List of urban areas in the European Union

Last updated

This is a list of urban areas in the European Union with over 500,000 inhabitants as of 2022. The data comes from Demographia and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. [1] [2] Demographia provides figures for urban areas (including conurbations), [1] while the UN DESA figures are a mix agglomerations, cities proper and metropolitan areas. [2] For comparison, Function Urban Area (FUA) population figures by Eurostat are also provided, [3] however, these measure the wider metropolitan areas.

Contents

Important notes

Urban areas over 500,000 inhabitants (2015–2022)

RankUrban areaImageStatePopulation (2023) (urban areas; Demographia) [1] ESPON Population (Functional Urban Area) [4] Population (UN) [2] FUA  population (metropolitan areas; Eurostat) [3] Density
(per km2;
Demographia) [1]
Annual growth
rate (%)
1 Paris Paris - Eiffelturm und Marsfeld2.jpg Flag of France.svg  France 11,108,00012,998,58310,901,000 (agglomeration)13,125,142 (2020)3,8931.83
2 Madrid Madrid-Azca-Castellana-170913.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 6,798,0005,263,0006,497,000 (city proper)6,982,656 (2022)4,980
3 Ruhr Rathaus Galerie Essen 2011.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 6,769,0005,376,000N/AN/A2,523
4 Milan Skyline Milano - 05.JPG Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 5,471,0007,636,0003,132,000 (metro)4,934,205 (2022)2,459
5 Barcelona Barcelona desde el mar - panoramio (1a).jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 5,317,0004,082,0005,494,000 (city proper)5,093,585 (2022)4,959
6 Berlin Cityscape Berlin.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 4,286,0004,016,0003,552,000 (city proper)4,979,867 (2021)3,134
7 Naples Napoli.jpg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 3,653,0003,714,0002,198,000 (metro)3,303,711 (2022)3,544
8 Athens Attica 06-13 Athens 36 View from Lycabettus.jpg Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 3,309,0003,761,0003,156,000 (agglomeration)3,828,434 (2011)5,678
9 Rome Colosseo 2020.jpg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 3,239,0005,190,0004,210,956 (metro)4,291,581 (2022)2,829
10 RotterdamThe Hague RotterdamMaasNederland.jpg
Cityscape of The Hague, viewed from Het Plein (The Square).jpg
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 3,027,0001,904,000N/A3,035,679 (2022)2,981
11 Lisbon Aerial view of Augusta Street, Lisbon (50644280948).jpg Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 2,832,0002,591,0002,927,000 (metro)3,049,222 (2023)2,979
12 Budapest Parlement van Boedapest gelegen aan de Donau.jpg Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 2,407,0002,523,0001,759,00 (city proper)3,001,643 (2022)2,414
13 Brussels Brussels skyline gp.jpg Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 2,238,0002,639,0002,050,000 (metro)3,350,969 (2022)2,5720.02 [5]
14 CologneBonn Cologne (231726439).jpeg
Bonn mit Stadthaus Ansicht von Beuel.jpg
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 2,218,0003,070,000N/A3,005,728 (2021)2,845
15 Stockholm Gamla Stan swe.jpg Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2,200,0002,171,0001,583,000 (agglomeration)2,308,143 (2018)2,5980.58 [5]
16 Hamburg Hamburg, Speicherstadt, Wasserschloss -- 2016 -- 3230-6.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 2,189,0002,983,0001,793,000 (city proper)3,421,692 (2021)2,753
17 Munich Frauenkirche and Neues Rathaus Munich March 2013.JPG Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 2,112,0002,665,0001,504,000 (city proper)3,016,834 (2021)4,3840.72 [5]
18 Bucharest Palatul Parlamentului 1.jpg Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 2,097,0002,064,0001,821,000 (city proper)2,412,530 (2015)5,0920.10 [5]
19 Frankfurt Skyline Frankfurt am Main.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 2,055,0002,764,000n/a2,678,557 (2021)3,112
20 Vienna Blick aufs Rathaus und die Votivkirche, Wien - panoramio.jpg Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 2,030,0002,584,0001,901,000 (city proper)n/a6,0291.04 [5]
21 Warsaw Panorama siekierkowski.jpg Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 2,028,0002,785,0001,768,000 (city proper)3,374,742 (2022)3,711
22 Katowice Katowice Rynek.jpg Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 1,903,0003,029,000N/A2,417,386 (2022)2,615
23 Amsterdam ZuidasAmsterdamtheNetherlands.jpg Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1,736,0002,497,0001,132,000 (agglomeration)2,915,114 (2022)3,565
24 Copenhagen Nyhavn MichaD.jpg Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1,650,0002,350,0001,321,000 (metro)n/a2,922
25 Valencia Valencia west night.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 1,547,0001,398,000N/A1,775,845 (2022)3,9300.29 [5]
26 Turin Turin skyline.jpg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1,492,0001,601,0001,786,000 (metro)1,712,372 (2022)3,919−0.16 [5]
27 Lyon Lyon-part-dieu-2023.jpg Flag of France.svg  France 1,424,0001,669,0001,690,000 (agglomeration)2,280,845 (2019)3,0890.50 [5]
28 Marseille Coucher de soleil sur Notre-Dame de la Garde.JPG Flag of France.svg  France 1,406,0001,530,0001,599,000 (agglomeration)1,879,601 (2020)2,0410.46 [5]
29 Stuttgart Stuttgart AltesSchloss03.JPG Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1,397,0002,289,000N/A2,531,040 (2020)2,931
30 Dublin View of Dublin, looking east from Sean O'Casey Bridge 20150807 1.jpg Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 1,386,0001,477,0001,201,000 (agglomeration)1,793,902 (2011)3,0061.14 [5]
