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Europe's largest cities, 1975 to 2050

Moscow is Europe's largest city at about 14.5 million in 2025, ahead of London (10.4 million) and Paris (9.4 million), by UN urban-area figures.

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What the data shows

  • In 2025, Moscow ranks #1 with 14.5M, ahead of London (10.4M) and Paris (9.4M).
  • By 2050, on the UN's projections, Moscow is projected to rank #1 with 15.5M, ahead of London (11.9M) and Paris (9.3M).
  • Moscow holds #1 for the whole period, 1975 to 2025.
  • Biggest climber: Barcelona, from #12 in 1975 to #6 in 2050.
  • Moscow grew 1.7× between 1975 and 2025.

About this chart

Moscow has been first since 1975, when it had about 8.5 million people to Paris's 7.4 million and London's 7.4 million. In 2025 Moscow has about 14.5 million, London about 10.4 million and Paris about 9.4 million. London dipped to 7 million in 1980 and 1985, then grew steadily, while Paris has been nearly flat since 2015.

The UN projects Moscow at about 15.5 million and London at about 11.9 million by 2050, with Paris at about 9.3 million. Madrid, at 5.6 million in 2025, has nearly doubled from 3 million in 1975. Figures use the UN's Degree of Urbanization, which counts contiguous dense areas, so they differ from city-proper and metro counts. Values after 2025 are projections.

The data

Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts.

Europe's largest cities, Population in millions, 1975 to 2050, 1975–2050
Date🇷🇺 Moscow🇬🇧 London🇫🇷 Paris🇪🇸 Madrid🇷🇺 Saint Petersburg🇪🇸 Barcelona🇩🇪 Berlin🇬🇷 Athens🇮🇹 Naples🇩🇪 Essen🇬🇧 Birmingham🇺🇦 Kiev🇮🇹 Milan🇬🇧 Manchester
19758.5M7.4M7.4M3.0M3.7M2.2M3.0M3.0M2.6M2.9M2.3M1.9M2.5M2.2M
19809.1M7.0M7.5M3.2M3.9M2.3M3.0M3.3M2.7M2.8M2.2M2.2M2.6M2.1M
19859.7M7.0M7.7M3.4M4.1M2.4M3.0M3.3M2.8M2.7M2.2M2.4M2.6M2.1M
199010.2M7.1M8.1M3.4M4.2M2.5M3.3M3.3M2.8M2.8M2.2M2.6M2.5M2.1M
199510.4M7.4M8.2M3.6M4.1M2.7M3.4M3.3M2.8M2.8M2.2M2.6M2.5M2.1M
200011.2M7.7M8.4M3.9M4.0M2.8M3.3M3.3M2.8M2.7M2.2M2.6M2.5M2.1M
200512.0M7.9M8.8M4.3M4.0M3.0M3.3M3.3M2.8M2.7M2.3M2.6M2.5M2.2M
201012.8M8.6M9.0M4.6M4.1M3.3M3.3M3.4M2.8M2.6M2.3M2.7M2.5M2.3M
201513.5M9.3M9.3M5.0M4.4M3.6M3.4M3.3M2.8M2.5M2.5M2.8M2.6M2.4M
202014.3M10.0M9.3M5.5M4.8M3.9M3.5M3.3M2.8M2.7M2.6M2.9M2.6M2.5M
202514.5M10.4M9.4M5.6M4.7M4.0M3.6M3.1M2.8M2.7M2.6M2.6M2.6M2.5M
203014.8M10.8M9.4M5.6M4.7M4.0M3.5M3.1M2.7M2.7M2.7M2.7M2.6M2.6M
203514.9M11.0M9.4M5.6M4.7M4.1M3.5M3.1M2.6M2.6M2.7M2.6M2.6M2.6M
204015.1M11.4M9.4M5.6M4.7M4.1M3.4M3.0M2.6M2.6M2.8M2.6M2.5M2.6M
204515.3M11.7M9.4M5.6M4.7M4.1M3.4M3.0M2.5M2.6M2.8M2.6M2.5M2.6M
205015.5M11.9M9.3M5.6M4.7M4.1M3.4M2.9M2.4M2.5M2.8M2.5M2.5M2.6M

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Europe?

In 2025, Moscow ranks #1 with 14.5M, followed by London (10.4M) and Paris (9.4M). Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025).

What is the largest city in Europe?

Moscow is the largest city in Europe in 2025, with about 14.5 million people under the UN's Degree of Urbanization definition. London is second at about 10.4 million and Paris third at about 9.4 million. Moscow has been first since 1975.

Is London bigger than Moscow?

No, not in this data. London is estimated at about 10.4 million in 2025 against about 14.5 million for Moscow. The UN projects London at about 11.9 million and Moscow at about 15.5 million in 2050, so the gap stays large.

Why is London's number higher than the city population I know?

The UN counts the whole contiguous built-up area, not just the administrative city. That usually gives a larger figure than a city-proper count, and it can differ from a metro region figure too. The same rule is applied to every European city here.

Where does this data come from?

UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 4, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

Can I turn this chart into a video?

Yes. Open it in the editor, change the title, theme, colors or format (9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 16:9 for YouTube), and export an MP4. Free exports are 720p with a small watermark; Pro ($11.99/month) removes it and adds 1080p, 4K and 60 fps.

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