Though cities have served as cultural and economic hubs throughout history, mass urbanization as we know it was a byproduct of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. Industrialization fueled the rapid growth of cities worldwide, beginning in England and the United States in the 1800s, and continuing in Asian, African, and South and Central American countries in latermore recent decades.Â
As people throughout the world flock to cities for economic opportunities, overcrowding is a growing concern. In hundreds of cities worldwide, every square mile is home to tens of thousands of people. Currently, about half the global population is estimated to live in urban areas. By 2050, that share is projected to grow to two-thirds.
Using data from the June 2021 edition of the World Urban Areas report from Demographia, an urban development research group, 24/7 Wall St. identified the most densely populated cities in the world. Rankings are based on the average number of people per square mile living in a given urban area.Â
It is important to note that cities are not ranked on their official municipal boundaries, but rather, the built-up land areas that, as described in the report, “function as an integrated economic unit, linked together by commuting flows, social and economic interactions.” By this definition, the New York City area has a population density of 4,477 people per square mile. However, the borough of Manhattan alone has a population density of 70,826 people per square mile.
Several of the most densely populated cities on this list are located in Africa and South America. However, the majority of cities on this list are in Asia — including over two dozen in India. No U.S. cities madke the list.Â
Perhaps not surprisingly, some of the most densely populated cities in the world are also some of the most populous cities, home to over 10 million people. Here is a look at the world’s 33 megacities.
Click here to see the 50 most densely populated cities in the world.
To determine the 50 most densely populated cities in the world, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on population density in global urban areas from the June 2021 edition of the World Urban Areas report from urban development website Demographia. Urban areas with at least 500,000 residents were ranked based on the number of people per square mile of built-up land area. Data on total population and land area also came from the Demographia report.
Source: Sanga Park / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
50. Jhansi, India
> Population density: 41,063 people per square mile
> Population: 657,000
> Built-up land area in city: 16 square miles
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Source: By Waheed.chandio - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51560390 / Wikimedia Commons
49. Hyderabad, Pakistan
> Population density: 41,191 people per square mile
> Population: 1.9 million
> Built-up land area in city: 47 square miles
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Source: By Phevos87 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7599553 / Wikimedia Commons
48. Al-Mansurah, Egypt
> Population density: 41,438 people per square mile
> Population: 663,000
> Built-up land area in city: 16 square miles
47. Kayamkulam, India
> Population density: 41,500 people per square mile
> Population: 664,000
> Built-up land area in city: 16 square miles
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Source: OSTILL / Getty Images
46. Bogota, Colombia
> Population density: 42,737 people per square mile
> Population: 9.3 million
> Built-up land area in city: 217 square miles
Source: arfabita / iStock via Getty Images
45. Rajkot, India
> Population density: 42,821 people per square mile
> Population: 1.7 million
> Built-up land area in city: 39 square miles
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Source: Kayihan Bolukbasi / iStock via Getty Images
44. Alexandria, Egypt
> Population density: 42,982 people per square mile
> Population: 4.9 million
> Built-up land area in city: 113 square miles
Source: Denis Vostrikov / iStock via Getty Images
43. Vijayawada, India
> Population density: 43,229 people per square mile
> Population: 1.5 million
> Built-up land area in city: 35 square miles
Source: Fruitbat / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
42. Kurnool, India
> Population density: 43,333 people per square mile
> Population: 650,000
> Built-up land area in city: 15 square miles
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Source: mtcurado / iStock via Getty Images
41. Douala, Cameroon
> Population density: 43,385 people per square mile
> Population: 3.4 million
> Built-up land area in city: 78 square miles
Source: domto / iStock via Getty Images
40. Port Said, Egypt
> Population density: 43,438 people per square mile
> Population: 695,000
> Built-up land area in city: 16 square miles
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39. Agra, India
> Population density: 43,712 people per square mile
> Population: 2.9 million
> Built-up land area in city: 66 square miles
Source: Satish Parashar / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
38. Solapur, India
> Population density: 43,760 people per square mile
> Population: 1.1 million
> Built-up land area in city: 25 square miles
Source: byheaven / iStock via Getty Images
37. Aurangabad, India
> Population density: 44,028 people per square mile
> Population: 1.6 million
> Built-up land area in city: 36 square miles
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Source: Kabir Uddin / iStock via Getty Images
36. Rajshahi, Bangladesh
> Population density: 44,167 people per square mile
> Population: 530,000
> Built-up land area in city: 12 square miles
Source: By Banswalhemant - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91042179 / Wikimedia Commons
35. Meerut, India
> Population density: 44,435 people per square mile
> Population: 2.8 million
> Built-up land area in city: 62 square miles
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Source: tariq sulemani / iStock via Getty Images
34. Bahawalpur, Pakistan
> Population density: 44,517 people per square mile
> Population: 1.3 million
> Built-up land area in city: 29 square miles
Source: f9photos / iStock via Getty Images
33. Gwalior, India
> Population density: 45,128 people per square mile
> Population: 1.8 million
> Built-up land area in city: 39 square miles
Source: IgorSPb / iStock via Getty Images
32. Dakar, Senegal
> Population density: 47,307 people per square mile
> Population: 3.5 million
> Built-up land area in city: 75 square miles
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Source: CddharthSingh / Getty Images
31. Kanpur, India
> Population density: 47,420 people per square mile
> Population: 3.8 million
> Built-up land area in city: 81 square miles
Source: sasacvetkovic33 / Getty Images
