What is the largest city in the world? Biggest places by population and area.

About eight billion people live on planet Earth, a milestone that the United Nations estimated we passed on Nov. 15, 2022. It's a stark increase from the world population in 1950, which was 2.5 billion. Still, the U.N. estimates the growth rate is slowing – it'll take approximately 15 years to reach nine billion people.

About 335 million of the world's population lives in the United States, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. And while the U.S. is among the world's most populous countries, its numbers pale in comparison to India and China, which each have over 1.4 billion people.

 What is the largest city in the world?

Here are the top 10 largest cities by population in 2024 according to World Population Review, rounded: 

1. Tokyo, Japan - 37.1 million people
2. Delhi, India  - 33.8 million people
3. Shanghai, China - 29.8 million people
4. Dhaka, Bangladesh - 23.9 million people
5. São Paulo, Brazil - 22.8 million people
6. Cairo, Egypt - 22.6 people
7. Mexico City, Mexico - 22.5 million people
8. Beijing, China - 22.1 million people
9. Mumbai, India - 21.6 million people
10. Osaka, Japan - 18.9 million people

What is the largest city in the world by area?

Each country defines a city differently, making a standard measurement for the largest city by area harder to determine.

To combat inconsistency across countries, Demographia created "Urban Areas," a standardized way to measure cities that factors in population density. Using Urban Area as a form of measurement, cities and areas are grouped together so the top 10 largest cities by area are not the individual cities but rather groups of cities within a determined proximity.

Here are the top 10 largest cities in terms of square miles according to the World Population Review, based on reports from Demographia:

1. New York-Newark
2. Boston-Providence
3. Tokyo-Yokohama
4. Atlanta
5. Chicago
6. Los Angeles
7. Moscow
8. Washington-Baltimore 
9. Philadelphia
10. Dallas-Fort Worth

What state has the lowest population?Top 10 least-populated states

Just Curious for more? We've got you covered.

USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "Where is Mount Everest?" to "What is the biggest state in the U.S.?" to "Why do dogs have whiskers?" – we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you.