This article lists the largest human settlements in the world (by population) over time, as estimated by historians, from 7000 BC when the largest human settlement was a proto-city in the ancient Near East with a population of about 1,000–2,000 people, to the year 2000 when the largest human settlement was Tokyo with 26 million.
Rome, Chang'an or Baghdad may have been the first city to have 1,000,000 people, as early as the 1st century or as late as the 8th century. Later cities that might have reached 1 million include Luoyang, Kaifeng, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Beijing, and Edo. There is wide agreement that London was the first city to reach 2 million and New York was the first to reach 10 million.
The Greater Tokyo Area was the most populous metropolitan area in the world from 1955 to 2025, with more than 37.393 million residents as of 2020. Jakarta overtook Tokyo in 2025, partly due to Tokyo's shrinking population.
As disagreements between the sources show, any of the pre-19th century figures are uncertain, especially in ancient times. Estimating population sizes before censuses were conducted is a difficult task.
List of the most populous human settlements over time
The following table lists the most populous human settlements by estimated population at specified points in history according to three sources: Ian Morris, George Modelski and Tertius Chandler. City names are in bold where all three sources agree. It shows the evolution of the largest settlement from proto-city to city to urban area to metropolitan area.
| Year | Morris (2010) | Modelski (2003) | Chandler (1987) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Name | Present location | Population | Name | Present location | Population | Name | Present location | |
| BC-7000 | 1,000 | Beidha | Jordan | 1,000–2,000 | Jericho | West Bank | |||
| Basta | Jordan | ||||||||
| Çatalhöyük | Turkey | ||||||||
| BC 6500 | 5,000–10,000 | Çatalhöyük | Turkey | ||||||
| BC 6000 | 3,000 | Çatalhöyük | Turkey | ||||||
| BC 4000 | 5,000 | Uruk | Iraq | 4,000 | Eridu | Iraq | |||
| Tell Brak | Syria | ||||||||
| BC 3800 to 3700 | < 10,000 | Dobrovody | Ukraine | ||||||
| BC 3700 | 6,000–10,000 | Eridu | Iraq | ||||||
| BC 3600 to 3500 | < 10,000 | Maydanets | Ukraine | ||||||
| < 10,000 | Talianki | Ukraine | |||||||
| BC 3500 | 14,000 | Uruk | Iraq | ||||||
| BC 3300 | 40,000 | Uruk | Iraq | ||||||
| BC 3200 | 20,000 | Abydos | Egypt | ||||||
| BC 3100 | 20,000 | Memphis | Egypt | ||||||
| BC 3000 | 45,000 | Uruk | Iraq | 40,000 | Uruk | Iraq | 30,000 | Memphis | Egypt |
| BC 2800 | 80,000 | Uruk | Iraq | Memphis | Egypt | ||||
| BC 2500 | 60,000 | Lagash | Iraq | Memphis | Egypt | ||||
| 20,000 | Nippur | Iraq | |||||||
| BC 2400 | 50,000 | Mari | Syria | Memphis | Egypt | ||||
| 40,000 | Umma | Iraq | |||||||
| Girsu | Iraq | ||||||||
| Mohenjo-daro | Pakistan | ||||||||
| BC 2300 | 80,000 | Girsu | Iraq | Memphis | Egypt | ||||
| 50,000 | Mari | Syria | |||||||
| BC 2250 | > 30,000 | Memphis | Egypt | ||||||
| BC 2240 | Akkad | Iraq | |||||||
| BC 2200 | 50,000 | Girsu | Iraq | Akkad | Iraq | ||||
| BC 2100 | 100,000 | Ur | Iraq | Akkad | Iraq | ||||
| BC 2075 | 50,000 | Girsu | Iraq | ||||||
| BC 2059 | Girsu | Iraq | |||||||
| BC 2030 | Ur | Iraq | |||||||
| BC 2000 | 60,000 | Memphis | Egypt | 40,000 | Isin | Iraq | 65,000 | Ur | Iraq |
| Larsa | Iraq | ||||||||
| Girsu | Iraq | ||||||||
| BC 1991 | Ur | Iraq | |||||||
| BC 1980 | Thebes | Egypt | |||||||
| BC 1900 | 40,000 | Isin | Iraq | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
| Larsa | Iraq | ||||||||
| BC 1800 | 60,000 | Mari | Syria | > 25,000 | Thebes | Egypt | |||
| BC 1770 | 60,000 | Babylon | Iraq | ||||||
| BC 1700 | 60,000 | Babylon | Iraq | Babylon | Iraq | ||||
| BC 1670 | Avaris | Egypt | |||||||
| BC 1650 | 100,000 | Avaris | Egypt | ||||||
| BC 1600 | 50,000–100,000 | Avaris | Egypt | 100,000 | Avaris | Egypt | |||
| BC 1595 | Avaris | Egypt | |||||||
| BC 1580 | Avaris | Egypt | |||||||
| BC 1557 | Memphis | Egypt | |||||||
| BC 1500 | 75,000 | Uruk | Iraq | 60,000 | Thebes | Egypt | Memphis | Egypt | |
| Thebes | Egypt | ||||||||
| BC 1400 | 80,000 | Thebes | Egypt | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
| BC 1375 | 100,000 | Thebes | Egypt | ||||||
| BC 1360 | 80,000 | Thebes | Egypt | ||||||
| BC 1350 | Thebes | Egypt | |||||||
| BC 1300 | - | Yinxu (Anyang) | China | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
| BC 1205 | Memphis | Egypt | |||||||
| BC 1200 | 80,000 | Babylon | Iraq | 160,000 | Pi-Ramses | Egypt | 50,000 | Memphis | Egypt |
