Top cities by population density. The most populous cities in the world. Population of Guangzhou, China
Today's holiday is dedicated to humanity, which recently passed the 7 billion mark - World Population Day. On the occasion of the planet's population continuing to increase every hour, we propose to explore the most densely populated cities on Earth.
The main city of Taiwan, which has determined the vector of economic and urban development for communist China since the eighties, miraculously manages to combine population density with the comfort of its stay. In general, even the city metro is not particularly congested here.
The capital of the Philippines, famous for its incredible number of ancient churches and temples, has rightfully held the title of the most populous city in the world for many years. Manila's population density is more than forty thousand people per square kilometer of area - an unattainable record. Although, if we take into account the agglomeration, the picture is not so sad - a little more than ten thousand per kilometer.
The Indian city is the fourth most populous in the country, but the first in terms of density. Rightfully considered an educational and cultural center, Kolkata has not escaped all the side effects of overpopulation - massive slums with their half-starved inhabitants.
Also known as Bombay, the most populous city in India, which has surpassed the demographic mark of a billion people, simply could not help but be one of the global settlements with a record high population density. The figure is five thousand less than in Calcutta and two times lower than in Manila, which, however, does not make it less impressive and terrifying at the same time.
Having a population of just over two million people (this does not take into account the numerous suburbs, where five times more people working in the capital are settled), it is among the most densely populated cities in the world due to its compact size - only a hundred square kilometers (25 times less than than Moscow Square!). At the same time, it does not cause the effect of overpopulation, unlike the same one dotted with slums.
Egypt's capital of eight million is famous for its neighborhoods that look more like huge monumental buildings, a city of garbage collectors and traffic lights that can be counted on one hand. The first of the city's dubious attractions did not appear because of a good life - Cairo has nowhere to expand given the constantly high number of internal migrants arriving in the city.
With a vast agglomeration, in the center of the largest city of Pakistan, there is, so to speak, no crowding - more than ten million people live on just over five hundred square kilometers of area. Even more of them arrive in the center every morning to work from far-flung surrounding areas.
In terms of population and population density, Nigeria's largest city is rapidly catching up with the Egyptian capital - having gained almost five million people in ten years, the important African port has reached the mark of eighteen thousand people per square kilometer. And Lagos is clearly not going to stop there.
Chinese Shenzhen, which sets records for population growth rates, has long surpassed other cities in the Middle Kingdom in terms of the number of people per unit area. In addition to traditionally not the best environmental condition in the entire country, Shenzhen, being the main business center of China, was able to avoid the main problems of overpopulation.
The capital of South Korea is filling up with people clearly faster than it can grow. With a population density of almost eighteen thousand people per square kilometer, it continues to be one of the most comfortable cities in the world to live in.
Another Indian city on the list, following the example of its peers, is not too bothered to solve the problems associated with overpopulation. Being the fourth largest in India, Chennai suffers from the usual problems for the region - slums, streets clogged with traffic, problems with communications and sanitary conditions for citizens.
The Colombian capital is always included in the lists of dynamically developing cities in the world - the city government deserves the respect of many international authorities for its efforts and success in solving the problems of the most populous city in South America. Of course, there are also slums formed by new migrants, but Bogota copes with its almost eleven million people perhaps better than anyone in the region.
The largest city in China and the first most populous city in the world could not be left out of this selection. Thanks to the rather vast territory occupied by Shanghai, it finds itself in one of the last positions, more or less successfully distributing a damn dozen thousand people across its 746 square kilometers. And if we take into account the agglomeration, then the business capital of the Celestial Empire can be considered a city of free spaces.
A small Belarusian mining town may seem like an alien, it’s unclear how it got on this list, but the facts speak for themselves - with an area of only ten square kilometers, the town is inhabited by more than one hundred thousand people. Unlike other small settlements, Soligorsk is not expanding, but becoming denser, sacrificing green spaces.
The territory occupied by Lima usually does not take into account the huge slums on the outskirts of the city and the numerous small settlements of the agglomeration. The bulk of the seven million population of the Peruvian capital is concentrated on six hundred square kilometers of area, which allows the city to take last place among the fifteen overpopulated settlements in the world.
Life in modern cities can be convenient, practical and profitable from a financial point of view, but there are a large number of cities in the world where the population density is so high - not everyone would want to live in them. Such agglomerates are characterized by a colossal volume of cars on the roads, pollution and endless noise.
According to Forbes magazine, the list of the most densely populated of the 20 cities is headed by the megacities of India and China, in which the most people live per square kilometer of land.
A densely populated city in western India.
Total area: 518 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 18,900 people. Population: 9.8 million people.
- the second largest city in Africa after Cairo, the financial center of Nigeria, the production of textiles, high technology and food is concentrated there.
Total area: 466 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 17,150 people. Population: 8 million people.
