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, Jinling, Beijing, 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 has been the most populous metropolitan area in the world since 1955, with more than 37.393 million residents as of 2020.[1] Jakarta is expected to overtake Tokyo by 2030, partly due to Tokyo's shrinking population.[2]
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.[3]
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)[4] | Modelski (2003)[5] | Chandler (1987)[6] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | Name | Present location | Population | Name | Present location | Population | Name | Present location | |
7000 BC | [7] 1,000 | Beidha | Jordan | [8] 1,000–2,000 | Jericho | West Bank | |||
Basta[9] | Jordan | ||||||||
Çatalhöyük | Turkey | ||||||||
6500 BC | [8][10] 5,000–10,000 | Çatalhöyük | Turkey | ||||||
6000 BC | [11] 3,000 | Çatalhöyük | Turkey | ||||||
4000 BC | 5,000 | Uruk | Iraq | [8] 4,000 | Eridu | Iraq | |||
Tell Brak | Syria | ||||||||
3800 to 3700 BC | [12] < 10,000 | Dobrovody | Ukraine | ||||||
3700 BC | 6,000–10,000 | Eridu | Iraq | ||||||
3600 to 3500 BC | [12] < 10,000 | Maydanets | Ukraine | ||||||
[12] < 10,000 | Talianki | Ukraine | |||||||
3500 BC | 14,000 | Uruk | Iraq | ||||||
3300 BC | 40,000 | Uruk | Iraq | ||||||
3200 BC | 20,000 | Abydos | Egypt | ||||||
3100 BC | 20,000 | Memphis | Egypt | ||||||
3000 BC | [13] 45,000 | Uruk | Iraq | 40,000 | Uruk | Iraq | 30,000 | Memphis | Egypt |
2800 BC | 80,000 | Uruk | Iraq | Memphis | Egypt | ||||
2500 BC | [14] 60,000 | Lagash[15] | Iraq | Memphis | Egypt | ||||
[14] 20,000 | Nippur | Iraq | |||||||
2400 BC | [16] 50,000 | Mari | Syria | Memphis | Egypt | ||||
[16] 40,000 | Umma | Iraq | |||||||
Girsu[15] | Iraq | ||||||||
Mohenjo-daro | Pakistan | ||||||||
2300 BC | [17] 80,000 | Girsu | Iraq | Memphis | Egypt | ||||
[17] 50,000 | Mari | Syria | |||||||
2250 BC | > 30,000 | Memphis | Egypt | ||||||
2240 BC | Akkad[18] | Iraq | |||||||
2200 BC | 50,000 | Girsu | Iraq | Akkad | Iraq | ||||
2100 BC | 100,000 | Ur | Iraq | Akkad | Iraq | ||||
2075 BC | 50,000 | Girsu[15] | Iraq | ||||||
2059 BC | Girsu | Iraq | |||||||
2030 BC | Ur | Iraq | |||||||
2000 BC | 60,000 | Memphis | Egypt | [19] 40,000 | Isin | Iraq | 65,000 | Ur | Iraq |
Larsa | Iraq | ||||||||
Girsu | Iraq | ||||||||
1991 BC | Ur | Iraq | |||||||
1980 BC | Thebes | Egypt | |||||||
1900 BC | 40,000 | Isin | Iraq | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
Larsa | Iraq | ||||||||
1800 BC | 60,000 | Mari | Syria | > 25,000 | Thebes | Egypt | |||
1770 BC | 60,000 | Babylon | Iraq | ||||||
1700 BC | 60,000 | Babylon | Iraq | Babylon | Iraq | ||||
1670 BC | Avaris[20] | Egypt | |||||||
1650 BC | [21] 100,000 | Avaris | Egypt | ||||||
1600 BC | 50,000–100,000 | Avaris[20] | Egypt | 100,000 | Avaris | Egypt | |||
1595 BC | Avaris | Egypt | |||||||
1580 BC | Avaris | Egypt | |||||||
1557 BC | Memphis | Egypt | |||||||
1500 BC | 75,000 | Uruk | Iraq | 60,000 | Thebes | Egypt | Memphis | Egypt | |
Thebes | Egypt | ||||||||
1400 BC | 80,000 | Thebes | Egypt | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
1375 BC | [21] 100,000 | Thebes | Egypt | ||||||
1360 BC | 80,000 | Thebes | Egypt | ||||||
1350 BC | Thebes | Egypt | |||||||
1300 BC | 120,000 | Yinxu (Anyang) | China | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
1205 BC | Memphis[22] | Egypt | |||||||
1200 BC | 80,000 | Babylon | Iraq | 160,000 | Pi-Ramses[20] | Egypt | [22] 50,000 | Memphis | Egypt |
Thebes | Egypt | ||||||||
1188 BC | Thebes | Egypt | |||||||
1184 BC | 120,000 | Thebes | Egypt | ||||||
1100 BC | 120,000 | Pi-Ramses | Egypt | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
1000 BC | 35,000 | Qiyi (Qi) | China | [23] 120,000 | Thebes | Egypt | [24] > 50,000 | Thebes | Egypt |
[23] 100,000 | Haojing (Xi'an)[25] | China | [24] > 50,000 | Haojing (Xi'an)[25] | China | ||||
Memphis | Egypt | [24] 50,000 | Chengzhou (Luoyang)[26] | China | |||||
Babylon | Iraq | [21] 100,000 | |||||||
900 BC | 120,000 | Haojing | China | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
800 BC | 125,000 | Haojing | China | > 50,000 | Thebes | Egypt | |||
700 BC | 100,000 | Thebes | Egypt | Thebes | Egypt | ||||