31 Porto Cais da Ribeira, Oporto, Portugal, 2012-05-09, DD 17.JPG Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 1,364,0001,245,0001,307,000 (agglomeration)1,316,989 (2023)1,715
32 Lille Lille vue gd place.JPG Flag of France.svg  France, Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1,315,0001,379,0001,054,000 (agglomeration)1,515,061 (2020)2,4890.50 [5]
33 Prague Prague-IMG 1307-Pano-web-X3.jpg Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 1,240,0001,669,0001,292,000 (city proper)2,216,746 (2022)4,023−0.07 [5]
34 Helsinki Helsinki July 2013-27a.jpg Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 1,146,0001,285,0001,279,000 (agglomeration)1,551,959 (2022)2,2230.81 [5]
35 Seville 19060879124 a5eac59dea o feria abril sevilla 2013.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 1,138,0001,180,000N/A1,556,975 (2022)4,185
36 Sofia AlexanderNevskyCathedral-Sofia-6.jpg Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 1,087,0003,174,0001,272,000 (agglomeration)1,531,867 (2022)5,2460.78 [5]
37 Antwerp MAS Antwerpen 2016-05 --1.jpg Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1,070,0001,406,0001,032,000 (metro)1,157,068 (2022)1,6080.05 [5]
38 Toulouse Toulouse by night with Basilique Saint-Sernin.jpg Flag of France.svg  France 946,000832,000N/A1,470,899 (2020)1,8640.72 [5]
39 Utrecht Stadhuis Utrecht.JPG Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 907,000692,000N/A895,000 (2022)2,894
40 Gdańsk Calle Dlugie Pobrzeze, Gdansk, Polonia, 2013-05-20, DD 06.jpg Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 874,000993,000N/A1,223,884 (2021)2,909
41 Nice Nice Port 1.jpg Flag of France.svg  France 871,0001,082,000N/A618,489 (2019)1,8680.52 [5]
42 Thessaloniki Salonica-view-aerial2.jpg Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 844,0001,052,000N/A973,997 (2011)3,9100.39 [5]
43 Bordeaux Bordeaux place de la bourse with tram.JPG Flag of France.svg  France 827,000918,000N/A1,376,375 (2020)1,1040.60 [5]
44 Łódź Lodz Manufaktura dron (2).jpg Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 798,0001,165,000N/A893,083 (2021)2,751
45 Bilbao Ayuntamiento-bilbao1.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 782,000947,000N/A1,041,059 (2022)5,297
46 Florence Florence Cathedral.jpg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 764,000645,000N/A784,279 (2022)3,352
47 Palermo Palermo panorama.JPG Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 747,000861,000N/A986,721 (2022)4,2410.12 [5]
48 Kraków Rynek Glowny w Krakowie.jpg Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 744,0001,236,000N/A1,489,912 (2021)3,503
49 Hanover Hannover Altstadt 128-h.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 742,000997,000N/A1,289,320 (2021)2,558
50 Nuremberg Nuremberg panorama morning 3.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 720,0001,443,000N/A1,181,541 (2021)3,055
51 Zaragoza 0849 pilar ebro 2004.png Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 707,000639,000N/A770,370 (2022)4,789
52 Dresden Dresden Uberblick 12.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 698,000882,000N/A965,353 (2021)2,567
53 Málaga Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Malaga.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 692,000944,000N/A887,146 (2022)5,138
54 Zagreb Zageb Croatian National Theater.jpg Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 691,0001,153,255N/A1,161,259 (2022)3,706
55 Catania Catania anfiteatro romano2423.jpg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 687,000707,000N/A643,274 (2022)2,550
56 Gothenburg Alvsborgsbron.jpg Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 629,000759,000N/A1,021,831 (2018)2,198
57 Poznań 6 Poznan 015.jpg Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 680,000919,000N/A1,051,414 (2021)2,004
58 Bergamo Italia Bergamo 03.JPG Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 660,000662,000N/A310,020 (2022)2,022
59 Mannheim Mannheim Friedrichsplatz 2005 Richtung Augustaanlage.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 658,000683,000N/An/a2,920
60 Leipzig Leipzig Burgplatz Panorama.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 636,000842,000N/A956,290 (2021)2,506
61 Wrocław Wroclaw 1.jpg Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 635,000861,000N/A963,311 (2021)2,636
62 Las Palmas Las Palmas panorama.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 619,000640,000N/A630,900 (2022)2,879
63 Riga Riga - House of Blackheads.jpg Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 603,0001,195,000N/A917,351 (2022)2,217
64 Bremen Bremen Altstadt (5438245111).jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 599,0001,077,000N/A1,046,897 (2021)2,161
65 Nantes Quai de la Fosse (de la butte Saint-Anne)- Nantes.jpg Flag of France.svg  France 578,000708,000N/A1,022,775 (2020)2,277
66 Aachen Aachen Rathaus pano.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 571,000672,000N/A594,324 (2020)2,080
67 Vilnius Vilnius view.jpg Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 550,000680,000N/A716,856 (2021)1,966
68 Genoa Genova-Panorama dalla collina di Camandoli.jpg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 546,000694,000N/A681,459 (2022)7,027
69 Palma Mallorca Palma from Bellver Castle viewpoint asv2023-04 img2.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 522,000433,000N/A709,091 (2020)3,359
70 Santa Cruz Panorama Santa Cruz.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 510,000N/A520,728 (2021)4,688

