World's Largest Cities: It Depends on How You Measure

Defining "Largest City": Multiple Metrics, Different Winners

There's no single answer—different criteria yield different "largest" cities:

By Urban Area Size

Chongqing, China — 32,030 km² (UN data)

By Metropolitan Population

Tokyo, Japan — ~37 million

By City Proper Population

Shanghai, China — ~26.3 million metro

Other Major Contenders

• São Paulo, Brazil — ~22 million metro
• Mexico City, Mexico — ~21.2 million metro
• New York City, USA — ~8 million city proper, ~20 million metro

Boundaries, definitions, and growth rates change constantly. "Largest" depends entirely on whether you measure administrative area, urban footprint, or metropolitan population.