# List of largest cities throughout history

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.
Rome, Chang'an or Baghdad may have been the first city to have 1,000,000 people, as early as the 1st century or as late as the 8th century. Later cities that might have reached 1 million include Luoyang, Kaifeng, Hangzhou, Jinling, Beijing, and Edo. There is wide agreement that London was the first city to reach 2 million and New York was the first to reach 10 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 censuses were conducted is a difficult task.

## List of the most populous human settlements over time

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) | Morris (2010) | Morris (2010) | Modelski (2003) | Modelski (2003) | Modelski (2003) | Chandler (1987) | Chandler (1987) | Chandler (1987) |
| Year | Population | Name | Present location | Population | Name | Present location | Population | Name | Present location |
| 7000 BC | 1,000 | Beidha | Jordan | 1,000–2,000 | Jericho | West Bank | | | |
| 7000 BC | 1,000 | Basta | Jordan | 1,000–2,000 | Jericho | West Bank | | | |
| 7000 BC | 1,000 | Çatalhöyük | Turkey | 1,000–2,000 | Jericho | West Bank | | | |
| 6500 BC | | | | 5,000–10,000 | Çatalhöyük | Turkey | | | |
| 6000 BC | 3,000 | Çatalhöyük | Turkey | | | | | | |
| 4000 BC | 5,000 | Uruk | Iraq | 4,000 | Eridu | Iraq | | | |
| 4000 BC | 5,000 | Tell Brak | Syria | 4,000 | Eridu | Iraq | | | |
| 3800 to 3700 BC | | | | < 10,000 | Dobrovody | Ukraine | | | |
| 3700 BC | | | | 6,000–10,000 | Eridu | Iraq | | | |
| 3600 to 3500 BC | | | | < 10,000 | Maydanets | Ukraine | | | |
| 3600 to 3500 BC | | | | < 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 |
| 2500 BC | | | | 20,000 | Nippur | Iraq | | Memphis | Egypt |
| 2400 BC | | | | 50,000 | Mari | Syria | | Memphis | Egypt |
| 2400 BC | | | | 40,000 | Umma | Iraq | | Memphis | Egypt |
| 2400 BC | | | | 40,000 | Girsu | Iraq | | Memphis | Egypt |
| 2400 BC | | | | 40,000 | Mohenjo-daro | Pakistan | | Memphis | Egypt |
| 2300 BC | | | | 80,000 | Girsu | Iraq | | Memphis | Egypt |
| 2300 BC | | | | 50,000 | Mari | Syria | | Memphis | Egypt |
| 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 |
| 2000 BC | 60,000 | Memphis | Egypt | 40,000 | Larsa | Iraq | 65,000 | Ur | Iraq |
| 2000 BC | 60,000 | Memphis | Egypt | 40,000 | Girsu | Iraq | 65,000 | Ur | Iraq |
| 1991 BC | | | | | | | | Ur | Iraq |
| 1980 BC | | | | | | | | Thebes | Egypt |
| 1900 BC | | | | 40,000 | Isin | Iraq | | Thebes | Egypt |
| 1900 BC | | | | 40,000 | Larsa | Iraq | | Thebes | Egypt |
| 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 |
| 1500 BC | 75,000 | Thebes | Egypt | 60,000 | Thebes | Egypt | | Memphis | 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 | | | | - | Yinxu (Anyang) | China | | Thebes | Egypt |
| 1205 BC | | | | | | | | Memphis | Egypt |
| 1200 BC | 80,000 | Babylon | Iraq | 160,000 | Pi-Ramses | Egypt | 50,000 | Memphis | Egypt |
| 1200 BC | 80,000 | Thebes | Egypt | 160,000 | Pi-Ramses | Egypt | 50,000 | Memphis | 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 |
| 1000 BC | 35,000 | Qiyi (Qi) | China | 100,000 | Haojing (Xi'an) | China | > 50,000 | Haojing (Xi'an) | China |
| 1000 BC | 35,000 | Qiyi (Qi) | China | 100,000 | Memphis | Egypt | 50,000 | Chengzhou (Luoyang) | China |
| 1000 BC | 35,000 | Qiyi (Qi) | China | 100,000 | Babylon | Iraq | 100,000 | Chengzhou (Luoyang) | China |
| 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 |
| 700 BC | | | | 100,000 | Memphis | Egypt | | Thebes | Egypt |
| 700 BC | | | | 100,000 | Nineveh | Iraq | | Thebes | Egypt |
| 700 BC | | | | 100,000 | Babylon | Iraq | | Thebes | Egypt |
| 700 BC | | | | 100,000 | Luoyi (Luoyang) | China | | Thebes | Egypt |
| 700 BC | | | | 100,000 | Linzi | China | | Thebes | Egypt |
| 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 |
| 600 BC | | | | 200,000 | Luoyi | China | 100,000 | Babylon | Iraq |
| 562 BC | | | | | | | 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq |
| 500 BC | 150,000 | Babylon | Iraq | 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq | | Babylon | Iraq |
| 500 BC | 150,000 | Babylon | Iraq | 200,000 | Luoyi | China | | Babylon | Iraq |
| 500 BC | 150,000 | Babylon | Iraq | 200,000 | Linzi | China | | Babylon | Iraq |
| 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 |
| 200 BC | 300,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | 600,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | 400,000 | Chang'an (Xi'an) | China |
| 195 BE | | | | | | | | 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 |
| 1 AD | 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 |
| 500 | | | | 500,000 | Jiankang (Nanjing) | China | 400,000 | Constantinople | Turkey |
| 500 | | | | 500,000 | Luoyang | China | 400,000 | Constantinople | Turkey |
| 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 |
| 1200 | 1,000,000 | Hangzhou | China | 1,000,000 | Hangzhou | China | 255,000 | Hangzhou | China |
| 1200 | 1,000,000 | Hangzhou | China | 1,000,000 | Kaifeng | China | 255,000 | Hangzhou | 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 |
| 1825 | | | | | | | 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 | | | | | | |