30. Kabul, Afghanistan
> Population density: 48,210 people per square mile
> Population: 5.1 million
> Built-up land area in city: 105 square miles
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Source: By EMMANRMS - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64324295 / Wikimedia Commons
29. Bukavu, Dem. Rep. of the Congo
> Population density: 49,176 people per square mile
> Population: 836,000
> Built-up land area in city: 17 square miles
Source: Abenaa / Getty Images
28. Tshikapa, Dem. Rep. of the Congo
> Population density: 49,462 people per square mile
> Population: 643,000
> Built-up land area in city: 13 square miles
Source: John Moore / Getty Images
27. Goma, Dem. Rep. of the Congo
> Population density: 49,560 people per square mile
> Population: 1.2 million
> Built-up land area in city: 25 square miles
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Source: HomoCosmicos / iStock via Getty Images
26. Yaounde, Cameroon
> Population density: 50,159 people per square mile
> Population: 4.4 million
> Built-up land area in city: 88 square miles
Source: DouglasOlivares / iStock via Getty Images
25. Caracas, Venezuela
> Population density: 51,289 people per square mile
> Population: 5.8 million
> Built-up land area in city: 114 square miles
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Source: Hakat / iStock via Getty Images
24. Kathmandu, Nepal
> Population density: 51,364 people per square mile
> Population: 4.0 million
> Built-up land area in city: 77 square miles
Source: Mayank Mani / iStock via Getty Images
23. Bareilly, India
> Population density: 52,594 people per square mile
> Population: 1.7 million
> Built-up land area in city: 32 square miles
Source: Hemant meena / Wikimedia commons
22. Surat, India
> Population density: 52,989 people per square mile
> Population: 4.9 million
> Built-up land area in city: 92 square miles
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Source: tinnaporn / iStock via Getty Images
21. Gaya, India
> Population density: 53,692 people per square mile
> Population: 698,000
> Built-up land area in city: 13 square miles
Source: By yousufnet, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48166419 / Wikimedia Commons
20. Aligarh, India
> Population density: 54,368 people per square mile
> Population: 2.1 million
> Built-up land area in city: 38 square miles
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Source: burakkarademir / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
19. Ahmadabad, India
> Population density: 55,518 people per square mile
> Population: 7.7 million
> Built-up land area in city: 139 square miles
Source: X_world / Getty Images
18. Patna, India
> Population density: 55,983 people per square mile
> Population: 3.2 million
> Built-up land area in city: 58 square miles
Source: Alenka00 / Getty Images
17. Mumbai, India
> Population density: 57,033 people per square mile
> Population: 22.2 million
> Built-up land area in city: 389 square miles
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Source: By Faris knight - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34986720 / Wikimedia Commons
16. Al-Mahallah, Egypt
> Population density: 57,857 people per square mile
> Population: 810,000
> Built-up land area in city: 14 square miles
15. Varanasi, India
> Population density: 58,701 people per square mile
> Population: 3.9 million
> Built-up land area in city: 67 square miles
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Source: By Zaki.anwar - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7013053 / Wikimedia Commons
14. Malegaon, India
> Population density: 60,083 people per square mile
> Population: 721,000
> Built-up land area in city: 12 square miles
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Source: Syed Mahamudur Rahman / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
13. Chittagong, Bangladesh
> Population density: 60,527 people per square mile
> Population: 4.5 million
> Built-up land area in city: 74 square miles
Source: By Superfast1111 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33278443 / Wikimedia Commons
12. Muzaffarnagar, India
> Population density: 64,000 people per square mile
> Population: 704,000
> Built-up land area in city: 11 square miles
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Source: harshvardhanroy / iStock via Getty Images
11. Allahabad, India
> Population density: 64,362 people per square mile
> Population: 3.0 million
> Built-up land area in city: 47 square miles
Source: By Faris knight - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15362941 / Wikimedia Commons
10. Tanta, Egypt
> Population density: 65,444 people per square mile
> Population: 589,000
> Built-up land area in city: 9 square miles
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Source: Nikada / E+ via Getty Images
9. Hong Kong, Hong Kong
> Population density: 66,054 people per square mile
> Population: 7.4 million
> Built-up land area in city: 112 square miles
Source: BlueSalo, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
8. Mbuji-Mayi, Dem. Rep. of the Congo
> Population density: 70,132 people per square mile
> Population: 3.7 million
> Built-up land area in city: 53 square miles
Source: Devasahayam Chandra Dhas / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
7. SAR Macau, China: Macau
> Population density: 70,600 people per square mile
> Population: 706,000
> Built-up land area in city: 10 square miles
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6. Firozabad, India
> Population density: 73,909 people per square mile
> Population: 813,000
> Built-up land area in city: 11 square miles
Source: ShikharBhattarai / iStock via Getty Images
5. Sylhet, Bangladesh
> Population density: 78,000 people per square mile
> Population: 1.5 million
> Built-up land area in city: 19 square miles
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Source: Denis Vostrikov / iStock via Getty Images
4. Saharanpur, India
> Population density: 80,571 people per square mile
> Population: 1.7 million
> Built-up land area in city: 21 square miles
Source: mtcurado / Getty Images
3. Kinshasa, Dem. Rep. of the Congo
> Population density: 83,644 people per square mile
> Population: 15.1 million
> Built-up land area in city: 180 square miles
Source: By Rishabh Mathur - https://www.flickr.com/photos/rishabh_m/3309328873/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77042860 / Wikimedia Commons
2. Moradabad, India
> Population density: 88,450 people per square mile
> Population: 1.8 million
> Built-up land area in city: 20 square miles
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Source: Meinzahn / Getty Images
1. Dhaka, Bangladesh
> Population density: 95,676 people per square mile
> Population: 16.8 million
> Built-up land area in city: 176 square miles
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