Special Report

This Is the Most Densely Populated City in the World

Dmytro Varavin / iStock via Getty Images

With the world population doubling in the past 50 years and people increasingly moving to urban areas, population density in many cities is increasing. While high population density can have its positives, such as economic growth and cost efficiency, very high population density also has its drawbacks, such as increased levels of pollution, lack of clean water, social problems, and pressure on the natural environment. So which are the most densely populated urban areas?

Using data from the August 2023 edition of the World Urban Areas report from Demographia, an urban development research group, 24/7 Wall St. identified the most densely populated city in the world. Only 986 urban areas with 500,000 residents or more were considered. Cities on the list are ranked based on the average number of people per square mile living in a given urban area.

To reach population density, Demographia did not use the official boundaries of cities or jurisdictions, but rather their built-up land areas. Such urban areas “function as an integrated economic unit, linked together by commuting flows, social and economic interactions.”

By this definition, the New York City urban area includes the New York City metropolitan area as well as areas in Connecticut (Bridgeport, Danbury, New Haven, Waterbury), East Hampton, Riverhead, and Trenton, New Jersey. As a result, while Manhattan alone has a population density of 70,826 people per square mile, the urban area has a population density of 4,477 people per square mile. Therefore, no U.S. cities made the list.

Except for one city in South America, all of the 50 most densely populated cities in the world are located in Africa and Asia — mostly Asia. In fact, 16 cities are located in India, eight in Pakistan, four in Bangladesh, and three in China. In addition, five cities in Egypt are on the list as well as four in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Also see: The 25 Worst Cities To Live as Global Warming Gets Worse.)

The most densely populated city in the world is Mogadishu in Somalia. The city is home to 4.2 million residents who live on 49 square miles, resulting in a population density of 86,102 people per square mile.

50. Sheikhupura, Pakistan

Aerial View to the Hiran Minar complex in Sheikhupura, Punjab, Pakistan
Dave Primov / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 41,955 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 923,000 — #577 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 22 square miles (or 57 square km) — #946 largest of 986 urban areas

49. Sargodha, Pakistan

Beautifull Landscaped park in sargodha with beautifull flowers grass plants trees sky and gravells also walking tracks
MAKRAK / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 42,040 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,051,000 — #510 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 25 square miles (or 65 square km) — #926 largest of 986 urban areas

48. Kathmandu, Nepal

Hakat / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 42,169 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 3,247,000 — #164 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 77 square miles (or 199 square km) — #596 largest of 986 urban areas

47. Bareilly, UP, India

bareilly jn station images
pradeep sagar images / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 42,344 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,355,000 — #397 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 32 square miles (or 83 square km) — #896 largest of 986 urban areas

46. Damascus, Syria

ali suliman / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Population density: 43,219 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 3,155,000 — #173 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 73 square miles (or 189 square km) — #628 largest of 986 urban areas

45. Solapur, MH, India

Satish Parashar / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Population density: 43,280 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,082,000 — #496 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 25 square miles (or 65 square km) — #926 largest of 986 urban areas

44. Sukkur, Pakistan

Sukkur pin map. Close up of Sukkur map with red pin. Map with red pin point of Sukkur in Pakistan.
PredragLasica / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 43,611 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 785,000 — #666 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 18 square miles (or 47 square km) — #964 largest of 986 urban areas

43. Aligarh, UP, India

Mohammad Shadab Alam / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 43,684 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,660,000 — #320 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 38 square miles (or 98 square km) — #847 largest of 986 urban areas

42. Faisalabad, Pakistan

psspifpri / Flickr
  • Population density: 44,264 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 5,356,000 — #93 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 121 square miles (or 313 square km) — #413 largest of 986 urban areas

41. Kurnool, AP, India

Fruitbat / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Population density: 44,400 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 666,000 — #783 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 15 square miles (or 39 square km) — #974 largest of 986 urban areas

