The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition
![shutterstock-157099034 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 1 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/607e/e6b9/b58d/cc27/4524/6627/newsletter/shutterstock-157099034.jpg?1618929376)
According to the United Nations’ latest report on populations in cities, by 2030, “urban areas are projected to house 60 percent of people globally and one in every three people will live in cities with at least half a million inhabitants”. Growing in both size and number, cities are hubs of government, commerce, and transportation, and in 2021, the world’s 20 largest cities are home to half a billion people. In fact, one in five people worldwide lives in a city with more than 1 million inhabitants.
Below, we have rounded up the top 20 megacities in the world of 2021, according to the number of people that live in their metropolitan area. While Tokyo is the largest city on a global level, with a total of more than 37 million residents, the majority of the most populous cities in the world are in the two most populated countries, China and India. Among these, we have 5 metropolises in China, Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Tianjin, and Guangzhou, and 3 in India, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. The largest city in the American continent is Sao Paulo in Brazil with 22 million people, followed by Mexico City and Buenos Aires in Argentina. Istanbul takes the 13th position with one part of the city lying in Europe and the other part in Asia.
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Read on below for the full results.
1- Tokyo, Japan
Population: 37,339,804
![Tokyo_shutterstock_552100717 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 13 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/2115/08a5/e566/ee00/09b0/newsletter/Tokyo_shutterstock_552100717.jpg?1543250174)
2- Delhi, India
Population: 31,181,376
![Delhi_shutterstock_1196037019 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 12 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1c30/08a5/e566/ee00/0996/newsletter/Delhi_shutterstock_1196037019.jpg?1543248927)
3- Shanghai, China
Population: 27,795,702
![Shanghai_shutterstock_1239377482 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 6 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1c71/08a5/e51c/3500/04ac/newsletter/Shanghai_shutterstock_1239377482.jpg?1543248992)
4- Sao Paulo, Brazil
Population: 22,237,472
![Sao_Paulo_shutterstock_1225383205 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 7 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1cc5/08a5/e51c/3500/04ae/newsletter/Sao_Paulo_shutterstock_1225383205.jpg?1543249077)
5- Mexico City, Mexico
Population: 21,918,936
![Mexico_shutterstock_1239590488 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 8 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1cdb/08a5/e51c/3500/04af/newsletter/Mexico_shutterstock_1239590488.jpg?1543249099)
6- Dhaka, Bangladesh
Population: 21,741,090
![Dhaka_shutterstock_1161331864 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 10 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1d04/08a5/e51c/3500/04b0/newsletter/Dhaka_shutterstock_1161331864.jpg?1543249140)
7- Cairo, Egypt
Population: 21,322,750
![shutterstock_666797164 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 20 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/6081/4357/f91c/81e5/ea00/0015/newsletter/shutterstock_666797164.jpg?1619084091)
8- Beijing, China
Population: 20,896,820
![Beijing_shutterstock_1196943205 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 2 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1cb1/08a5/e566/ee00/0999/newsletter/Beijing_shutterstock_1196943205.jpg?1543249055)
9- Mumbai, India
Population: 20,667,656
![Mumbai_shutterstock_1238064772 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 5 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1c85/08a5/e566/ee00/0998/newsletter/Mumbai_shutterstock_1238064772.jpg?1543249011)
10- Osaka, Japan
Population: 19,110,616
![Osaka_shutterstock_1234028482 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 11 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1d19/08a5/e51c/3500/04b1/newsletter/Osaka_shutterstock_1234028482.jpg?1543249161)
11- Karachi, Pakistan
Population: 16,459,472
![shutterstock-1458308810 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 14 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/607e/ddb8/e6cf/df01/65ee/1355/newsletter/shutterstock-1458308810.jpg?1618927736)
12- Chongqing, China
Population: 16,382,376
![shutterstock-782159620 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 17 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/607e/dd61/e6cf/df01/65ee/1354/newsletter/shutterstock-782159620.jpg?1618927605)
13- Istanbul, Turkey
Population: 15,415,197
![shutterstock-310551701 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 19 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/607e/dc53/e6cf/df01/65ee/1353/newsletter/shutterstock-310551701.jpg?1618927324)
14- Buenos Aires, Argentina
Population: 15,257,673
![Buenos_Aires_shutterstock_458538094 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 4 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1d93/08a5/e51c/3500/04b3/newsletter/Buenos_Aires_shutterstock_458538094.jpg?1543249281)
15- Kolkata, India
Population: 14,974,073
![Kolkata_shutterstock_1223177599 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 9 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1da8/08a5/e566/ee00/099f/newsletter/Kolkata_shutterstock_1223177599.jpg?1543249303)
16- Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Population: 14,970,460
![shutterstock-1586713069 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 16 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/607e/db6e/e6cf/df01/65ee/1352/newsletter/shutterstock-1586713069.jpg?1618927058)
17- Lagos, Nigeria
Population: 14,862,111
![shutterstock-1183969021 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 18 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/607e/da9b/e6cf/df01/65ee/1351/newsletter/shutterstock-1183969021.jpg?1618927461)
18- Manila, Philippines
Population: 14, 158,573
![shutterstock-220033192 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 21 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/6082/8679/5497/ce01/64ab/df17/newsletter/shutterstock-220033192.jpg?1619166865)
19- Tianjin, China
Population: 13,794,450
![shutterstock_549135316 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 15 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/607e/da1d/f91c/81ce/b700/0043/newsletter/shutterstock_549135316.jpg?1618926087)
20- Guangzhou, China
Population: 13,635,397
![Guangzhou_shutterstock_1231509661 The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition - Image 3 of 21](https://i0.wp.com/images.adsttc.com/media/images/5bfc/1cf0/08a5/e566/ee00/099a/newsletter/Guangzhou_shutterstock_1231509661.jpg?1543249119)
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Cite: Christele Harrouk. "The 20 Largest Cities in the World: 2021 Edition" 21 Apr 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/906605/the-20-largest-cities-in-the-world-of-2018> ISSN 0719-8884
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