Other notable urban areas

Urban areaImageStateESPON Population (Functional Urban Area) [4] FUA  population (metropolitan areas; Eurostat) [6]
Aarhus Havne udsigt fra dokken.jpg Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 845,971
OviedoGijónAvilés Santa Maria del Naranco. Oviedo.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 844,000
AlicanteElcheElda Alicante, Spain.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 793,000
Ostrava Masarykova namesti Ostrava 2009.JPG Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 709,768713,812 (2017)
Bologna Bologna Panorama.jpg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 690,000785,941 (2021)
Malmö Central Malmo.JPG Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 658,050669,741 (2018)
Grenoble Seilbahn-Grenoble.JPG Flag of France.svg  France 555,000717,469 (2019)
Douai-Lens Douai - office de tourisme (3).jpg Jean Jaures square, Lens.jpg Flag of France.svg  France 550,000
Toulon Toulon Faron3 P1440701-P1440708.jpg Flag of France.svg  France 518,000573,230 (2019)
Charleroi Charleroi vu depuis Couillet cropped.jpg Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 489,264
Odense Odense - Sankt Knuds kirke 2005-07-16.jpeg Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 485,672
Granada Granada-Day1-10 (47996234956).jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 440,000571,447 (2020)
Vigo Vigo panoramico.jpg Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 413,000547,151 (2020)
Montpellier Montpellier Place de la Comedie.jpg Flag of France.svg  France 801,595 (2019)
Eindhoven Hoogbouw Eindhoven overzicht.jpg Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 771,263 (2021)
Rennes Rennes de hermitage 2.JPG Flag of France.svg  France 755,668 (2019)
Brno Justicni palac v Brne.jpg Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 727,759 (2017)
Bari Bari BW 2016-10-19 12-32-30.jpg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 727,549 (2021)
Heidelberg Heidelberg corr.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 709,840 (2020)
Rouen Cathedrale de Rouen vue de l'Opera.JPG Flag of France.svg  France 705,627 (2019)
Augsburg Augsburg - Markt.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 684,705 (2020)
Bratislava Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia 669,592 (2020)
Kiel KielerStadtzentrumLuftaufnahme.jpg Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 649,578 (2020)
Murcia Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 646,099 (2020)
Catania Catania-Etna-Sicilia-Italy-Castielli CC0 HQ1.JPG Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 640,088 (2021)
Tallinn Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 609,515 (2021)
Ghent Gent.graslei.jpg Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 605,956 (2018)
Venice Luci E Ombre Sulla Serenissima (262276703).jpeg Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 552,414 (2021)
Groningen Night in Groningen (24242513501).jpg Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 543,707 (2021)
Plovdiv Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 542,407 (2020)
Padua Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 535,922 (2021)
Münster Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 535,879 (2020)
Erfurt Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 524,565 (2020)
Tours Flag of France.svg  France 519,778 (2019)
Verona Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 517,271 (2021)
Nancy Flag of France.svg  France 510,306 (2019)
Clermont-Ferrand Flag of France.svg  France 507,479 (2019)