The capital and largest city of South Korea. One of the financial and industrial centers of the world.
Total area: 1049 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 16,700 people. Population: 17.5 million people.
The center of cultural and tourist life in Taiwan.
Total area: 414 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 14,350 people. Population: 6 million people.
The largest city in the country, the largest economic center of Colombia.
Total area: 518 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 13,500 people. Population: 7 million people.
The capital of China is the country's largest economic center.
Total area: 596 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 11,750 people. Population: 7 million people.
Third in terms of population after Shanghai and Chongqing. The largest railway and road junction in the country.
Total area: 1295 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 11050 people. Population: 14.3 million people.
Since 1960, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Total area: 1399 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 10550 people. Population: 14.7 million people.
One of the largest cities in Asia, the capital and largest city of Iran.
Total area: 1360 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 10,500 people. Population: 14.2 million people.
18. Tianjin, China. Total area: 453 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 10,500 people. Population: 4.8 million people.
A large city and administrative center in southern India.
Total area: 534 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 10,100 people. Population: 5.4 million people.
The largest city in Vietnam.
Total area: 518 sq. km. Number of inhabitants per sq. km: 9450 people. Population: 4.9 million people.
10
Hacca is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. Located in the Ganges delta, on the left bank of the Buriganga. Dhaka is considered the “rickshaw capital of the world” - more than 300 thousand of these colorfully painted “carts” are officially registered here, without which not a single event can take place.
9
Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation, a city of federal significance, the administrative center of the Central Federal District and the center of the Moscow Region, which it is not part of. Moscow is the largest financial center on an all-Russian scale, an international business center and a management center for a large part of the country's economy. For example, about half of the banks registered in Russia are concentrated in Moscow. According to Ernst & Young, Moscow ranks 7th among European cities in terms of investment attractiveness.
8
Mumbai is a city in western India, on the coast of the Arabian Sea. The administrative center of the state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the cultural center of the country, with many museums and art galleries, concerts with the participation of both national performers and world-famous stars, and the largest film companies in all of India are located here.
7
Guangzhou is a city of sub-provincial significance of the People's Republic of China, the capital of Guangdong Province, the political, economic, scientific, technical, educational, cultural and transport center of all southern China.
6
Tambul is the largest city in Turkey, the main commercial, industrial and cultural center, and the main port of the country. It is located on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait, dividing it into European and Asian parts, connected by bridges and a metro tunnel. It is the first city in Europe in terms of population (taking into account the population living in both the European and Asian parts). Former capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman empires.
5
Lagos is a port city in southwestern Nigeria, the largest city in the country. Lagos is the most populous city in Africa. Lagos is home to approximately half of Nigeria's industry.
4
Delhi is located in northern India on the banks of the Jamna River. Delhi is a cosmopolitan city where different cultures are mixed. Delhi has also become a city of science, and occupies a leading position not only in the field of information technology and telecommunications, but also in natural sciences and applied sciences. 30% of India's IT is concentrated in Delhi (here Delhi is second only to Bangalore, which has 35% of IT specialists).
3
Beijing is the capital and one of the central cities of the People's Republic of China. Beijing is surrounded on three sides by Hebei Province and borders Tianjin in the southeast. The headquarters of most national companies in China are located in Beijing. China's largest transportation hub, Beijing is the origin of many highways and railways, and Beijing Capital International Airport is the second-largest airport in the world in terms of passenger traffic.
2
Arachi is a port city in the south of Pakistan, the largest city in the country and one of the largest cities in the world, the administrative center of the Sindh province. The favorable geographical position of the city, located in a convenient natural harbor, contributed to its rapid growth and development during the colonial period and especially after the division of British India into two independent states in 1947 - India and Pakistan.
1
Shanghai is the largest city in China and one of the largest cities in the world by population. Located in the Yangtze River Delta in eastern China. The industrial sector of the city occupies a leading position in the state. The most profitable and developed areas are automotive production, mechanical engineering, petrochemical refining, metallurgy, textile and light industry.
Shanghai is a cozy, hospitable and, at the same time, the most highly developed metropolis in China. It miraculously intertwines western chic and oriental charm. The metropolis is replete with expensive restaurants, breathtaking skyscrapers, fashionable shopping centers, casinos, luxury hotels and ancient architectural buildings. Europeans often compare it with Venice and Paris, and therefore the city has even acquired many beautiful nicknames - Pearl of the East, shopping paradise, Eastern Paris.
The modern rhythm of life dictates conditions that could not even be imagined 100 years ago. The majority of humanity tends to live in big cities, which means population density (the number of people living in one square kilometer) is constantly growing. The world's most populous city has as many people today as there were in all of North America in 1850.
