#ShortList : Most Populous Cities
As the world’s population continues to increase, cities grow denser trying to accomodate more people. According to the UN World Urbanisation Prospects report, the top five most populous cities are as listed below.
How many have you visited?
Tokyo, Japan
37.83 million people live in this city, the most populated city in the world! In an area that is equal to 0.6% of the total area of Japan, Tokyo has a high population density of 6,038 persons per square kilometre. Now that’s dense!
Delhi, India
The world’s second most populated city is in India, with a total of 24.95 million people living in Delhi. During my visit, I didn’t notice very many (if any) tall buildings – skyscrapers and the like – so the urban sprawl here must be phenomenal. This is also one of the poorest nations in the world, which makes for a challenging combination when trying to combat hunger and poverty at such a large scale.
Shanghai, China
In the number three spot, Shanghai boasts 22.99 million inhabitants. As a global financial centre, this busy city has transformed itself into a modern metropolis, complete with a futuristic cityscape.
Mexico City, Mexico
Situated in the Valley of Mexico at an altitude of 2,240m (7,350ft), Mexico City is home to more than 20.84 million people. Originally built on an island of Lake Texcoco by the Aztecs in 1325 as Tenochtitlan, the city was redesigned and rebuilt in accordance with the Spanish urban standards.
Sao Paulo, Brazil
And finally, trailing very closely behind is Sao Paulo with a population of 20.83 million. That’s a mere 10,000 people fewer than Mexico City. Sao Paulo is considered to be the most multicuturally diverse cities in Brazil, claiming to have the largest populations of ethnic Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish, Lebanese and Arab outside of their countries.
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