40. Sialkot, Pakistan

Road sign indicating exits towards sialkot, narowal and muridke on motorway in punjab pakistan
Touseef designer / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 44,563 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,426,000 — #369 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 32 square miles (or 83 square km) — #896 largest of 986 urban areas

39. Jalgaon, MH, India

Pal,Jalgaon,Maharashtra,India: House in the Garden at Pall village in Satpura Range, Dated:05/08/2018
SKK Pix / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 46,267 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 694,000 — #748 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 15 square miles (or 39 square km) — #974 largest of 986 urban areas

38. Karachi, Pakistan

Umar Kashif Thanvi / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 46,657 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 20,249,000 — #14 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 434 square miles (or 1,124 square km) — #112 largest of 986 urban areas

37. Dakar, Senegal

IgorSPb / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 46,800 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 3,510,000 — #150 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 75 square miles (or 194 square km) — #612 largest of 986 urban areas

36. Bogota, Colombia

pedrosz / Flickr
  • Population density: 47,244 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 10,252,000 — #43 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 217 square miles (or 562 square km) — #241 largest of 986 urban areas

35. Douala, Cameroon

mtcurado / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 48,090 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 3,751,000 — #144 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 78 square miles (or 202 square km) — #592 largest of 986 urban areas

34. Varanasi, UP, India

mckaysavage / Flickr
  • Population density: 48,194 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 3,229,000 — #167 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 67 square miles (or 174 square km) — #684 largest of 986 urban areas

33. Patna, BR, India

X_world / Getty Images
  • Population density: 48,275 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 3,331,000 — #161 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 69 square miles (or 179 square km) — #667 largest of 986 urban areas

32. Kananga, Congo (Dem. Rep.)

African woman hold white board with Kananga DRC inscription. Most populous city in Africa concept.
AS photo family / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 48,393 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,355,000 — #397 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 28 square miles (or 73 square km) — #911 largest of 986 urban areas

31. Larkana, Pakistan

Mohen Jo Daro is an archaeological site in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Built around 2500 BCE, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, and one of the world
SadaQatH / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 49,083 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 589,000 — #869 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 12 square miles (or 31 square km) — #981 largest of 986 urban areas

30. Alexandria, Egypt

Kayihan Bolukbasi / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 49,133 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 5,552,000 — #89 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 113 square miles (or 293 square km) — #442 largest of 986 urban areas

29. Gaya, BR, India

tinnaporn / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 49,538 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 644,000 — #808 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 13 square miles (or 34 square km) — #979 largest of 986 urban areas

28. Tongcheng (Anqing), AN, China

modern railway bridge landscape, steel truss cable-stayed bridge on Yangtze river in Anqing city, Anhui province, China
chuyuss / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 50,364 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 554,000 — #907 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 11 square miles (or 28 square km) — #982 largest of 986 urban areas

27. Port Said, Egypt

domto / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 51,375 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 822,000 — #646 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 16 square miles (or 41 square km) — #970 largest of 986 urban areas

26. Allahabad, UP, India

harshvardhanroy / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 51,872 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 2,438,000 — #222 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 47 square miles (or 122 square km) — #788 largest of 986 urban areas

25. Yaounde, Cameroon

Raluca Besliu / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 52,750 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 4,642,000 — #111 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 88 square miles (or 228 square km) — #532 largest of 986 urban areas

24. Kabul, Afghanistan

christophe_cerisier / E+ via Getty Images
  • Population density: 53,010 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 5,566,000 — #88 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 105 square miles (or 272 square km) — #469 largest of 986 urban areas

23. Moradabad, UP, India

  • Population density: 53,800 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,345,000 — #403 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 25 square miles (or 65 square km) — #926 largest of 986 urban areas

22. Hargeysa, Somalia

ambjorn / Flickr
  • Population density: 56,040 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,401,000 — #383 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 25 square miles (or 65 square km) — #926 largest of 986 urban areas

21. Sylhet, Bangladesh

ShikharBhattarai / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 56,632 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,076,000 — #498 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 19 square miles (or 49 square km) — #960 largest of 986 urban areas