Manila
The capital of the Philippines, the most populous metropolis in the world. Having a small area of 38.5 km2, the city is home to 1.66 million people, which amounts to an unprecedented density of 43,079 people/km2. It’s quite hard to imagine such overcrowding – it’s like putting all the residents shoulder to shoulder in a cube of 20 rows of people located on top of each other. And in a separate area, No. 6, a density of 68,266 people/km2 was noted.
The most populous city suffers from typical environmental problems due to Manila's poor infrastructure. There are several dead rivers within the metropolis, and up to 200 tons of waste are dumped into the largest, Pasig, every day (!). In addition - open landfills, air pollution from transport and industrial waste. Only 10% of wastewater is treated. Traffic jams contribute to the release of thousands of tons of gases into the atmosphere, which exceeds all permissible standards.
Mumbai
Formerly Bombay, India's largest city with a population of 12.48 million. The capital of Maharashtra has the second highest population density in the world - 21,665 people per square kilometer.
Mumbai is a city of contrasts, where luxury meets poverty at every turn. It is India's largest port and largest international hub, handling half of the country's passengers. This is a cosmopolitan city where Asian and European cultures coexist peacefully. It is interesting that crime here is moderate, despite the huge number of men who come to work.
Environmental problems have not escaped Mumbai - the level of litter in the Ulhas River in some places reaches 80%, since the city's wastewater is not pre-treated. The degree of air pollution exceeds the norm by 3 times and affects the lungs like smoking 10 cigarettes (per day).
Paris
The population of 2.24 million people living on an area of 105 km2 has a density of 21,289 people/km2. In Paris, the majority of residents are young people, and the number of foreigners is 15%. The city, which can be explored on foot in a few hours, experiences all the delights of a huge metropolis.
Smog, noise and traffic emissions, and a lack of green areas are the main problems of Paris. But the government is trying to solve these issues: trees are being planted on the roofs of houses everywhere, and the quality of water in the Seine has improved by an order of magnitude in recent years.
All industrial production is gradually moving outside the city limits, thereby reducing soil pollution. Every day a special probe is launched over the city, the color of which changes depending on the composition of the air. And the data can be seen on many boards in the city, along with temperature and time.
Macau
Autonomy in the PRC, where 541 thousand people live on an area of 27 square kilometers, which is a density of 20,044 people/km2. The former island became a peninsula due to the drainage of coastal areas. Interestingly, one of the most densely populated cities in the world has a very low birth rate - 9 babies per 1000 inhabitants. And the main population growth occurs due to migration.
The city's economy is built on the backs of the gambling business (70% of the city's budget), the textile and tobacco industries, and fishing. The unemployment rate is low - 4%, general literacy is high - 95% of the population.
Monaco
A dwarf state, one of the most densely populated in the world, in which 35,986 people live on 2 square kilometers, which is a population density of 18,285 people/km2. The main sources of income in the state are gambling, tourism and coverage of the life of the royal family. Residents are quite successfully trying to take away new territories from the sea for the construction of residences on concrete islands.
Barcelona
The capital of Catalonia was no exception - 1.6 million inhabitants were compactly located on an area of 100 km2, which amounted to a density of 16,056 people/km2. The size of Barcelona is limited by two rivers and a mountain range, so it can only grow in height.
This is a large industrial city that cares about the environment - many new products that reduce the harmful impact on the planet are successfully used in construction. New roads are made of photocatalytic concrete, which absorbs nitrogen oxides and converts them into harmless compounds. The roads are illuminated using stones, without electrical energy, using only solar energy. The citizens themselves care about the environment - they switched to bicycles en masse, and the government met halfway, increasing the number of bicycle paths at the expense of car lanes. The roofs of houses are being actively greened.
Dhaka
The capital of Bangladesh, located in the world's largest river delta, is simply catastrophically overpopulated. The population is 9.72 million people living on an area of 816 km2, resulting in a density of 11,918 people per km2. And this is only according to official data (and according to unofficial data - twice as much). The country ranks 169th in the world according to the environmental performance index, which is determined by the criteria of the health of the nation and the vitality of the ecosystem.
The literacy rate of the population is quite low - 68%, a third of the townspeople live below the poverty line (up to $5 a day). The main mode of transport is motorbikes and pedicabs, which cause traffic jams. A large percentage of the population uses rivers as a means of transport, which negatively affects its condition - all tourists note an incredible smell near the water. The banks of the rivers resemble garbage dumps, with tons of garbage that has not been removed for years. We should add constant floods and other natural disasters, which the government has been able to cope with with varying degrees of success.
Republic of Singapore
A city-state located on 63 islands, which limits its area (718 km2) and creates a population density of 7,437 people/km2. There is a land reclamation program here, thanks to which the city of Lev is gradually expanding.
