10 Largest Cities in the World

The world’s population is estimated to be 7.53 billion people. But
we’re not all evenly spread out across all the land surface area of
Earth, are we? We’re not even evenly spread out across the
inhabitable areas of Earth (excluding all the deserts and tundras).
So, here are the 10 largest cities in the world — the 10 places on
our planet where the most people live!

Mumbai, India

12.4 million people live in Mumbai. It’s on the western coast of
the Indian Subcontinent, and was established by the British in the
17th century. Being a coastal city obviously helped its growth, and
by the middle of the 18th century Mumbai was a thriving city that was
a trade and manufacturing hot spot. Mumbai is also the centre of the
Bollywood industry, making it a city with one of the highest GDPs in
the world.

Tianjin, China

Tianjin is on China’s northern coast and has a population of 12.7
million people. Its history is also laden with colonialism, so there
is a mix of traditional Chinese and European architecture. Tianjin
has the highest GDP per capita in China (over $17,000), and, as was
the case with Mumbai, a lot of this has to do with the fact that it’s
a coastal city that sees a lot of trade and business.

Manila, Philippines

Manila has a population of 12.8 million people. It was founded by the
Spanish in 1571, but the city’s modern layout was planned by
American urban planner, Daniel Burnham, in 1905. Manila is the
capital city of the Philippines and is also a harbor town that sees a
lot of trade. However, this city is very prone to natural disasters
like floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes. Nevertheless, it’s
population keeps on growing!

Moscow, Russia

Russia’s capital is home to over 13.1 million people. The city’s
constant population growth has resulted in the gradual expansion of
the city’s borders. More and more “circles” are added to the
city, and the city’s haphazard urban architecture results in many
people living on the outskirts and commute downtown. This results in
insane traffic jams every morning and evening, during peak rush hour.
Nevertheless, the city has many green areas and unique architecture.

Tokyo, Japan

You knew Tokyo would be on this list. If you ask anyone what a “big
city” means to them, chances are they’ll come up with “Tokyo”
as an example. And they wouldn’t be wrong. Tokyo’s population is
13.6 million people. It’s the capital of Japan and is home to 51 of
the Fortune 500 companies, ranking 4th on the Global Cities Index.
It’s a very modern city that has (in my humble opinion) managed to
make the best of its rapidly growing population and adjusted its
infrastructure accordingly.

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has a population of slightly over
14.5 million people. It’s the biggest city in Bangladesh and one of
the biggest cities in South Asia in general. However, it wasn’t
always this big! Dhaka saw a rapid population growth in the past
several decades, as more and more people move to the city for jobs.
It’s the financial and cultural center of the country, and that
status comes with a high population!

Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey’s capital was established 660BC in the Byzantine empire.
Since then, it has been the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin,
and Ottoman empires, now serving as the capital of Turkey. It
currently has a population of 14.6 million people and attracts
millions of additional people who come to Istanbul as tourists every
year. Its long and rich history has made it very attractive to
tourists who are interested in history, culture, the arts, and
entertainment in general.

Karachi, Pakistan

Karachi has a population of 18 million and is a busy city thanks to
its strategic location on the coast of the Arabian Sea, being the
home of one of Pakistan’s largest and busiest ports. As such, the
city generates about 20% of the countries entire GDP, and its “city
economy” has been valued at over $113 billion.

Beijing, China

The capital of China has a population of over 20 million people. It
is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, and is a business
hub, with many of the country’s automobile, textile, chemical, and
technological exports being managed there. Needless to say — its
GDP is great too, over $174 billion. And yet, it’s not even the
biggest city in China.

Shanghai, China

Shanghai is the biggest city in China and in the world. With a population of over 24 million people, it is far ahead of its nearest competitor, Beijing. It’s located in the strategic location in the Yangtze River Delta and is home to the world’s busiest port. Its strategic location also made it a point of contention with both the British and the French, who wanted to control the city in the 19th century. Later, the Japanese wanted the city for themselves during World War II. However, now, Shanghai is the trading hub of modern China, and has been reported to show double-digit growth in its population and economic output since 1992.