Urban statistics
In its section Urban Statistics, City Mayors ranks the world’s largest as well as richest cities and urban areas. It also ranks the cities in individual countries, and provides a list of the capital cities of some 200 sovereign countries

The largest cities in the world by
land area, population and density
With the merger of core cities, suburbs and satellite towns into large metropolitan areas, the very largest cities in the world have in fact become megacities, i.e. cities with more than 10 million people. The area comprising Tokyo and Yokohama is, with a population of between 33 and 35 million, the world’s largest megacity. The list of the world’s largest cities, by land area, is headed by New York Metro, with a total area of 8,700 square kilometres. Mumbai, with a population density of almost 30,000 people per square kilometre, is the world’s most crowded city. Kolkata (Calcutta), Karachi and Lagos follow behind. More

The world's largest cities and
urban areas in 2006 and 2020
For the foreseeable future, Greater Tokyo will remain the world’s largest urban area. In 2006, the Japanese capital and its surrounding towns are home to an estimated 35.5 million people. By 2020, it is forecast that this figure will have increased to more than 37 million. However below Tokyo, the ranking of the largest urban agglomerations will change between now and 2020. Mexico City, currently number two, will drop to fifth place, while Mumbai is forecast to move up from third to second position. Also on the way up among the top placed urban areas are Delhi, (up from 6th to 3rd), Dhaka (up from 10th to 4th) and Lagos (up from 14th to 7th). More

Tokyo is number one among
the richest cities in the world
Greater Tokyo stands unrivalled in the world. For many years to come, the Japanese capital together with its surrounding urban areas will remain the richest and largest city in the world. Research published by PricewaterhouseCopper (PWC) in March 2007 places the Japanese capital at the top of the world’s richest cities between 2005 and 2020. In its own research on the world’s largest cities between 2006 and 2020, City Mayors also ranks Tokyo number one in the world. More

The 300 largest cities in the world
With a population of more than 10.2 million, Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is the world’s largest city in terms of population. Sao Paulo (Brazil), the world’s second-largest city, has a population of just over ten million. Three other cities, Bombay (India), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Karachi (Pakistan), have grown to more than nine million people. More

The capital cities of the world
Our list provides the capital cities of some 200 sovereign countries. Where available, we also provide population figures for the listed capital cities. More

Mercer: The most expensive cities in the world
For the third year running, Japan’s capital Tokyo is the world’s most expensive city. Osaka, the country’s third-largest city, is in second place. London, which occupied the number two spot in 2004, is placed third in 2005, followed by Moscow, which also drops one place. Asuncion in Paraguay is the least expensive city in the world. More

UBS: The most expensive cities in the world
London is the most expensive city in the world due to the UK capital’s high cost of renting accommodation. If rents are excluded, Oslo, Copenhagen, Tokyo and Zurich are among the most costly cities in the world. Meanwhile, as the US dollar has lost value, US cities have become cheaper since 2003. The highest gross wages are paid in Scandinavia and Switzerland. The city with the highest gross wage level is now Copenhagen, ahead of Zurich, Basel and Oslo. But owing to higher taxes and social security contributions, the Scandinavian cities have all moved down the rankings on net wages. More

Historic Cities - Living Cities
City Mayors' new series 'Historic Cities - Living Cities' features towns and cities of the 21st century, which have made significant historic contributions to urban development. Many of the cities, initially chosen for the series, are World Heritage sites or contain historic institutions and monuments, which have contributed to social, political, cultural and architectural achievements in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. More

The 200 largest US cities
Most large US cities grow strongly. In 2003, more than 72 million Americans lived in the country’s 200 largest cities compared to 71 million three years earlier. Americans living in the country's 200 largest cities represent 24.8 per cent of the total US population of 293.6 million. Figures updated for 2005 show a population drift to US sunshine cities. More

