This is a list of the largest cities of the world estimated for the year 2005. Definitions for each city and approximate surface area are also indicated. The populations listed are for the city proper and not for the entire metropolitan area. For a list of the most populous metropolitan areas, go to List of metropolitan areas by population. Please read the notes at the end, as there are many exceptions.
| Rank
| City
| Population
| Definition
| Area (km²)
| Population density (/km²)
| Country
|
| 1 | Mumbai | 12,778,721 | Municipal corporation | 440 | 29,042 | Image:Flag of India.svg India
|
| 2 | Karachi | 11,507,254 | City District | 3,530 | 3,458 | Image:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan
|
| 3 | Delhi | 11,055,365 | Municipal corporation | 1,400 | 7,896 | Image:Flag of India.svg India
|
| 4 | São Paulo | 11,016,703 [1] | City proper | 1,520 | 7,247 | Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil
|
| 5 | Shanghai | 10,840,516 | Core districts + inner suburbs | 1,600 | 6,775 | Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
|
| 6 | Moscow | 10,375,688 | City proper (excludes Zelenograd) | 1,080 | 9,607 | Image:Flag of Russia (bordered).svg Russia
|
| 7 | Seoul | 10,297,004[2] | Special City | 605.41 | 17,008 | Image:Flag of South Korea (bordered).svg South Korea
|
| 8 | Istanbul | 10,124,000[3] | City proper | 1,970 | 5,137 | Image:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
|
| 9 | Mexico City | 8,720,916 | Federal District | 1,550 | 5,626 | Image:Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico
|
| 10 | Tokyo | 8,483,140[4] | 23 special wards area | 620 | 13,682 | Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg Japan
|
| 11 | Jakarta | 8,407,479 | Special capital district | 660 | 12,738 | Image:Flag of Indonesia (bordered).svg Indonesia
|
| 12 | New York City | 8,143,197[5] | City Proper | 780 | 10,439 | Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States
|
| 13 | Beijing | 7,741,274 | Core districts + inner suburbs | 1,370 | 5,650 | Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
|
| 14 | Tehran | 7,609,638 | City proper | 760 | 11,218 | Image:Flag of Iran.svg Iran
|
| 15 | London | 7,517,700 | Greater London | 1,580 | 4,697 | Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
|
| 16 | Cairo | 7,438,376 | Governorate | 210 | 35,420 | Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt
|
| 17 | Bogotá | 7,321,831 | Distrito Capital | 1,590 | 4,523 | Image:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia
|
| 18 | Lagos | 7,181,111 | City core (old city proper) | 330 | 21,760 | Image:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria
|
| 19 | Lima | 6,872,766 | 30 districts | 804.3 | 8,545 | Image:Flag of Peru.svg Peru
|
| 20 | Hong Kong | 6,752,001 | Special Administrative Region | 1092 | 6,183 | Image:Flag of Hong Kong.svg Hong Kong
|
| 21 | Dhaka | 6,724,976 [6] | Urban area | 200 | 30,403 | Image:Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh
|
| 22 | Bangkok | 6,542,751 | Urban area | 1,100 | 6,311 | Image:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand
|
| 23 | Lahore | 6,192,853 | City District | 1,010 | 6,329 | Image:Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan
|
| 24 | Rio de Janeiro | 6,136,652 [7] | City proper | 1,180 | 5,200 | Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil
|
| 25 | Baghdad | 5,556,562 | | | | Image:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq
|
| 26 | Bengalooru | 5,158,019 | Municipal corporation | 230 | 22,426 | Image:Flag of India.svg India
|
| 27 | Wuhan | 5,147,431 | Urban area | 400 | 12,868 | Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
|
| 28 | Tianjin | 5,083,657 | Urban Area | | | Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
|
| 29 | Chongqing | 4,865,499 | | | | Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
|
| 30 | Santiago | 4,810,997 | | | | Image:Flag of Chile (bordered).svg Chile
|
| 31 | Saint Petersburg | 4,661,219 (Census 2002) | City proper | 1,439 | 3,330 | Image:Flag of Russia (bordered).svg Russia
|
| 32 | Kolkata | 4,651,322 | Municipal corporation | | | Image:Flag of India.svg India
|
| 33 | Pune | 4,485,000 | Municipal Corporation | 700 | 6,407 | Image:Flag of India.svg India
|
| 34 | Singapore | 4,408,220 | Country | 699 | 6,306 | Image:Flag of Singapore (bordered).svg Singapore
|
| 35 | Kinshasa | 4,385,264 | | | | Image:Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
| 36 | Chennai | 4,368,883 | Municipal corporation | | | Image:Flag of India.svg India
|
| 37 | Shenyang | 4,111,624 | | | | Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
|
| 38 | Guangzhou | 4,056,025 | | | | Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China
|
| 39 | Los Angeles | 3,844,829[8] | City proper | 1,290 | 2,980 | Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States
|
| 40 | Ahmedabad | 3,796,043 | Municipal corporation | 190 | 19,979 | Image:Flag of India.svg India
|
| 41 | Sydney | 3,774,894 | Urban area | 1,690 | 2,234 | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Australia
|
| 42 | Busan | 3,657,840 [9] | 223 dong | 763.46 | 4,791 | Image:Flag of South Korea (bordered).svg South Korea
|
| 43 | Alexandria | 3,693,412 | Governorate | 2,680 | 1,378 | Image:Flag of Egypt.svg Egypt
|
| 44 | Hyderabad | 3,619,856 | Municipal corporation | 170 | 21,293 | Image:Flag of India.svg India
|
| 45 | Yokohama | 3,600,175 [10] | City proper | 440 | 8,182 | Image:Flag of Japan (bordered).svg Japan
|
| 46 | Ankara | 3,561,187 | City proper | 2,500 | 1,424 | Image:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey
|
| 47 | Casablanca | 3,462,648 | | | | Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco
|
| 48 | Ho Chi Minh City | 3,407,129 | City core (old city proper) | | | Image:Flag of Vietnam.svg Vietnam
|
| 49 | Berlin | 3,405,250 | State | 892 | 3,818 | Image:Flag of Germany.svg Germany
|
| 50 | Madrid | 3,155,359 | Municipal Corporation | 607 | 5,198 | Image:Flag of Spain.svg Spain
|