20. Chittagong, Bangladesh

Syed Mahamudur Rahman / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
  • Population density: 56,811 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 4,204,000 — #129 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 74 square miles (or 192 square km) — #619 largest of 986 urban areas

19. Saharanpur, UP, India

Denis Vostrikov / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 57,600 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,152,000 — #459 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 20 square miles (or 52 square km) — #954 largest of 986 urban areas

18. Hong Kong, China: Hong Kong SAR

zhuyufang / E+ via Getty Images
  • Population density: 57,750 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 6,468,000 — #76 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 112 square miles (or 290 square km) — #446 largest of 986 urban areas

17. Surat, GJ, India

mikspix / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 58,416 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 6,601,000 — #73 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 113 square miles (or 293 square km) — #442 largest of 986 urban areas

16. Firozabad, UP, India

  • Population density: 59,286 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 830,000 — #638 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 14 square miles (or 36 square km) — #977 largest of 986 urban areas

15. Hyderabad, Pakistan

Vedwits / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 59,340 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 2,789,000 — #192 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 47 square miles (or 122 square km) — #788 largest of 986 urban areas

14. Herat, Afghanistan

oddwick / Flickr
  • Population density: 60,250 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,205,000 — #445 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 20 square miles (or 52 square km) — #954 largest of 986 urban areas

13. Macau, China: Macau SAR

Devasahayam Chandra Dhas / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
  • Population density: 61,800 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 618,000 — #838 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 10 square miles (or 26 square km) — #984 largest of 986 urban areas

12. Al-Mansurah, Egypt

By Phevos87 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7599553 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Population density: 62,063 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 993,000 — #543 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 16 square miles (or 41 square km) — #970 largest of 986 urban areas

11. Mumbai, MH, India

Sanjog Mhatre / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 62,349 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 25,189,000 — #5 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 404 square miles (or 1,046 square km) — #120 largest of 986 urban areas

10. Muzaffarnagar, UP, India

  • Population density: 63,273 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 696,000 — #744 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 11 square miles (or 28 square km) — #982 largest of 986 urban areas

9. Mbuji-Mayi, Congo (Dem. Rep.)

  • Population density: 65,906 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 3,493,000 — #152 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 53 square miles (or 137 square km) — #753 largest of 986 urban areas

8. Asansol, WB, India

Asansol pinned on a map of India
Dmitrijs Kaminskis / Shutterstock.com
  • Population density: 66,154 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 1,720,000 — #311 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 26 square miles (or 67 square km) — #920 largest of 986 urban areas

7. Al-Mahallah, Egypt

By Faris knight - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34986720 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Population density: 67,286 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 942,000 — #570 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 14 square miles (or 36 square km) — #977 largest of 986 urban areas

6. Kinshasa, Congo (Dem. Rep.)

mtcurado / Getty Images
  • Population density: 67,465 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 13,493,000 — #30 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 200 square miles (or 518 square km) — #263 largest of 986 urban areas

5. Tshikapa, Congo (Dem. Rep.)

  • Population density: 72,000 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 936,000 — #572 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 13 square miles (or 34 square km) — #979 largest of 986 urban areas

4. Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh

dfid / Flickr
  • Population density: 75,000 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 600,000 — #859 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 8 square miles (or 21 square km) — #986 largest of 986 urban areas

3. Dhaka, Bangladesh

Meinzahn / iStock via Getty Images
  • Population density: 80,059 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 19,134,000 — #15 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 239 square miles (or 619 square km) — #220 largest of 986 urban areas

2. Tanta, Egypt

By Faris knight - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15362941 / Wikimedia Commons
  • Population density: 81,222 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 731,000 — #707 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 9 square miles (or 23 square km) — #985 largest of 986 urban areas

1. Mogadishu, Somalia

sentinelhub / Flickr
  • Population density: 86,102 people per square mile
  • Estimated population, 2023: 4,219,000 — #127 largest of 986 urban areas
  • Built up urban area, 2023: 49 square miles (or 127 square km) — #780 largest of 986 urban areas

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