 Zhengzhou 7006412208700000000 ♠ 4,122,087 Sub-provincial City 7003101566000000000 ♠ 1,015.66 4,059 China 63 Los Angeles 7006397632200000000 ♠ 3,976,322 Municipality City 7003121385000099999 ♠ 1,213.85 3,276 United States 64 New Taipei City 7006395492900000000 ♠ 3,954,929 Special Municipality 7003205257000000000 ♠ 2,052.57 1,927 Taiwan 65 Cape Town 7006374002600000000 ♠ 3,740,026 Municipality City 7003244497000099999 ♠ 2,444.97 1,530 South Africa 66 Yokohama 7006372616700000000 ♠ 3,726,167 Designated City 7002437490000000000 ♠ 437.49 8,517 Japan 67 Berlin 7006367100000000000 ♠ 3,671,000 City State 7002891750000000000 ♠ 891.75 4,117 Germany 68 Busan 7006359010100000000 ♠ 3,590,101 Metropolitan City 7002766120000000000 ♠ 766.12 4,686 South Korea 69 Hangzhou 7006356039100000000 ♠ 3,560,391 Sub-provincial City 7002728190000000000 ♠ 728.19 4,889 China 70 Xiamen 7006353134700000000 ♠ 3,531,347 Sub-provincial City 7003169900000000000 ♠ 1,699 2,078 China 71 Quanzhou 7006352084600000000 ♠ 3,520,846 Prefecture - level City 7003106200000000000 ♠ 1,062 3,315 China 72 Jeddah 7006345625900000000 ♠ 3,456,259 Municipality City 7003176500000000000 ♠ 1,765 1,958 Saudi Arabia 73 Durban 7006344236100000000 ♠ 3,442,361 Municipality City 7003229131000000000 ♠ 2,291.31 1,502 South Africa 74 Kabul 7006341410000000000 ♠ 3,414,100 Municipality City 7002275000000000000 ♠ 275 12,415 Afghanistan 75 Casablanca 7006335981800000000 ♠ 3,359,818 Prefecture 7002387000000000000 ♠ 387 8,682 Morocco 76 Hefei 7006335207600000000 ♠ 3,352,076 Prefecture - level City 7002838520000000000 ♠ 838.52 3,998 China 77 Pyongyang 7006325538800000000 ♠ 3,255,388 Direct - controlled Municipality 7003211300000000000 ♠ 2,113 1,541 North Korea 78 Madrid 7006320724700000000 ♠ 3,207,247 Municipality City 7002605770000000000 ♠ 605.77 5,294 Spain 79 Faisalabad 7006320384600000000 ♠ 3,203,846 City District 7002214000000000000 ♠ 214 14,971 Pakistan 80 Ekurhuleni 7006317847000000000 ♠ 3,178,470 Municipality City 7003197531000000000 ♠ 1,975.31 1,609 South Africa 81 Nairobi 7006313836900000000 ♠ 3,138,369 Capital District 7002694900000000000 ♠ 694.9 4,829 Kenya 82 Zhongshan 7006312127500000000 ♠ 3,121,275 Prefecture - level City 7003178367000000000 ♠ 1,783.67 1,750 China 83 Pune 7006311543100000000 ♠ 3,115,431 Municipal Corporation 7002450690000000000 ♠ 450.69 6,913 India 84 Addis Ababa 7006310367300000000 ♠ 3,103,673 Metropolitan Municipality - Province 7002526990000000000 ♠ 526.99 5,889 Ethiopia 85 Jaipur 7006307335000000000 ♠ 3,073,350 Municipal Corporation 7002485000000000000 ♠ 485 6,337 India 86 Buenos Aires 7006305430000000000 ♠ 3,054,300 Federal District 7002203000000000000 ♠ 203 15,046 Argentina 87 Wenzhou 7006303943900000000 ♠ 3,039,439 Prefecture - level City 7003118788000000000 ♠ 1,187.88 2,559 China Notes Jump up ^ Metropolitan Lagos consists 16 out of Lagos State 's 20 LGA, which excludes : Badagry, Epe, Ibeju - Lekki and Ikorodu. Jump up ^ Sum of the 2014 population estimates for the `` urban - function core district '' and `` urban - function extended district '' of Chongqing, which were 3,677,600 and 4,512,200 respectively. See also the next note. Jump up ^ The nine districts of Yuzhong, Jiangbei, Shapingba, Jiulongpo, Nan'an, Dadukou, Banan, Yubei and Beibei together comprise the area commonly referred to as Central Chongqing ( 重庆 主 城区 ). The first six districts make up the `` urban - function core district '' ( 都市 功能 核心 区 ) and the last three comprise the `` urban - function extended district '' ( 都市 功能 拓展 区 ) defined by the Chongqing municipal government. Jump up ^ Sum of the areas of the `` urban - function core district '' and `` urban - function extended district '' of Chongqing. See also the previous note. References Jump up ^ `` World Urbanization Prospects : The 2007 Revision Population Database ''. Esa.un.org. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2010. Jump up ^ `` United Nations Statistics Division -- Demographic and Social Statistics ''. Millenniumindicators.un.org. Retrieved 26 July 2010. Jump up ^ Demographic Yearbook 2005, Volume 57. United Nations. 2008. p. 2 ; 756. ISBN 92 - 1 - 051099 - 2. ^ Jump up to : World Urbanization Prospects : The 2003 Revision. United Nations. 2004. ISBN 92 - 1 - 151396 - 0. Jump up ^ Alexander, Ruth ( 29 January 2012 ). `` The world 's biggest cities : How do you measure them ? ''. BBC News. Retrieved 16 March 2015. Jump up ^ 2014 年 上海 市 国民 经济 ( Shanghai Economic and Social Development Statistical Bulletin 2014 ) ( in Chinese ). 28 February 2015. Archived from the original on 9 March 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Land Area ''. Basic Facts. Shanghai Municipal People 's Government. Retrieved 19 July 2011. Jump up ^ 北京 市 2014 年 国民 经济 和 社会 发展 统计 公报 ( Beijing Economic and Social Development Statistical Bulletin 2014 ) ( in Chinese ). Beijing Bureau of Statistics. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Doing Business in China -- Survey ''. Ministry Of Commerce -- People 's Republic Of China. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2013. Jump up ^ `` India : Delhi ''. citypopulation.de. citypopulation.de. Retrieved 20 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` Population - Lagos State ''. Lagos State Government. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2016. Jump up ^ The surface of the Metropolitan Lagos is 1171 square kilometres, but 171 square kilometres is water ( lagoon ). Jump up ^ `` 2013 年 天津 市 国民 经济 和 社会 发展 统计 公报 数据 ''. Enorth.com.cn. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` CHINA : Administrative Division of Tianjin ( 天津 市 ) ''. Jump up ^ Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. `` Population of Major Cities - Census 2017 '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Town / District Maps ''. Urban Habitat. Jump up ^ `` 3 - 2 各市 ( 州 ) 年末 常住 人口 、 出生率 、 死亡 率 、 自然 增长 率 、 城镇 化 率 和 人口 密度 ( 2014 年 ) - tjsql.com ''. www.tjsql.com. Retrieved 2016 - 03 - 06. Jump up ^ Cite error : The named reference 2010census was invoked but never defined ( see the help page ). Jump up ^ `` The Results of Address Based Population Registration System, 2013 ''. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved 13 January 2016. Jump up ^ The city, considered capital of Istanbul Province, is administered by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ( IMM ), which oversees the thirty - nine districts of the city - province ( thirty - six urban districts and three rural districts ). Jump up ^ Sources have provided conflicting figures on the area of Istanbul. The most authoritative source on this figure ought to be the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality ( MMI ), but the English version of its website suggests a few figures for this area. One page states that `` Each MM is sub-divided into District Municipalities ( '' DM `` ) of which there are 27 in Istanbul '' ( emphasis added ) with a total area of 1,538.9 square kilometers ( 594.2 sq mi ). ( 73 ) However, the Municipal History page appears to be the most explicit and most updated, saying that in 2004, `` Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality 's jurisdiction was enlarged to cover all the area within the provincial limits ''. It also states a 2008 law merged the Eminönü district into the Fatih district ( a point that is not reflected in the previous source ) and increased the number of districts in Istanbul to thirty - nine. ( 74 ) That total area, as corroborated on the Turkish version of the MMI website, ( 75 ) and a recently updated Jurisdiction page on the English site ( 76 ) is 5,343 square kilometers ( 2,063 sq mi )... ^ Jump up to : `` 2015 Population Census ''. Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Retrieved 13 August 2016. Jump up ^ 2014 年 广州 市 国民 经济 和 社会 发展 统计 公报 ( Guangzhou Economic and Social Development Statistics Bulletin 2014 ) ( in Chinese ). Guangzhou Daily. 22 March 2015. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` 土地 面积 、 人口 密度 ( 2008 年 ) ''. Statistics Bureau of Guangzhou. Archived from the original on 23 March 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Greater Mumbai ( Maharashtra, India ) - Population Statistics and Location in Maps and Charts - City Population ''. Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 19 July 2016. Jump up ^ Mumbai City consists of two distinct regions : Mumbai City district ( Island City ) and Mumbai Suburban district ( Western Suburban and Eastern Suburban ), grouped into 24 wards, under the administration of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation ( BMC ). The remaining area belongs to Defence, Mumbai Port Trust, Atomic Energy Commission and Borivali National Park, which are out of the jurisdiction of the BMC. Jump up ^ `` RUSSIA : Moscow ''. Jump up ^ `` Территориальное устройство ''. Moscow City Government. Archived from the original on 8 January 2013. Jump up ^ The federal city of Moscow is divided into twelve administrative okrugs, which are in turn subdivided into districts ( raions ). ^ Jump up to : `` Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. Federal Registration, Cadastre&Cartography Service. Russia Landuse National Report 2008, p. 187 - 188 ( in Russian ) '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` IBGE divulga as estimativas populacionais dos municípios em 2016 '' ( in Portuguese ). IBGE. Retrieved 13 December 2016. Jump up ^ Administratively, the Municipality of São Paulo is divided into 31 subprefectures, each in turn divided into 96 districts. Locally, districts may contain one or more neighborhoods ( bairros ). The city of São Paulo recognizes ten geographical areas used to reference locations in the city. Jump up ^ Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. `` Population of Major Cities - Census 2017 '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Demographia World Urban Areas '' ( PDF ). Demographia. Retrieved 16 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Shenzhen Statistics ''. Shenzhen Government Online. Retrieved 2011. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Shenzhen General Info ''. Shenzhen Government Online. Archived from the original on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 2011. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Data Jumlah Penduduk DKI Jakarta ( 2014 ) ''. Dinas Kependudukan dan Pencatatan Sipil Provinsi DKI Jakarta. Retrieved 5 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` INDONESIA : Administrative Division ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ 2016 년 5 월 행정 자치부 주민등록 인구 통계 Archived 3 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Seoul Statistics ( Land Area ) ''. Seoul Metropolitan Government. Retrieved 2012. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` 武汉 市 2010 年 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 主要 数据 公报 -- 湖北 省 统计 局 ( Main Data from Wuhan 2010 Census ) ''. Hubei Provincial Statistics Bureau. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2016. Jump up ^ The sub-provincial city of Wuhan has direct jurisdiction over 13 districts ( eight urban / five rural ). The city proper ( urban ) based on the districts of Jiang'an, Jianghan, Qiaokou, Hanyang, Wuchang and Qingshan considered `` core districts '' + Inner suburbs ( districts ) : Hongshan, Dongxihu. Jump up ^ Wuhan Statistical Yearbook 2010 Archived 5 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine. p. 15 ^ Jump up to : `` Demographia World Urban Areas ( 2014 ) '' ( PDF ). Demographia. Retrieved 17 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Evenements : `` Avec une population de 9, 5 millions, Kinshasa est la troisième plus grande ville sur le continent africain, de taille égale à Johannesburg. Le Kinois ( habitants de Kinshasa ) sont connus pour leur sens de l'humour, leur musique et leur amour pour la danse. '' ( 2013 ) ``. Ville de Kinshasa. Jump up ^ The province of Kinshasa is divided into twenty - four districts, administered by the Metropolitan Municipality of Kinshasa. But the districts ( communes ) of Maluku and Nsele ( N'Sele ) are rural and not part of the city proper. The city proper ( urban area ) of Kinshasa is generally considered to be formed by twenty - two `` communes ''. Jump up ^ According to the Constitution of Democratic Republic of the Congo, the province of Kinshasa covers 9965.21 km. Maluku and N'Sele ( total area 8847.59 km ) are entirely rural, with a very very low density. Jump up ^ `` Egypt ''. citypopulation.de. Retrieved 20 October 2015. Jump up ^ In April 2011, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf abolished the Helwan Governorate and reincorporated its territory into the Cairo Governorate. The total area of the governorate is 3085.1 square kilometers, the city area is 453 square kilometers, but the Egyptian government considered the Cairo Governorate is that a whole city and all statistics relate to the `` governorate ''. Jump up ^ `` EGYPT : Cairo ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ https://www.citypopulation.de/php/bangladesh-dhaka.php. Missing or empty title = ( help ) Jump up ^ Brinkhoff, Thomas. `` Bangladesh : Districts and Cities ''. CityPopulation. Retrieved 20 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` MEXICO : Mexico City ( 2014 ) ''. CityPopulation.De. Retrieved 15 March 2014. Jump up ^ Consejo Nacional de Población, México ; Delimitación de las zonas metropolitanas de México 2005 Archived 2 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 26 November 2010. Jump up ^ `` Population Estimates for UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland ''. ONS. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017. Jump up ^ The 33 local authorities are the 32 London borough councils and the City of London Corporation. Jump up ^ `` 西安 市 2015 年 国民 经济 和 社会 发展 统计 公报 ''. http://www.xatj.gov.cn/. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 12. External link in website = ( help ) Jump up ^ The sub-provincial city of Xi'an has direct jurisdiction over 9 districts ( 区 qu ) and 4 counties ( 县 xian ). The city proper based on the districts of Xīnchéng, Bēilín and Liánhú considered `` core districts '' + Inner suburbs ( districts ) : Bàqiáo, Wèiyāng and Yàntǎ. Jump up ^ `` IRAN : Tehran City ( Census 2016 - 09 - 24 ) ''. CITY POPULATION.DE. Retrieved 25 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` TEHRAN : Administrative Districts ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` About Teheran ''. Tehran Municipality. Retrieved 25 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` PERU : Lima population ''. La Republica. Jump up ^ The province of Lima is divided into forty three `` districts of Lima '' which are administered by the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima. ^ Jump up to : `` Census Estimates ( 2016 ) ''. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 25 May 2017. Jump up ^ New York City is composed of five boroughs : Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island Jump up ^ `` Bangalore ( Karnataka, India ) - Population Statistics and Location in Maps and Charts - City Population ''. Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 5 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Table 1 Population by sex, household type and household by type, average size of private household by region and area : 2010 ''. Statistic tables, NSO website. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 18 September 2012. Jump up ^ Bangkok is subdivided into 50 districts ( khet เขต, also sometimes wrongly called amphoe อําเภอ as in the other provinces, derived from Pali khetta, cognate to Sanskrit kṣetra ), which are further subdivided into 169 khwaeng แขวง, roughly equivalent to tambon ตําบล in the other provinces. ^ Jump up to : Statistical Handbook of Vietnam 2014 Archived 6 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine., General Statistics Office Of Vietnam Jump up ^ `` China -- Guangdong Province ( 2010 ) ''. GeoHive. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014. Jump up ^ 2014 年 重庆 市 国民 经济 和 社会 发展 统计 公报 ( Chongqing Economic and Social Development Statistical Bulletin 2014 ) ( in Chinese ). Chongqing Bureau of Statistics. 16 March 2015. Archived from the original on 23 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Position of Five Function Districts in Chongqing ''. Chongqing Municipal Government. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2015. Jump up ^ 五大 功能 区域 : 都市 功能 核心 区 ( Five Functional Districts : Urban - function Core District ). CQNEWS Corporation. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015. Jump up ^ Te Kan ( 9 November 2007 ). `` New city group in the making ''. China Daily. Beijing. Retrieved 26 May 2015. Jump up ^ `` Census ( 2014 ) ''. Nanjing Municipal Bureru Statistucs. Retrieved 19 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` 2010 年 沈阳 市 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 主要 数据 公报 ( Sixth National Population Census of the People 's Republic of China ''. National Bureau of Statistics of China. Jump up ^ `` Estimaciones y proyecciones de hogares y viviendas ''. DANE ( 2014 ). Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Jump up ^ The Capital District of Bogotá is divided into twenty districts, administered by the Metropolitan Municipality of Bogotá. Jump up ^ `` Límites ''. Bogota Government Corporation. Jump up ^ The district of Sumapaz is completely rural ( no city services ) and is not part of the city proper. The area was an important pilgrimage arheoligic site for the Muisca indigenous peoples in pre-Columbian times and for visiting the Sumapaz National Park. The district of Sumapaz represents 0.1 % of the population ( 48 % `` area '' ) of Bogotá Municipality. Jump up ^ `` Ningbo 2011 population report issued ''. Ningbo Municipal People 's Government. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` Hong Kong Statistics ''. Census and Statistics Department. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Retrieved 4 December 2015. Jump up ^ The only legally defined city in Hong Kong is the City of Victoria but it serves almost no administrative function. Jump up ^ `` Hong Kong Geographic '' ( PDF ). The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region. Retrieved 10 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Demographic Statistics of Iraq ( 2009 ) ''. Central Statistical Government of Iraq. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014. Jump up ^ The province of Baghdad is divided into nine district, administered by the Metropolitan Municipality of Baghdad. The districts are distributed into 89 Neighborhood Councils. Jump up ^ There are many disputes about Baghdad city ( urban ) area. The city of Baghdad has the special status of provincial. The demographic information reported to the city proper are non-existent or are the estimates, projections inconclusive. The Metropolitan Municipality of Baghdad is a city `` federal district -- province ''. Is similar to the case of Cairo Governorate. Jump up ^ Hunan Statistical Bureau ( 2011 - 5 - 13 ) : Hunan Major data communique of National Census 2010 Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Based on the following districts : Furong, Tianxin, Yuelu, Kaifu, Yuhua ; see Administration Jump up ^ `` Greater Hyderabad ( Maharashtra, India ) - Population Statistics and Location in Maps and Charts - City Population ''. Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 19 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Greater Hyderabad Municipal corporation 2010 ''. GHMC. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2010. Jump up ^ `` Chennai : India Smart Cities Challenge ''. Official website of Smart Cities Challenge, India. Retrieved 2016 - 07 - 19. Jump up ^ Chennai city is governed by the Chennai Corporation, dividing into three regions -- fifteen districts : North ( Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Tondiarpet and Royapuram ), South ( Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Adyar, Perungudi and Sholinganallur ) and Central ( Thiru - Vi - Ka Nagar, Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Teynampet and Kodambakkam ), which covers 200 wards. Of the total land area, reserved forests cover 2.71 km2 and is concentrated in and around the Guindy National Park region, one of the few national parks in the world located within a city. Jump up ^ `` Expanded Chennai Corporationto be divided into 3 regions ''. The Hindu. Retrieved 22 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` IBGE divulga as estimativas populacionais dos municípios em 2016 '' ( in Portuguese ). IBGE. Retrieved 12 December 2016. Jump up ^ `` Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística ( 2013 ) ''. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` 佛山 2010 年 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 主要 数据 公报 ( 1 ) ''. City of Foshan. Retrieved 30 January 2014. Jump up ^ Districts of Changcheng, Nanhai, Shunde ; see Foshan # Administration Jump up ^ `` About Foshan ''. City of Foshan. Retrieved 11 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Chile -- Santiago ( Census 2012 ) ''. Archived from the original on 2 March 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014. Jump up ^ The province of Santiago is divided into thirty - two districts, administered by the Metropolitan Municipality of Santiago. But the district of Lo Barnechea is rural ( mountains ) and is not part of the city proper. The city proper ( urban area ) of Santiago is generally considered to be formed by thirty - one districts ( Province of Santiago ), the district of Puente Alto ( Province of Cordillera ), and the district of San Bernardo ( Province of Maipo ). Jump up ^ `` Composition of Population ( 2012 ) '' ( PDF ). Arriyadh Development Authority. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 23 August 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2014. Jump up ^ Riyadh is divided into 15 branch municipalities, in addition to the Diplomatic Quarter. Each branch municipality in turn contains several districts, amounting to over 130 in total, though some districts are divided between more than one branch municipality. The branch municipalities are Al - Shemaysi, Irqah, Al - Ma'athar, Al - Olayya, Al - Aziziyya, Al - Malaz, Al - Selayy, Nemar, Al - Neseem, Al - Shifa, Al - ' Urayja, Al - Bat'ha, Al - Ha'ir, Al - Rawdha, and Al - Shimal ( `` the North '' ). Jump up ^ Arriyadh Development Authority ( Investment_Arriyadh_2013 ) ^ Jump up to : `` Cities having population 1 lakh and above '' ( PDF ). censusindia. The Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 18 October 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Population & Land Area ( Mid-Year Estimates ) ''. Statistics Singapore. Retrieved 4 December 2015. Jump up ^ `` 现 将 汕头 市 2010 年 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 分区 县 常住 人口 ( 2 ) 数据 公布 如下 : ''. 汕头 市 2010 年 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 主要 数据 公报 ( 1 ). Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014. Jump up ^ Rosstat. Оценка численности постоянного населения на 1 января 2017 г. ( in Russian ) Jump up ^ `` Demographia World Urban Areas ( 2014 ) '' ( PDF ). Demographia. Retrieved 11 March 2014. Jump up ^ Yangon is administered by the Yangon City Development Committee ( YCDC ). The city proper is divided into four districts : Western District, Eastern District, Southern District and Northern District. The districts combined have a total of 33 townships. Jump up ^ Third Regional EST Forum, Presentation of Myanmar. Retrieved 11 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Presentation ''. District Autonome D'Abidjan. Archived from the original on 21 March 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Estimated Population by Governorate ''. CAPMAS. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved September 2013. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` Egypt : Administrative Units ''. GeoHive. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2014. Jump up ^ The city of Alexandria has an area of approximately 400 square kilometres. Egyptian officials provides information at governorate level. In the case of `` city proper '' provides information at intervals of many years. It is impossible to assess the population ( official ) reported in the city proper area. Jump up ^ `` Kolkata ( West Bengal, India ) - Population Statistics and Location in Maps and Charts - City Population ''. Citypopulation.de. Retrieved 19 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Turkey : Ankara City ''. citypopulation.de. Retrieved 25 October 2015. Jump up ^ The province of Ankara is divided into twenty five districts, administered by the Metropolitan Municipality of Ankara. The city proper ( urban area ) of Ankara is generally considered to be formed by eight districts ( Sincan, Yenimahalle, Etimesgut, Keçiören, Pursaklar, Altındağ, Mamak, Çankaya ). Here, Gölbaşı district is excluded, because it is rural. Jump up ^ Yenimahalle district, whose area is not given by citypopulation.de, covers 274 km Jump up ^ `` Districts of Turkey ''. statoids. Retrieved 25 October 2015. Jump up ^ Demographics : Surat Municipal Corporation Archived 4 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. ^ Jump up to : `` Census ( 2011 ) ''. Statistics South Africa. Retrieved 23 March 2014. Jump up ^ Pinda, Mizengo Peter. `` Welcome to the 2012 Tanzania Population and Housing Census WebPage ''. Census General Report ( pdf ) ; available by clicking `` Population Distribution by Administrative Units ''. National Bureau of Statistics of Tanzania. Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2013. Jump up ^ Dar es Salaam is divided into five districts, governed as municipal councils, and so all of the city 's suburbs or wards are affiliated with them. Jump up ^ `` TANZANIA : Administrative Division ''. Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Suzhou ( Statistics 2013 ) '' ( PDF ). Sztjj.gov.cn. Archived from the original ( PDF ) on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 20 April 2014. Jump up ^ The city proper based on the districts of Gūsū, Wúzhōng, Sūzhōu Gōngyèyuán ( Industrial Park ), Xiàngchéng and Sūzhōu Gāo Xīnjìshù Chǎnyè Kāifāqū ( New District ) Jump up ^ Sztjj.gov.cn Jump up ^ `` 黑龙江 省 2010 年 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 主要 数据 公报 ''. National Bureau of Statistics of the People 's Republic of China. Retrieved 3 February 2014. Jump up ^ All city proper districts except Sōngběi ; namely Dàolǐ, Nángǎng, Dàowài, Píngfáng, Xiāngfang ; see Harbin # Administrative divisions Jump up ^ `` 中国 年鉴 信息 网 -- 中国 规模 最大 、 实力 最 强 的 研究 报告 提供 商 ! ''. Harbin Yearbook. China Yearbook. Retrieved 3 February 2014. Jump up ^ `` EGYPT : Greater Cairo ( 2006 ) ''. citypopulation.de. Retrieved 20 February 2014. Jump up ^ All districts that are listed as being in Greater Cairo and are contiguous ; namely Ad - Duqī, Al - Ahrām ; Al - ' Ajūzah ; Al - Badrashayn ; Al - Ḥawāmidiyah ; Al - Jīzah ; Al - Jīzah ; Al - ' Umrāniyah ; Al - Warrāq ; Awsīm ; Būlāq al - Dakrūr ; Imbābah ; Kirdāsah. Jump up ^ Sub-provincial City ( Census 2010 ) Jump up ^ The city proper based on the districts of Zhōngyuán, Èrqī, Guǎnchéng Huízú, Jīnshuǐ and Huìjì Jump up ^ Los Angeles City is divided into over 80 districts and neighborhoods. Jump up ^ `` TAIWAN : Administrative Division ( Census 2013 ) ''. CityPopulation.De. Retrieved 23 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` New Taipei City ''. New Taipei City Government. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Berlins Einwohnerzahl wächst 2016 weiter '' ( PDF ). Statistics Agency Berlin - Brandenburg. Retrieved 24 February 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2016., Retrieved 1 July 2013. ^ Jump up to : 杭州 市 2010 年 国民 经济 和 社会 发展 统计 公报 ( in Chinese ). Hangzhou Municipal Statistic Bureau. 24 February 2011. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` Xiamen ( Sub-provincial city, Fujian ) ''. citypopulation.de. 1 November 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2014. Jump up ^ Following sections : Licheng District, Fengze District, Shishi City, Jinjiang City ; see Quanzhou # Administrative divisions Jump up ^ `` Saudi Census - 2010 ''. Central Departament of Statistics Saudi Government. Archived from the original on 1 December 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Area and Population ''. Jeddah Municipality. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Afghanistan ( 2013 ) ''. GeoHive. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Morocco : Grand Casablanca - Settat ''. citypopulation.de. Retrieved 20 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` 合肥 市 2010 年 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 主要 数据 公报 : 合肥 市 2010 年 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 主要 数据 公 报 ( 1 ) ''. Baidu. Retrieved 15 February 2014. Jump up ^ The prefecture - level city of Hefei administers 9 county - level divisions, including 4 districts, 1 County - city and 4 counties. The city proper based on the districts of Luyang, Yaohai, Shushan and Baohe considered `` core districts ''. Jump up ^ United Nations Statistics Division ; Preliminary results of the 2008 Census of Population of the Democratic People 's Republic of Korea conducted on 1 -- 15 October 2008 ( pdf - file ) Archived 25 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 1 March 2009. Jump up ^ PYONGYANG Archived 17 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Municipal Register : Last data published : Population at 1st January ( 2013 ) ''. Instituto Nacional de Estadística ( INE -- Spain ). Retrieved 3 March 2014. Jump up ^ Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. `` Population of Major Cities - Census 2017 '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` Kenya ( Census 2009 ) ''. Geohive. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014. Retrieved 2014 - 03 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Population Size of Towns by Sex, Region, Zone and Wereda : July 2013 '' ( PDF ). Central Statistical Agency -- CSA. Retrieved July 2013. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ `` based on the districts of Akaki Kaliti - Sub City, Nefas Silk - Lafto - Sub City, Kolfe Keraniyo - Sub City, Gulele - Sub City, Lideta - Sub City, Kirkos - Sub City, Arada - Sub City, Addis Ketema - Sub City, Yeka - Sub City, Bole - Sub City considered `` districts '' ``. Jump up ^ `` Argentina : Provinces and Agglomerations ''. citypopulation.de. Retrieved 20 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` 1103 - 浙江 省 温州 市 2010 年 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 主要 数据 公报 : 温州 市 2010 年 第 六 次 全国 人口 普查 主要 数据 公报 ''. Baidu. Retrieved 3 March 2014. Jump up ^ Based on the following districts : Lucheng, Longwan, Ouhai ; see Administration See also List of agglomerations by population List of cities by population density List of metropolitan areas by population List of population concern organizations External links The worlds biggest cities : How do you measure them ? -- BBC article World 's largest cities City proper World ( Capitals ) Americas ( North Latin Central South ) Asia ( Arab world ASEAN Arabia Far East ) Europe ( European Union Nordic ) Metropolitan area World Americas ( North South West Indies ) Europe ( European Union Nordic ) Asia Africa Transborder Aggregate urban area † World Europe ( European Union Nordic ) Asia Urban agglomeration † North America Europe ( European Union ) Asia Historical World Europe Related articles Global city Megacity Megalopolis Conurbation Suburbs † Aggregate urban areas are entire continuous built - up areas, grouping together contiguous cities ( known as conurbations ), whereas urban agglomerations are the built - up areas of individual cities. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_cities_proper_by_population&oldid=819094482 '' Categories : Censuses Demographic lists Lists of cities by demography Lists of cities by population Lists of cities ( worldwide ) by population Populated places by type Hidden categories : Pages with reference errors CS1 uses Chinese - language script ( zh ) CS1 Chinese - language sources ( zh ) Pages with broken reference names CS1 Portuguese - language sources ( pt ) CS1 errors : dates Webarchive template wayback links Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs CS1 errors : external links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Articles with Russian - language external links Articles to be merged from June 2017 All articles to be merged Articles needing additional references from September 2017 All articles needing additional references Use dmy dates from February 2016 Dynamic lists Articles needing more detailed references Talk Contents About Wikipedia تۆرکجه বাংলা Беларуская Буряад Català Dansk Deutsch Esperanto Euskara فارسی Føroyskt Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Italiano עברית ಕನ್ನಡ ქართული Қазақша Kurdî Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar मराठी Bahasa Melayu Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Norsk Олык марий ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Português Scots Shqip Soomaaliga کوردی Српски / srpski Tarandíne Татарча / tatarça Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 7 January 2018, at 11 : 15. 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Question: three largest cities in the world by population
Answer: Shanghai; Shanghai; Shanghai; Shanghai