Based on a collection of estimates, over the past 9,000 years, there have been at least 48 cities with a claim to the title of "the world's most populous city". While these can be found on four separate continents, the majority are concentrated in three major regions; 12 of these cities were in present-day Iraq or Syria (then-Mesopotamia), nine were in China, and seven in Egypt. Additionally, many of these cities were found across the Mediterranean, not only during Antiquity (Alexandria, Carthage, and Rome), but also during the Middle Ages (Constantinople, Cordova, and Fez), highlighting the economic significance of this region throughout history.
Many of the older entries in this list are now just archeological sites, although several have been continuously inhabited for millennia, such as Luoyang and Xi'an in China, which both have populations of several million in 2022. It may also be possible that the first entry, Jericho, is the world's oldest, continuously inhabited settlement, although this is a topic of debate.
Population estimates for the world's largest city in the year it took this title (as well as the current location) from 7000 BCE until 2022 CE
The source claims that this is a collection of estimates from four different researchers, and is not to be taken as a definitive list.
*For display purposes, a middle value has been given for estimate ranges. The source gives the following figures:
Jericho: 1,000-2,000
Çatalhöyük: 5,000-10,000
Eridu: 6,000-10,000
The source also states that Sravasta and Rajagriha (both in India) were the largest cities in 479BCE and 460BCE respectively, but does not give population estimates.
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The Guardian. (December 6, 2016). Population estimates for the world's largest city in the year it took this title (as well as the current location) from 7000 BCE until 2022 CE [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262485/worlds-largest-city-throughout-history/
The Guardian. "Population estimates for the world's largest city in the year it took this title (as well as the current location) from 7000 BCE until 2022 CE." Chart. December 6, 2016. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262485/worlds-largest-city-throughout-history/
The Guardian. (2016). Population estimates for the world's largest city in the year it took this title (as well as the current location) from 7000 BCE until 2022 CE. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262485/worlds-largest-city-throughout-history/
The Guardian. "Population Estimates for The World's Largest City in The Year It Took This Title (as Well as The Current Location) from 7000 Bce until 2022 Ce." Statista, Statista Inc., 6 Dec 2016, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262485/worlds-largest-city-throughout-history/
The Guardian, Population estimates for the world's largest city in the year it took this title (as well as the current location) from 7000 BCE until 2022 CE Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262485/worlds-largest-city-throughout-history/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Population estimates for the world's largest city in the year it took this title (as well as the current location) from 7000 BCE until 2022 CE [Graph], The Guardian, December 6, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262485/worlds-largest-city-throughout-history/