10 Largest Cities in the World

The world’s population is estimated to be 7.53 billion people. But we’re not all evenly spread out across all the land surface area of Earth, are we? We’re not even evenly spread out across the inhabitable areas of Earth (excluding all the deserts and tundras). So, here are the 10 largest cities in the world — the 10 places on our planet where the most people live!

Mumbai, India

12.4 million people live in Mumbai. It’s on the western coast of the Indian Subcontinent, and was established by the British in the 17th century. Being a coastal city obviously helped its growth, and by the middle of the 18th century Mumbai was a thriving city that was a trade and manufacturing hot spot. Mumbai is also the centre of the Bollywood industry, making it a city with one of the highest GDPs in the world.

Tianjin, China

Tianjin is on China’s northern coast and has a population of 12.7 million people. Its history is also laden with colonialism, so there is a mix of traditional Chinese and European architecture. Tianjin has the highest GDP per capita in China (over $17,000), and, as was the case with Mumbai, a lot of this has to do with the fact that it’s a coastal city that sees a lot of trade and business.

Manila, Philippines

Manila has a population of 12.8 million people. It was founded by the Spanish in 1571, but the city’s modern layout was planned by American urban planner, Daniel Burnham, in 1905. Manila is the capital city of the Philippines and is also a harbor town that sees a lot of trade. However, this city is very prone to natural disasters like floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes. Nevertheless, it’s population keeps on growing!

Moscow, Russia

Russia’s capital is home to over 13.1 million people. The city’s constant population growth has resulted in the gradual expansion of the city’s borders. More and more “circles” are added to the city, and the city’s haphazard urban architecture results in many people living on the outskirts and commute downtown. This results in insane traffic jams every morning and evening, during peak rush hour. Nevertheless, the city has many green areas and unique architecture.