Right now the population of Earth is about 7.45 billion. By 2050 the number of people in the world is projected to reach 10 billion. The number of citizens that live in giant metropolises will jump as well. Besides, the rating of the largest metropolises will be reshuffled.
World’s most populated cities
At the moment Tokyo tops the rating of the most populated places on the planet. The capital of Japan is home to 38 million inhabitants. It’s well ahead of the closest competitor, Jakarta (Indonesia) with 30,5 mln residents.
Moscow (Russia) is #15, New York and Los Angeles (USA) are #9 and #18 accordingly.
Top-20 world’s most populated megacities (2015)
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- Tokyo (Japan): 38 million
- Jakarta (Indonesia): 30.5
- Delhi (India): 25 million
- Manila (Philippines): 24.1
- Seoul (South Korea): 23.5
- Shanghai (China): 23.4
- Karachi (Pakistan): 22.1
- Beijing (China): 21
- New York (USA) 20.6
- Guangzhou (China): 20.5
- Sao Paulo (Brazil): 20.3
- Mexico (Mexico): 19.4
- Mumbai (India): 17.7
- Osaka, incl. Kobe, Kyoto (Japan): 17.4
- Moscow (Russia): 16.1
- Dhaka (Bangladesh): 15.7
- Cairo (Egypt): 15.6
- Los Angeles (USA): 15
- Bangkok (Thailand): 14.9
- Kolkata (India): 14.6
The rating includes a wider metropolitan area with suburbs.
By 2030, this list will look different, Business Insider states, referencing the report by the United Nations’ World Urbanization Prospects.
Top-10 most populated cities by 2030 (Prognosis)
By 2030, no European or American cities will make the top-10. The Japanese capital still leads the forthcoming rating but it’s expected to have fewer residents than today. The majority of destinations with giant urban population are going to be located in Asia.
- Tokyo (Japan): 37.2 million
- Delhi (India): 36.1
- Shanghai (China): 30.8
- Mumbai (India): 27.8
- Beijing (China): 27.7
- Dhaka (Bangladesh): 27.4
- Karachi (Pakistan): 24.8
- Cairo (Egypt): 24.5
- Lagos (Nigeria): 24.2
- Mexico (Mexico): 23.9
However, by 2075 Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) is expected to become the world’s most populous city, experts of the Global Cities Institute predict. However, if the academics are right, by 2100 Lagos (Nigeria) will become #1 with the total number of residents standing at whopping 188 million.
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That just ridiculous, people will be living hell 1/4 of the way there and no one will want to live there, hard to imagine that Lagos will become the most populated city in the world, even by 2100. What are they even basing this absurdity on?