List of urban areas by population

This is a list of contiguous urban areas of the world ordered according to population as of 2008. The figures here have been compiled by Demographia. [ [http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf Demographia World Urban Areas & Population Projections] ]

Definitions and issues

Demographia defines an urban area (urbanized area agglomeration or urban centre) as a continuously built up landmass of urban development containing a high population density, without regard for administrative boundaries ("i.e." municipality, city or commune) or a labor maket ("i.e." metropolitan area). 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 urbanized land area. National census authority data are presented in Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. Census of India urban agglomerations are not used because the geographical size of constituent units (municipalities) often includes large rural (non-urban) areas. Sources for population estimates and land area definitions are coded by "A", "C", "D", "E", "F", "G" or "H"; and "A", "B" or "H" in the Table below, respectively.

:A: National census authority data.:B: Demographia land area estimate based upon map or satellite photograph analysis.:C: Demographia population "build up" from third, fourth or fifth order jurisdictions (NUTS-3, NUTS-4, NUTS-5 or equivalent).:D: Population estimate based upon United Nations agglomeration estimate.:E: Demographia population estimate from national census authority agglomeration data.:F: Other Demographia population estimate.:G: Estimate based upon projected growth rate from last census.:H: Combination of adjacent national census authority agglomerations.

The most reliable population estimates are "A" and "H." Population estimates "C" are generally reliable. Population estimates "D" and "E" are less reliable. Population estimates coded "F" and "G" are the least reliable.

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, metropolitan area data are shown, such as in Brazil.

Urban areas are confined to a single metropolitan area or labor market area. In some cases, urban areas have virtually grown together ("e.g." BosWash in the United States and Taiheiyō Belt in Japan), yet are still considered separate urban areas.

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 ("e.g." Lille–Kortrijk in both France and Belgium).

Urban areas ranked by 2008 projected population

References and notes

External links

* [http://www.demographia.com/ Demographia]
* [http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm UN Demographic Yearbook]
** [http://esa.un.org/unup/ UN World Urbanization Prospects (2007 revision)]
** [http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WUP2005/2005WUPHighlights_Final_Report.pdf UN World Urbanization Prospects (2005 revision)]
* [http://www.citypopulation.de/ Th. Brinkhoff: The Principal Agglomerations of the World]
* [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/ The World Gazetteer]
* [http://www.insee.fr/ Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques]
** [http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/chifcle_fiche.asp?ref_id=CMPTEF01104&tab_id=19 insee.fr - Geopolis study of urban areas]
* [http://sedac.ciesin.org/gpw/global.jsp Gridded Population of the World]

ee also

*List of metropolitan areas by population
*List of urban agglomerations by population
*List of cities by population
*List of countries by population

*Largest urban areas of the European Union
*Largest urban areas of the United States
*List of the 100 largest urban areas in Canada by population
*List of urban areas in Malaysia by population