According to the United Nations, the urban population is set to increase by almost 800 million by the year 2035 reaching a total of 5.6 billion. 2025 approximately 4.8 of the more than 8 billion people worldwide lived in towns or cities. This represents 58% of the global population. By 2035 this figure is set to reach 62%.
At present there are 37 cities worldwide with more than 10 million inhabitants. Most of these so-called megacities are situated in Asia (22), Latin America (6) or Africa (4). Currently the largest city is the urban agglomeration of Tokyo with a population of 37.0 million inhabitants. This is followed by Delhi (34.7 million) and Shanghai (30.5 million). According to United Nations calculations, the number of megacities is expected to increase to 48 by 2035. Delhi will then be the largest global city with a population of more than 43 million.
For more data on urban population trends please consult World Urbanization Prospects 2018 as published by the United Nations.
| Rank | Urban agglomeration | Country | 2025 | 2035 | Change 2025 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in million | in % | ||||
| 1 | Tokyo | Japan | 37.0 | 36.0 | -2.8 |
| 2 | Delhi | India | 34.7 | 43.3 | 25.0 |
| 3 | Shanghai | China | 30.5 | 34.3 | 12.7 |
| 4 | Dhaka | Bangladesh | 24.7 | 31.2 | 26.7 |
| 5 | Al-Qahirah (Cairo) | Egypt | 23.1 | 28.5 | 23.5 |
| 6 | São Paulo | Brazil | 23.0 | 24.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | Ciudad de México (Mexico City) | Mexico | 22.8 | 25.4 | 11.7 |
| 8 | Beijing | China | 22.6 | 25.4 | 12.3 |
| 9 | Mumbai | India | 22.1 | 27.3 | 23.8 |
| 10 | New York-Newark | United States | 19.2 | 20.8 | 8.7 |
| Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, projections | |||||