Seven out of ten of America’s largest
cities are in states bordering Mexico
Phoenix has become the America’s fifth largest city. New York continues to be the nation’s most populous city, with 8.2 million residents. This was more than twice the population of Los Angeles, which ranked second at 3.8 million. Nearly a century ago, in 1910, each of the 10 largest US cities was within roughly 500 miles of the Canadian border. The 2006 estimates show that seven of the top 10 - and three of the top five - are in states that border Mexico. More

The fastest growing / shrinking American cities More

The 50 best cities in the world
The Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva offer the best quality of life in the world. Vienna shares third place with Vancouver, while Auckland, Bern, Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Sydney are joint fifth. US cities have slipped in the 2004 rankings as tighter restrictions have been imposed on entry to the country. More

The largest urban areas in the world
The growth of urban populations in most countries of the world has lead to the creation of ‘super cities’. These are urban areas where the original core city has become part of an agglomeration that takes in neighbouring towns, new suburbs, dormitory towns or shanty settlements. More

The 500 largest cities in Europe
With a population of more than eight million, Moscow, Russia’s capital city, emerged as the largest European city in City Mayors' survey of Europe’s 500 largest towns and cities. London, the UK capital, is placed second, followed by St Petersburg, Berlin, Madrid and Rome. More

The 100 largest cities in Japan
Japan has 11 cities with populations of more than one million people. Almost 100 million Japanese, or 78 per cent of the country’s total population of 127 million, live in urban areas. The total population of Japan’s largest 100 cities amounts to 57.1 million people, or 45 per cent of all Japan's residents. More

The 30 largest cities in Canada
More Canadians prefer to live in towns and cities. More

The 100 largest cities in Brazil
Brazil has 22 towns and cities with more than half a million people. Some of them have many more. Some 15.2 million people live in the urban area around and including the city of São Paulo. For Rio de Janeiro, the figure is 9.6 million. Of Brazil's 155 million people, 115 million live in cities. Some 67 million Brazilians live in the country's 100 largest cities. More

The 200 largest cities in the UK
With a population of more than seven million people, London, the UK's capital, has no equal among its UK peers. Britain's only other city with a population of more than one million is the West Midland city of Birmingham. More

The 300 largest cities in Germany
Germany is a country of thousands of medium-sized towns and cities. Only three cities, Berlin, Hamburg and München (Munich), are Millionenstädte - cities with a population of more than one million. Another nine German cities have a population of more than 500,000 people. Some 51 million people – the equivalent of 63 per cent of Germany’s total population - live in the country’s 5,700 towns and cities. The population of Germany’s 300 largest cities amounts to almost 37 million or 45 per cent of all people living in the country. More

The 50 largest cities in France
The fact that Paris is the only French city with a population of more than one million inhabitants underlines the continued political economic and cultural dominance of the French capital. More

The largest urban areas in France
Some 22.8 million French men and women, or 38 per cent of the French population, live in the country’s 20 largest urban areas. More

The 50 largest cities in Spain
Some 15.5 million people, or 38.3 per cent of Spain’s population of 40.5 million, live in the country’s 50 largest cities. Only two of Spain’s cities, the national capital Madrid and Barcelona, have populations of more than one million. More

The 40 largest cities in Italy
Thanks to the success of independent city states in the Centre and North such as Venice, Florence, Siena, Genoa, and Milan, Italy became a flourishing and civilised country of trade and the arts. More

The 35 largest cities in India
In 2001, India had 35 cities / urban areas with a population of more than one million people. In total, some 108 million Indians, or 10.5 per cent of the national population, live in the country’s 35 largest cities. Mumbai (Bombay) with a population of more than 16 million is now the world’s fourth-largest urban area followed by Kolkata (Calcutta) in fifth place. More

The top internet cities in the US
A research study by Ohio State University ranked Chicago, Illinois, the premier US city for internet accessibility. The US capital Washington DC was placed second ahead of Dallas, Texas. More

The top internet cities in Europe
Copenhagen is the 2002/2003 holder of the annual European eCity Award. The award is based on a study of 130 European city websites. More