By country

Number of cities by country with urban areas over 500,000 inhabitants represented in the table
CountryNo. of cities
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 19
Flag of France.svg  France 17
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 15
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 14
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 7
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 5
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 5
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 3
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 2
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 2
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2

Top 30 urban areas by population

See also

Related Research Articles

A megacity is a very large city, typically with a population of more than 10 million people. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs in its 2018 "World Urbanization Prospects" report defines megacities as urban agglomerations with over 10 million inhabitants. A University of Bonn report holds that they are "usually defined as metropolitan areas with a total population of 10 million or more people". Elsewhere in other sources, from five to eight million is considered the minimum threshold, along with a population density of at least 2,000 per square kilometre. The terms conurbation, metropolis, and metroplex are also applied to the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan area</span> Administrative unit of a dense urban core and its satellite cities

A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metropolitan area usually comprises multiple principal cities, jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships, boroughs, cities, towns, exurbs, suburbs, counties, districts and even states and nations in areas like the eurodistricts. As social, economic and political institutions have changed, metropolitan areas have become key economic and political regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conurbation</span> Group of settlements linked by continuous urban area

A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most cases, a conurbation is a polycentric urbanised area in which transportation has developed to link areas. They create a single urban labour market or travel to work area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Buenos Aires</span> Urban agglomeration in Argentina

Greater Buenos Aires, also known as the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, refers to the urban agglomeration comprising the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires and the adjacent 24 partidos (districts) in the Province of Buenos Aires. Thus, it does not constitute a single administrative unit. The conurbation spreads south, west and north of Buenos Aires city. To the east, the River Plate serves as a natural boundary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urban area (France)</span> Statistical area in France

An aire urbaine is an INSEE statistical concept describing a core of urban development and the extent of its commuter activity. It was replaced by the concept "functional area", which uses the same definition as Eurostat's functional urban areas, in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urban area</span> Human settlement with high population density and infrastructure of built environment

An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. This is the core of a metropolitan statistical area in the United States, if it contains a population of more than 50,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City proper</span> Geographical area contained within the defined boundary of a city

A city proper is the geographical area contained within city limits. The term proper is not exclusive to cities; it can describe the geographical area within the boundaries of any given locality. The United Nations defines the term as "... the single political jurisdiction which contains the historical city centre."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flemish Diamond</span>

The Flemish Diamond is the Flemish reference to a network of four metropolitan areas in Belgium, three of which are in the central provinces of Flanders, together with the Brussels-Capital Region. It consists of four agglomerations which form the four corners of an abstract diamond shape: Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Banana</span> High population and GDP corridor in Europe

The Blue Banana, also known as the European Megalopolis or the Liverpool–Milan Axis, is a discontinuous corridor of urbanization in Western and Central Europe, with a population of around 100 million. The conceptualisation of the area as a "Blue Banana" was developed in 1989 by RECLUS, a group of French geographers managed by Roger Brunet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolis</span> Large city or conurbation

A metropolis is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katowice urban area</span> Silesian conurbation and largest urban area in Poland

The Katowice urban area, also known as the Upper Silesian urban area, is an urban area/conurbation in southern Poland, centered on Katowice. It is located in the Silesian Voivodeship. The Katowice urban area is the largest urban area in Poland and 22nd largest urban area in the European Union. According to Demographia, its population is 1,903,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESPON metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom</span>

A 2001 ESPIN metropolitan area was defined as consisting of an urban area, conurbation or agglomeration, together with the surrounding area to which it was closely economically and socially integrated through commuting.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Demographia" (PDF), www.demographia.com
  2. 1 2 3 UN's report on The World’s Cities in 2018
  3. 1 2 Population on 1 January by age groups and sex - functional urban areas. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  4. 1 2 "ESPON Project 1.4.3 Study on Urban Functions" (PDF). 24 September 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 United Nations: World Urbanization Prospects Archived 10 March 2007 at archive.today
  6. Population on 1 January by age groups and sex - functional urban areas. Retrieved 21 September 2022.

http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf