Number of urban areas by country

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Demographia defines an urban area (urbanized area agglomeration or urban centre) as a continuously built up land mass of urban development that is within a labor market (i.e. metropolitan area or metropolitan region), without regard for administrative boundaries (i.e. municipality, city or commune). Except in Australia, the authorities use a minimum urban density definition of 400 persons per square kilometer (or the nearly identical 1,000 per square mile in the United States). Demographia uses maps, satellite photographs to estimate continuous urbanization. Demographia also uses small area population data, where available, to match population estimates to urban land area. National census authority data are presented in Australia, Canada, France, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Census of India urban agglomerations are not used in some cases because the geographical size of constituent units (municipalities) often includes large rural (non-urban) areas. [1]

Sources for population estimates and land area definitions are coded by letter in the cited report, respectively.

A: National census authority data agglomeration data (land area or population).
B: Demographia land area estimate based upon map or satellite photograph analysis.
C: Demographia population estimate from lower order jurisdictions, including reduction for rural areas.
D: Population estimate based upon the United Nations agglomeration estimate.
E: Demographia population estimate from national census authority data.
F: Other Demographia population estimate, such as from unofficial local reports.
L: Demographia population estimate from local authority data.
N: Combined urban area using national census authority data.
W: Population estimate based upon the World Bank Urban Area 2015 estimate.

The projected year (2017) population estimate is further calculated from the base year population estimate using population growth rate based upon the United Nations population growth rate with some exceptions.

The estimates are quite different from the list of World's largest urban agglomerations produced by the United Nations that reports inconsistently on urban geographic, despite its reference to agglomerations. This is evident, for example, in Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Seoul and Moscow, where the UN data are for political jurisdictions, rather than urban areas. In other cases, the UN data is for metropolitan area, which are larger than urban areas (such as in Brazil). Finally, the United Nations data is incomplete, excluding some significant urban areas (such as EssenDüsseldorf in Germany).[ citation needed ]

Urban areas are confined to a single nation, unless there is freedom of movement (including labor) between the adjacent nations. Currently, this condition is met only between some continental nations of the European Union and Switzerland (e.g. LilleKortrijk in both France and Belgium, AachenVaals in both Germany and Netherlands, SaarbrückenForbach in both Germany and France, GenevaAnnemasse in both Switzerland and France, and BaselLörrachSaint-Louis in Switzerland, Germany and France). Thus, Detroit–Windsor in both the United States and Canada, and San Diego–Tijuana in both the United States and Mexico are not treated as single urban areas. Moreover, ShenzhenHong Kong is treated as separate urban areas, principally because labor movement between the two is limited, with the former within China and the latter a special administrative region of China. [ citation needed ]

According to the report, there are 1,040 identified urban areas in the world with 500,000 or more population as of 2017. Demographia released along with the report include a disclaimer that this list of data is compiled on best available information, the vary nature of which is changing rapidly and quality is improving as it becomes available, yet still remains highly variable between nations. Appropriate caution is therefore advised.

Number of urban areas by country in 2016

CountryUrban areas
over 500,000 [1]
Urban areas
over 1,000,000 [1]
Urban areas
over 2,000,000 [1]
Urban areas
over 5,000,000 [1]
World 1,02749823775
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 2241014917
Flag of India.svg  India 107592511
Flag of the United States.svg  United States 7843249
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 371522
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil 3627153
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 301341
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria 241142
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia 231442
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 22953
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines 21431
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran 16731
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 15962
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 15751
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 15731
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 14531
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 12421
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 11531
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia 11521
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 11431
Flag of France.svg  France 11411
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 15631
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  Democratic Republic of the Congo 10531
Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq 10511
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina 9411
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 8631
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 8410
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine 8310
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 7541
Flag of Syria.svg  Syria 7420
Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 7421
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 7200
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 7542
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh 6321
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 6321
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 6221
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam 6421
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan 5431
Flag of Angola.svg  Angola 4111
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru 4111
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 4111
Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen 4110
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan 4100
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg  Bolivia 3310
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 3220
Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria 3211
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 3210
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 3210
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 3210
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates 3210
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Uzbekistan 3210
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 3311
Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea 3110
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania 3110
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia 3110
Flag of Libya.svg  Libya 3100
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland 3000
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon 2220
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador 2220
Flag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar 2211
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 2210
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal 2210
Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras 2200
Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan 2111
Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan 2110
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso 2110
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic 2110
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 2110
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast 2110
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique 2110
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal 2110
Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia 2110
Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia 2110
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe 2110
Flag of Benin.svg  Benin 2100
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Republic of the Congo 2100
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2100
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi 2000
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore 1111
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan 1110
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia 1110
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba 1110
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia 1110
Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala 1110
Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti 1110
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 1110
Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan 1110
Flag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait 1110
Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon 1110
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar 1110
Flag of Mali.svg  Mali 1110
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal 1110
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 1110
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka 1110
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda 1110
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 1100
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 1100
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain 1100
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus 1100
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 1100
Flag of Chad.svg  Chad 1100
Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica 1100
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic 1100
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1100
Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador 1100
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 1100
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 1100
Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea 1100
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 1100
Flag of Laos.svg  Laos 1100
Flag of Liberia.svg  Liberia 1100
Flag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia 1100
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 1100
Flag of Niger.svg  Niger 1100
Flag of Qatar.svg  Qatar 1100
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda 1100
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia 1100
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone 1100
Flag of Togo.svg  Togo 1100
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan 1100
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay 1100
Flag of Albania.svg  Albania 1000
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic 1000
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 1000
Flag of Djibouti.svg  Djibouti 1000
Flag of Eritrea.svg  Eritrea 1000
Flag of Gabon.svg  Gabon 1000
Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia 1000
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica 1000
Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Kyrgyzstan 1000
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia 1000
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 1000
Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia 1000
Flag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania 1000
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova 1000
Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua 1000
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 1000
Flag of Oman.svg  Oman 1000
Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan 1000
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago 1000
Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine 1000

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Demographia (April 2017). Demographia World Urban Areas (PDF) (13th ed.). Retrieved April 18, 2017.