Top 15 Most Populated Cities in the World In 2013

There are thousands of cities that are spread throughout hundreds of countries around the world today. Within those cities, there are thousands and even millions of people that live and work each day. Regardless of where you may specifically be located in the world, it is always insightful to see the world from a bird’s eye view and get a glimpse of exactly what else is out there.

For example, many people that live in New York may feel that this beautiful city would easily make it to the Top 10 list of the most populated cities around the world. While it is true that New York is the most populated city in the United States, it may be shocking to many people to discover that even the 8.3 million people that currently live there could not get their city into a list of the Top 15. Here is a list of the cities that did make the cut.

1. Shanghai, China

Shanghai, China currently has over 17.8 million people, making it the most populated city around the globe. It is actually one of the primary province-level municipalities with a combined population that exceeds 23 million people.

2. Karachi, Pakistan

Even though it does not come anywhere close to Shanghai, the Pakistani city of Karachi comes in second place with a population of over 12.9 million people. It serves as the primary seaport and main financial centre for the entire country and is actually the capital within the Sindh province. Karachi is also without a doubt the most dangerous city on this list.

3. Mumbai, India

Only about a half of a million people separates Karachi from Mumbai on this list since this Indian city has over 12.4 million people currently living there. When you take into consideration the full metropolitan area, the combined population exceeds 20.5 million people. Not only is it the highest populated city in the country, but it is the wealthiest city as well.

4. Dhaka, Bangladesh

Even though it is not as popular or widely known as Shanghai and Mumbai, there are still quite a few people that are current residents of Dhaka. Recent reports have confirmed that over 11.8 million people are able to call this country their home right now. Historical records have proven that Dhaka has actually been inhabited for 1,000 years.

5. Beijing, China

Without actually taking the time to look at the figures for themselves, the average person might easily think that Beijing is the most populated city in the world. Even though China is towards the top of the list of the most populated countries, Beijing only holds the fifth spot on this particular list with over 11.7 million people. As mentioned earlier, another Chinese city (Shanghai) holds the crown when it comes to population – currently beating Beijing by over 6 million people.

6. Moscow, Russia

Over 11.5 million currently live in the city of Moscow, making it the highest populated city in the country of Russia. Even though it may not be that impressive when it comes to population on a global scale, Moscow does not fail to impress when it comes to the amount of wealth that is found within this city. According to a report released by Forbes in 2012, this city is #2 on the list of the largest communities of actual billionaires worldwide.

7. Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is fairly close to Moscow on this list, reaching the #7 spot with a total of over 11.3 million people. Not only is it the highest populated city in Turkey, it is also the largest with an estimated area of over 5,300 square kilometers. Similar to the Bangladeshi city of Dhaka, there is a substantial amount of ancient history that is found within the city limits of Istanbul as well that dates back to 660 BC.

8. Sao Paulo, Brazil

The Brazilian city of Sao Paulo was able to make it to the list of the most populated cities in the world by having over 11.2 million people that currently live within its boundaries. It is the capital of the state that shares its name, which is actually an honorary tribute to Saint Paul of Tarsus.

9. Tianjin, China

Tianjin barely makes it into the top ten with a total of over 11,090,000 people currently living in this city.

10. Guangzhou, China

Most people around the world have never even heard of Guangzhou. When asked to name a Chinese city, many may think of Shanghai or Beijing. However, even though it is not as widely known or as easily recognized, Guangzhou still was able to make it into this international Top 10 list simply by having over 11,070,000 residents.

11. Delhi, India

Mumbai is not the only Indian city that is listed as one of the most populated cities around the globe. Even though it fails in comparison when it comes to the actual difference in population, the fact that Delhi has a little over 11 million people is still quite an impressive statistic as well.

12. Shenzhen, China

With over 10.3 million people currently living within its city limits, Shenzhen is able to take the twelfth spot on this list.

13. Seoul, South Korea

Another Asian country, South Korea, is also featured on this list since it is being represented by the 9.7 million that currently live in the city of Seoul.

14. Jakarta, Indonesia

The Indonesian city of Jakarta currently has over 9.5 million that live there, earning this location the fourteenth spot on this list.

15. Tokyo, Japan

Although many people may think that Tokyo would be featured in the first five cities on this list based on their population, they actually have only been able to achieve the fifteenth spot based on recent figures. Even though they only this city has over 8.9 million people, that is still rather impressive when you keep in mind the number of countries that there are around the world. When you take all of that into consideration, being #15 on such an extensive list is something that is worthy of honor and respect.