| Thebes | Egypt | ||||||||
| BC 1188 | Thebes | Egypt | |||||||
| BC 1184 | 120,000 | Thebes | Egypt | ||||||
| BC 1100 | 120,000 | Pi-Ramses | Egypt | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
| BC 1000 | 35,000 | Qiyi (Qi) | China | 120,000 | Thebes | Egypt | > 50,000 | Thebes | Egypt |
| 100,000 | Haojing (Xi'an) | China | > 50,000 | Haojing (Xi'an) | China | ||||
| Memphis | Egypt | 50,000 | Chengzhou (Luoyang) | China | |||||
| Babylon | Iraq | 100,000 | |||||||
| BC 900 | 120,000 | Haojing | China | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
| BC 800 | 75,000 | Nimrud/Kalhu | Iraq | 125,000 | Haojing | China | > 50,000 | Thebes | Egypt |
| BC 700 | 100,000 | Thebes | Egypt | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
| Memphis | Egypt | ||||||||
| Nineveh | Iraq | ||||||||
| Babylon | Iraq | ||||||||
| Luoyi (Luoyang) | China | ||||||||
| Linzi | China | ||||||||
| BC 668 | 100,000 | Nineveh | Iraq | ||||||
| BC 650 | 120,000 | Nineveh | Iraq | ||||||
| BC 612 | Babylon | Iraq | |||||||
| BC 600 | 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq | 100,000 | Babylon | Iraq | |||
| Luoyi | China | ||||||||
| BC 562 | 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq | ||||||
| BC 500 | 150,000 | Babylon | Iraq | 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq | Babylon | Iraq | |
| Luoyi | China | ||||||||
| Linzi | China | ||||||||
| BC 479 | Babylon | Iraq | |||||||
| BC 460 | Babylon | Iraq | |||||||
| BC 440 | Babylon | Iraq | |||||||
| BC 430 | 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq | ||||||
| BC 400 | 320,000 | Xiadu | China | Babylon | Iraq | ||||
| BC 320 | > 300,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | ||||||
| BC 300 | 500,000 | Carthage | Tunisia | Pataliputra (Patna) | India | ||||
| BC 220 | Pataliputra | India | |||||||
| BC 206 | Pataliputra | India | |||||||
| BC 200 | 300,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | 600,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | 350,000 | Pataliputra | India |
| 400,000 | Chang'an (Xi'an) | China | |||||||
| BC 195 | Chang'an | China | |||||||
| BC 190 | Chang'an | China | |||||||
| BC 170 | Chang'an | China | |||||||
| BC 160 | Chang'an | China | |||||||
| BC 100 | 1,000,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | Chang'an | China | ||||
| BC 25 | Rome | Italy | |||||||
| AD 1 | 1,000,000 | Rome | Italy | 800,000 | Rome | Italy | Rome | Italy | |
| AD 100 | 1,000,000 | Rome | Italy | 450,000 | Rome | Italy | |||
| AD 180 | 600,000 | Rome | Italy | ||||||
| AD 200 | 800,000 | Rome | Italy | 1,200,000 | Rome | Italy | Rome | Italy | |
| AD 280 | 500,000 | Rome | Italy | ||||||
| AD 300 | 1,700,000 | Rome | Italy | Rome | Italy | ||||
| AD 340 | Constantinople (Istanbul) | Turkey | |||||||
| AD 350 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
| AD 361 | 300,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
| AD 400 | 500,000 | Rome | Italy | 800,000 | Rome | Italy | Constantinople | Turkey | |
| AD 410 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
| AD 450 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
| AD 500 | 500,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | 400,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||
| Jiankang (Nanjing) | China | ||||||||
| Luoyang | China | ||||||||
| AD 570 | Ctesiphon | Iraq | |||||||
| AD 575 | 500,000 | Ctesiphon | Iraq | ||||||
| AD 600 | 600,000 | Daxing (Chang'an) | China | 600,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | 500,000 | Ctesiphon | Iraq |
| AD 622 | 500,000 | Ctesiphon | Iraq | ||||||
| AD 637 | 400,000 | Chang'an | China | ||||||
| AD 650 | Chang'an | China | |||||||
| AD 700 | 1,000,000 | Chang'an | China | 800,000 | Chang'an | China | |||
| AD 750 | 800,000 | Chang'an | China | ||||||
| AD 775 | 600,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | ||||||
| AD 800 | 1,000,000 | Chang'an | China | 800,000 | Chang'an | China | 700,000 | Baghdad | Iraq |
| AD 833 | 900,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | ||||||
| AD 900 | 750,000 | Chang'an | China | 900,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | 900,000 | Baghdad | Iraq |
| AD 925 | 1,100,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | ||||||
| AD 932 | 1,100,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | ||||||
| AD 935 | 350,000 | Cordoba | Spain | ||||||
| AD 1000 | 1,000,000 | Kaifeng | China | 1,200,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | 350,000 | Cordoba | Spain |
| AD 1013 | 400,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
| AD 1050 | 400,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