Memphis | Egypt | ||||||||
Nineveh | Iraq | ||||||||
Babylon[27] | Iraq | ||||||||
Luoyi (Luoyang)[26] | China | ||||||||
Linzi | China | ||||||||
668 BC | [21] 100,000 | Nineveh | Iraq | ||||||
650 BC | 120,000 | Nineveh | Iraq | ||||||
612 BC | Babylon | Iraq | |||||||
600 BC | 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq | [21] 100,000 | Babylon | Iraq | |||
Luoyi | China | ||||||||
562 BC | 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq | ||||||
500 BC | 150,000 | Babylon | Iraq | [28] 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq | Babylon | Iraq | |
Luoyi | China | ||||||||
Linzi | China | ||||||||
479 BC | Babylon | Iraq | |||||||
460 BC | Babylon | Iraq | |||||||
440 BC | Babylon | Iraq | |||||||
430 BC | 200,000 | Babylon | Iraq | ||||||
400 BC | 320,000 | Xiadu | China | Babylon | Iraq | ||||
320 BC | > 300,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | ||||||
300 BC | 500,000 | Carthage | Tunisia | Pataliputra (Patna) | India | ||||
220 BC | Pataliputra | India | |||||||
206 BC | Pataliputra | India | |||||||
200 BC | 300,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | 600,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | [29] 350,000 | Pataliputra | India |
400,000 | Chang'an (Xi'an)[25][29] | China | |||||||
195 BC | Chang'an | China | |||||||
190 BC | Chang'an | China | |||||||
170 BC | Chang'an | China | |||||||
160 BC | Chang'an | China | |||||||
100 BC | 1,000,000 | Alexandria | Egypt | Chang'an | China | ||||
25 BC | Rome | Italy | |||||||
AD 1 | 1,000,000 | Rome | Italy | 800,000 | Rome | Italy | Rome | Italy | |
100 | 1,000,000 | Rome | Italy | 450,000 | Rome | Italy | |||
180 | 600,000 | Rome | Italy | ||||||
200 | 800,000 | Rome | Italy | 1,200,000 | Rome | Italy | Rome | Italy | |
280 | 500,000 | Rome | Italy | ||||||
300 | 1,000,000 | Rome | Italy | Rome | Italy | ||||
340 | Constantinople (Istanbul) | Turkey | |||||||
350 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
361 | 300,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
400 | 500,000 | Rome | Italy | 800,000 | Rome | Italy | Constantinople | Turkey | |
410 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
450 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
500 | 500,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | 400,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||
Jiankang (Nanjing)[30] | China | ||||||||
Luoyang[26] | China | ||||||||
570 | Ctesiphon[31] | Iraq | |||||||
575 | 500,000 | Ctesiphon | Iraq | ||||||
600 | [32] 600,000 | Daxing (Chang'an)[25] | China | 600,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | 500,000 | Ctesiphon | Iraq |
622 | 500,000 | Ctesiphon | Iraq | ||||||
637 | 400,000 | Chang'an[25] | China | ||||||
650 | Chang'an | China | |||||||
700 | 1,000,000 | Chang'an[25] | China | 800,000 | Chang'an | China | |||
750 | 800,000 | Chang'an | China | ||||||
775 | 600,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | ||||||
800 | 1,000,000 | Chang'an | China | 800,000 | Chang'an | China | 700,000 | Baghdad | Iraq |
833 | 900,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | ||||||
900 | [4] 750,000 | Chang'an | China | 900,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | 900,000 | Baghdad | Iraq |
925 | 1,100,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | ||||||
932 | 1,100,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | ||||||
935 | 350,000 | Cordoba | Spain | ||||||
1000 | 1,000,000 | Kaifeng | China | [33] 1,200,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | 350,000 | Cordoba | Spain |
1013 | 400,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
1050 | 400,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
1071 | 400,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
1100 | 1,200,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | 442,000 | Kaifeng | China | |||
1102 | 442,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
1126 | 420,000 | Kaifeng | China | ||||||
1127 | 200,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
1145 | 200,000 | Merv | Turkmenistan | ||||||
1150 | 200,000 | Merv | Turkmenistan | ||||||
1153 | 200,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
1160 | 200,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
1170 | 200,000 | Fez | Morocco | ||||||
1180 | 200,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
1200 | [34] 1,000,000 | Hangzhou | China | 1,000,000 | Baghdad | Iraq | 255,000 | Hangzhou | China |
Hangzhou | China | ||||||||
Kaifeng | China | ||||||||
1210 | 260,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
1250 | 320,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
1273 | 432,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
1300 | 1,500,000 | Hangzhou | China | 432,000 | Hangzhou | China | |||
1315 | 432,000 | Cairo | Egypt | ||||||
1325 | 500,000 | Cairo | Egypt | ||||||
1348 | 432,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
1350 | 432,000 | Hangzhou | China | ||||||
1358 | Jinling (Nanjing) | China | |||||||
1391 | 473,000 | Jinling | China | ||||||
1400 | 500,000 | Jinling (Nanjing) | China | 1,000,000 | Jinling (Nanjing) | China | 487,000 | Jinling | China |
1420 | Jinling | China | |||||||
1425 | Beijing | China | |||||||
1450 | 600,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
1492 | 669,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
1500 | 600,000 | Beijing | China | 1,000,000 | Beijing | China | 672,000 | Beijing | China |
1550 | 690,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
1575 | 706,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
1579 | 706,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
1600 | 700,000 | Beijing | China | 1,000,000 | Beijing | China | 706,000 | Beijing | China |
1635 | Beijing | China | |||||||
1637 | Beijing | China | |||||||
1650 | 700,000 | Constantinople[35] | Turkey | ||||||
1670 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
1675 | 750,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
1684 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
1685 | Constantinople | Turkey | |||||||
1690 | 700–800,000 | Constantinople | Turkey | ||||||
1700 | 650,000 | Beijing | China | 1,000,000 | Ayutthaya | Thailand | 700,000 | Constantinople | Turkey |
1710 | Beijing | China | |||||||
1720 | Edo[36] | Japan | Beijing | China | |||||
1750 | 900,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
1775 | 1,000,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
1800 | 1,100,000 | Beijing | China | 1,100,000 | Beijing | China | 1,100,000 | Beijing | China |
1821 | 1,300,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
1825 | 1,350,000 | Beijing | China | ||||||
1,335,000 | London (urban area) | United Kingdom | |||||||
1841 | 1,948,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
1850 | 2,320,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
1851 | 2,362,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
1861 | 2,803,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
1875 | 4,241,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
1900 | 6,600,000 | London | United Kingdom | 6,500,000 | London | United Kingdom | 6,480,000 | London | United Kingdom |
1914 | 7,419,000 | London | United Kingdom | ||||||
1925 | 7,774,000 | New York (urban area) | United States | ||||||
1936 | 10,150,000 | New York | United States | ||||||
1950 | 12,463,000 | New York | United States | ||||||
1965 | 15,000,000 | Tokyo (urban area) | Japan | ||||||
1975 | 20,500,000 | Tokyo | Japan | ||||||
2000 | [37]26,400,000 | Tokyo | Japan |
See also
- Historical urban community sizes, 7000 BC – 1875
- List of largest European cities in history
- List of largest cities, present day
- Estimates of historical world population
- Valeriepieris circle
References
- ^ "The World's Cities in 2018" (PDF). United Nations. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ "Jakarta to Topple Tokyo as World's Biggest City by 2030". Bloomberg. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ Rosenberg, Matt (4 November 2019), "Largest Cities Throughout History", ThoughtCo, archived from the original on 18 August 2016, retrieved 28 December 2020
- ^ a b (a)Morris, Ian (October 2010). "Social Development" (PDF). Ian Morris. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. This contains supporting materials for the following book: (b)Morris, Ian (2010). Why the West Rules—For Now. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-29002-3.
