- The world's largest cities, called megacities, have more than 10 million residents.
- By 2030 the UN predicts there will be 41 megacities, up from 31 now.
- Finding affordable housing can be a challenge in large cities.
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Here's how much it would cost you to live in the 10 largest megacities around the world
The world's largest cities have 10 million or more residents. By 2030 there will be 41 megacities.
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In 1975, just three of the world's urban centers — Tokyo, New York, and Mexico City — had more than 10 million residents.
Now, about 7% of people live in cities with eight-figure populations, according to the United Nations. They even have a special name: megacities.
The UN projects the global number of megacities to grow from 31 to 41 by 2030, housing some 8.7% of the global population.
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Tokyo, Japan, is the largest city in the world with 38 million residents. That's about 12 million more people than New Delhi, India, the second-largest. Although Tokyo is projected to lose approximately 1 million residents by 2030, it's expected to remain the top megacity, according to the UN.
But with rapidly increasing populations, many of these urban centers face major housing shortages. By 2025, 1.6 billion people could struggle to find decent housing that doesn't eat up more than 30% of their income, the standard measure of housing affordability, according to a report by McKinsey. Ultimately, there could be 106 million more low-income households in cities by 2025.
Below is a list of the 10 largest megacities in the world. For each, we've included population in 1975, population projections for 2030, GDP per capita, and the cost of monthly rent and utilities in the city.
New York, United States: 19 million people
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Projected population in 2030: 20 million
GDP per capita:
Monthly rent and utilities: $3,057
Cairo, Egypt: 19 million people
Population in 1975:6 million
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Projected population in 2030: 24 million
Osaka, Japan: 20 million people
Projected population in 2030: 20 million
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GDP per capita:
Monthly rent and utilities: $1,174
Mexico City, Mexico: 21 million people
Population in 1975:11 million
Projected population in 2030: 24 million
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GDP per capita:
Monthly rent and utilities: $777
Beijing, China: 21 million people
Population in 1975:6 million
Projected population in 2030: 28 million
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Monthly rent and utilities: $1,421
Sao Paulo, Brazil: 21 million people
Projected population in 2030: 23 million
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GDP per capita:
Monthly rent and utilities: $1,119
Mumbai, India: 21 million people
Population in 1975:7.1 million
Projected population in 2030: 27 million
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GDP per capita:
Monthly rent and utilities: $685
Shanghai, China: 24 million people
Population in 1975:7.3 million
Projected population in 2030: 30 million
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GDP per capita:
Monthly rent and utilities: $1,326
New Delhi, India: 26 million people
Population in 1975:4.4 million
Projected population in 2030: 36 million
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GDP per capita:
Monthly rent and utilities: $419
Tokyo, Japan: 38 million people
Population in 1975:27 million
Projected population in 2030: 37 million
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GDP per capita:
Monthly rent and utilities: $1,802
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