| AD 1071 | 400,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
| AD 1100 | 1,200,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | 442,000 | Kaifeng | China | |||
| AD 1102 | 442,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
| AD 1126 | 420,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
| AD 1127 | 200,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
| AD 1145 | 200,000 | Merv | Turkmenistan | ||||||
| AD 1150 | 200,000 | Merv | Turkmenistan | ||||||
| AD 1153 | 200,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
| AD 1160 | 200,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
| AD 1170 | 200,000 | Fez | Morocco | ||||||
| AD 1180 | 200,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
| AD 1200 | 1,000,000 | Hangzhou | China | 1,000,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | 255,000 | Hangzhou | China |
| Hangzhou | China | ||||||||
| Kaifeng | China | ||||||||
| AD 1210 | 260,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
| AD 1250 | 320,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
| AD 1273 | 432,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
| AD 1300 | 1,500,000 | Hangzhou | China | 432,000 | Hangzhou | China | |||
| AD 1315 | 432,000 | Cairo | Egypt | ||||||
| AD 1325 | 500,000 | Cairo | Egypt | ||||||
| AD 1348 | 432,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
| AD 1350 | 432,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
| AD 1358 | Jiankang (Nanjing) | China | |||||||
| AD 1391 | 473,000 | Yingtian (Nanjing) | China | ||||||
| AD 1400 | 500,000 | Yingtian (Nanjing) | China | 1,000,000 | Yingtian (Nanjing) | China | 487,000 | Yingtian | China |
| AD 1420 | Yingtian | China | |||||||
| AD 1425 | Beijing | China | |||||||
| AD 1450 | 600,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
| AD 1492 | 669,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
| AD 1500 | 600,000 | Beijing | China | 1,000,000 | Beijing | China | 672,000 | Beijing | China |
| AD 1550 | 690,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
| AD 1575 | 706,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
| AD 1579 | 706,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
| AD 1600 | 700,000 | Beijing | China | 1,000,000 | Beijing | China | 706,000 | Beijing | China |
| AD 1635 | Beijing | China | |||||||
| AD 1637 | Beijing | China | |||||||
| AD 1650 | 700,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
| AD 1670 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
| AD 1675 | 750,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
| AD 1684 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
| AD 1685 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
| AD 1690 | 700–800,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
| AD 1700 | 650,000 | Beijing | China | 1,000,000 | Ayutthaya | Thailand | 700,000 | Constantinople | Turkey |
| AD 1710 | Beijing | China | |||||||
| AD 1720 | Edo | Japan | Beijing | China | |||||
| AD 1750 | 900,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
| AD 1775 | 1,000,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
| AD 1800 | 1,100,000 | Beijing | China | 1,100,000 | Beijing | China | 1,100,000 | Beijing | China |
| AD 1821 | 1,300,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
| AD 1825 | 1,350,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
| 1,335,000 | London (urban area) | United Kingdom | |||||||
| AD 1841 | 1,948,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
| AD 1850 | 2,320,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
| AD 1851 | 2,362,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
| AD 1861 | 2,803,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
| AD 1875 | 4,241,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
| AD 1900 | 6,600,000 | London | United Kingdom | 6,500,000 | London | United Kingdom | 6,480,000 | London | United Kingdom |
| AD 1914 | 7,419,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
| AD 1925 | 7,774,000 | New York (urban area) | United States | ||||||
| AD 1936 | 10,150,000 | New York | United States | ||||||
| AD 1950 | 12,463,000 | New York | United States | ||||||
| AD 1965 | 15,000,000 | Tokyo (urban area) | Japan | ||||||
| AD 1975 | 20,500,000 | Tokyo | Japan | ||||||
| AD 2000 | 26,400,000 | Tokyo | Japan | ||||||
See also
- Historical urban community sizes, 7000 BC – 2000
- List of largest European cities in history
- List of largest cities, present day
- Estimates of historical world population
- Valeriepieris circle
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