- ^ Modelski, George (2003). World Cities: -3000 to 2000. Washington DC: Faros2000. ISBN 0-9676230-1-4. Figures in main tables are preferentially cited. Part of former estimates can be read atModelski, George (12 January 2008). "The Evolutionary World Politics Homepage". The Evolutionary World Politics Homepage. Archived from the original on 28 December 2008.
- ^ Chandler, Tertius (1987). Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth: An Historical Census. Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press. ISBN 0-88946-207-0. Chandler defines a city as a continuously built-up area (urban) with suburbs but without farmland inside the municipality. Figures in main tables are preferentially cited. Part of Chandler's estimates are summarized or modified at: (a)Chase-Dunn, Christopher. "Polities and Settlements Research Working Group". The Institute for Research on World-Systems. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022. (b)Rosenberg, Matt (4 November 2019). "Largest Cities Throughout History: Determining population prior to census-taking was no easy task". ThoughtCo. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2020. (c)"Populations of Largest Cities in PMNs from 2000BCE to 1988AD". Etext Archives. Archived from the original on 11 February 2008.
- ^ The date that the population of Beidha, Basta and Çatalhöyük is estimated to be 1,000 is given as 7500 BCE in Morris's published text (p. 632).
- ^ a b c Suggested to be the largest cities in Modelski's text, but not given constantly prior to 3700 BCE (p. 3, p. 17, and p. 20). No entry is suggested for the Halafian and Ubaid periods.
- ^ A Pre-Pottery Neolithic B settlement located ca. 25 km north of Petra.
- ^ The rough year that Çatalhöyük was supposed to be the largest is not given in Modelski's text which cites Ian Hodder's report (p. 3 and p. 17). The year 6500 BCE is based on the recent report by Hodder (Inhabiting Çatalhöyük: Reports from the 1995–99 Seasons (Çatalhöyük Research Project), Cambridge, UK: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 2005.) where less inhabitants (1,500 to 2,000) are suggested by Craig Cessford (pp. 323–326).
- ^ The date that the population of Çatalhöyük is estimated to be 3,000 is given as 6500 BCE in Morris's published text (p. 632).
- ^ a b c Suggested to be housing up to 10,000 people in Modelski's text (pp. 24–25), but only Eridu is listed as the largest city in Table 2 (a) (p. 22). The estimate is based on the author's personal communication with Mikhail Videiko, Institute of Archaeology, Kiev, October 2002 (p. 75). The previous estimates by S. I. Kruts for Maydanets and Talianki are 8,000 (1,575 housed within 270 ha) and 14,000 (2,700 houses within 450 ha), respectively (Pitskhelauri, K. N., and Chernykh, E. N. Eds., Kavkaz v sisteme paleometallicheskikh kultur Evrazii, Metsniereba, Tbilisi, 1989, pp. 146–156.).
- ^ Suggested to be more than 45,000 in Morris's published text (p. 632).
- ^ a b According to Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 218), Nippur shares the top with Lagash with 60,000 inhabitants in 2500 BC, though Table 2 (b) suggests that the population of Nippur is 20,000, the value of which is even lower than those estimated for Mari (50,000); Uruk and Umma (40,000); Memphis, Ebla, Urkesh, and Shuruppak (30,000) (p. 28).
- ^ a b c Girsu (Telloh), the later capital of the state of Lagash, was situated 25 km NW of Lagash (Tell al Hiba), though both sites are frequently referred as Lagash.
- ^ a b According to Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 218), Girsu shares the top with Mari with 50,000 inhabitants, though Table 2 (b) suggests that the population of Girsu as well as Umma and Mohenjo-daro is 40,000 (p. 28).
- ^ a b According to Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 218), the population of Girsu for 2300 BCE is estimated as 50,000, which is less than that appears in Table 2 (b) and is the same value with that estimated for Mari (p. 28).
- ^ Location uncertain. Maybe west of Sippar.
- ^ Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 218) excludes Girsu for 2000 BCE, though Table 2 (b) lists Girsu with 40,000 inhabitants (p. 28), sharing the top with Isin and Larsa.
- ^ a b c The palace of Pi-Ramses (Qantir) was founded 2 km NE of Avaris (or Hawaret, Tell el-Dab'a), the residential area of which overlaps.
- ^ a b c d e When the city first passed 100,000, suggested by Richard Forstall (pp. 541–542).
- ^ a b According to Chandler's list of the largest cities (pp. 523–527), Thebes was the largest for 1400–668 BC, but Memphis was also supposed to be somewhat larger during 1205–1188 (p. 94, p. 460).
- ^ a b Modelski's list of the world's largest cities treats Thebes and Haojing as the top cities with 100,000 inhabitants (p. 218), though the same list on the next page (p. 219) as well as Table 2 (c) place the population of Thebes at 120,000, while that for Haojing as well as Memphis and Babylon at 100,000 (pp. 33–34).
- ^ a b c Chandler listed Thebes, Haojing, and Chengzhou (Luoyang) as the largest, second-largest, and third-largest cities (p. 460), though Luoyang is supposed to pass 100,000 in 1000 BCE (p. 541).
- ^ a b c d e f Haojing, which formed the capital of Western Zhou together with Fenghao, was located 15 km SW of Chang'an, the capital of Tang dynasty as well as the present center of Xi'an. Han capital was located 5 km NW of the center of modern Xi'an. All these sites are now within the sub-provincial city of Xi'an.
- ^ a b c Chengzhou was founded on the east side of the Luo river with Wangzheng on the west side. Both cities were later annexed to form Luoyi (Luoyang), the center of which has often shifted.
- ^ According to Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 219), the population of Babylon for 700 BCE is estimated as 120,000, which makes Babylon the only city to appear as the largest, while Table 8 (a) shows that Babylon has 100,000 inhabitants in 700 BCE (p. 55).
- ^ Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 219) excludes Linzi for 500 BC, though Table 5 (a) lists Linzi with 200,000 inhabitants (p. 41).
- ^ a b According to Chandler's list of the largest cities (pp. 523–527), Pataliputra was the largest for 300 to 195 BC, but Chang'an is listed as the largest already in 200 BCE (p. 462).
- ^ Based on historical documents, in Southern Liang dynasty, Jiankang (Nanjing) had 280,000 registered households, and assuming an average Nanjing household had about 5.1 people at that time, the city had more than 1.4 million residents. (Shufen Liu, "Jiankang and the Commercial Empire of the Southern Dynasties", in Pearce, Spiro, Ebrey eds. Culture and Power, 2001:35.)
- ^ Seleucia was founded on the right bank of Tigris opposite to Ctesiphon. Figures for Seleucia include the population of Ctesiphon as a suburb during the Seleucid era and vice versa during the Sassanid era.
- ^ The population of Daxing (Chang'an) in AD 600 is estimated at 250,000 in Morris's published text (p. 632), while the supporting material describes 600,000.
- ^ Modelski's list of world's largest cities (p. 219) estimates the population of Baghdad for AD 1000 as 1,500,000, which is much higher than the value listed in Table 8 (b) (1,200,000 inhabitants) (p. 55).
- ^ The population of Hangzhou in AD 1200 is estimated at 800,000 in Morris's published text (p. 632), while the supporting material describes 1,000,000.
- ^ Includes Üsküdar in Asia Minor as a suburb.
- ^ According to Morris (p. 483), Edo grew into the world's biggest city by 1720, but the estimated population for Edo is not given.
- ^ The population of Tokyo in AD 2000 is estimated at 26,700,000 in Morris's published text (p. 632), while the supporting material describes 26,400,000.
External links
- Top Ten Cities Through History, animation showing the ten largest cities throughout history according to Chandler
- Top 20 Most Populated Cities in The World 1500 to 2100 (History + Projection)