Over the course of 30 years, this country has managed to solve many of its problems and become a developed state with a high standard of living. In the 60s, residents imported drinking water and sand for construction, and now Singapore has surpassed Switzerland in terms of the size of its bank assets. There is a transparent market system and an almost complete absence of corruption (the salary of Singaporean judges is about $1 million per year). The crime rate is very low, with the death penalty for drugs and murder.
5% of the entire territory of Singapore is protected areas. The fact that they know how to take care of the environment here is evidenced by the fact that the city is in 5th place in the world in terms of the environmental efficiency index.
Tokyo
The capital of Japan is home to 13.37 million people with a population density of 6,108 people/km2, which is due to the geographical location of the city - it is located on the island of Honshu with several small ones around. Projects to create artificial islands are gradually being implemented, which serves as the only opportunity to expand the area.
The city is located in a zone of seismic activity and questions have repeatedly arisen about moving the capital to a safer place. The government is trying to make life easier for residents of the metropolis, which ranks third in the country in terms of the number of diseases associated with environmental problems - electric taxis, green gardens on the roofs, oxygen cylinders on the streets for children.
But at the same time, according to a survey by the British magazine Economist in 2015, Tokyo was recognized as the safest city in the world.
Shanghai
Interestingly, the most populated city in the world, which is currently home to 24.2 million people, has a density of only 3,809 people/km2. This Chinese port city has become an important financial and industrial center in just 200 years from a small fishing village.
The prerogative of today's construction in the city is precisely high-rise buildings, which is understandable in the conditions of such a metropolis. In terms of the number of skyscrapers, this is the main Chinese city - the famous Shanghai Tower is located here (a 128-story building, the second in the world).
Despite the high population density and the number of visitors, the city has a very low percentage of crimes against foreigners.
Already now, people have to pay for the benefits of civilization and the opportunity to live in the most densely populated cities in the world. And, if a state with a developed economy has the means to make the lives of metropolitan residents better, then third world countries serve as a clear example of real monsters that destroy all living things...
Megacities... Capitals... Giants... Many enjoy their lot to live in such cities. The advantages are obvious to them: civilization, financial opportunities, easy success in life. Others get tired of the bustle, gloom, indifference and stifling atmosphere of huge capitals, and prefer the calm and good-natured atmosphere of small towns. To each his own!
Well, we’ll talk about who and where “live fun and well.” So, the most populated cities in the world - TOP 2012
First place. Divided by two cities!
As you may have guessed, the most populated city, by definition, must be in China. This is Shanghai. But, surprisingly, thanks to its huge area, the kilometer of which is about 6400 sq. km. – its population density is not as high as in other cities – our leaders. So the dear Chinese still have plenty of room to multiply. Shanghai has a population of 23 million. Let them not be sad; in some regions, it turns out, things are even worse. For example, in Jokarta (Indonesia), a population of more than 26 million lives in an area of 660 sq. km.
On second place our TOP - Mumbai, India. There, about 22 million people live in a fairly small municipal corporation area (600 sq. km). This is almost the most densely populated city in the world, the population density is more than 23 thousand people per sq. km. I wonder what they breathe there?
On third place everything is not so tragic - Turkish Istanbul, a beautiful city with amazing architecture, unique nature, ancient cultural and historical heritage. This once majestic capital of Byzantium and the Ostman Empire still arouses great interest. About 17 million people live in the city, but the population density leaves no cause for concern.
On fourth place Delhi, successfully competing with Istanbul, already occupies a leading position. More than 22 million people live in a fairly small area of 432 sq. km. The alarming population density reaches almost 30 thousand people per sq. km. Today it is the most populous city in the world. Although it is slightly smaller than Mumbai, Delhi is the capital. India leads in the density and population of its cities. This has its advantages, as well as its disadvantages. Seoul (Republic of Korea) has a population of about 23 million inhabitants, which allows it to share this 4th place of honor with Delhi.
On fifth place Karachi, Pakistan. More than 18 million live in the city, with a population density even lower than in Moscow. Luxurious city.
On sixth place Cairo (Egypt) and Beijing (PRC) - the population of these cities is just over 17 million inhabitants.
On seventh place Sao Paulo, sunny Brazil. Everything is absolutely wonderful there - 13.6 million in a huge city! Rejoicing and having fun. Wonderful!
On eighth place– Tokyo with its 13 million living citizens. The growth prospects are very high!
On ninth place- Moscow. The largest city in Europe by population, however! Moscow will continue to strengthen its leading position. And of course, the population of Russia’s largest city, its capital, already exceeds 11.9 million and is constantly growing.
And finally, on tenth place– Lagos, Nigeria, whose population exceeds 13 million, but its density is quite high - about 8 thousand people per sq. km.
Unfortunately, many cities are not yet included in our TOP of the largest and most populous cities in the world. But in general, the picture is more rosy for some, sadder for others. Let us hope for the best!