Mexico's largest cities, 1975 to 2050

Mexico City is Mexico's largest city at about 17.7 million in 2025, more than four times Guadalajara (4.14 million) and Monterrey (3.94 million).

Make this video Download data (CSV)

Free to edit and export · No signup to start

What the data shows

In 2025, Mexico City ranks #1 with 17.7M, ahead of Guadalajara (4.1M) and Monterrey (3.9M).
By 2050, on the UN's projections, Mexico City is projected to rank #1 with 17.7M, ahead of Guadalajara (4.3M) and Monterrey (4.3M).
Mexico City holds #1 for the whole period, 1975 to 2025.
Biggest climber: Tijuana, from #13 in 1975 to #5 in 2050.
Mexico City grew 1.6× between 1975 and 2025.

About this chart

Mexico City dominates the country's urban ranking. The UN counts about 11.1 million people in 1975 and about 17.7 million in 2025, more than four times Guadalajara at 4.14 million and Monterrey at 3.94 million. The series peaks at about 19.0 million in 2015 and then falls to 17.6 million in 2020. The UN projects it to hold close to 17.7 million through 2050.

The competition is further down. Monterrey grew from about 1.54 million in 1975 to 3.94 million in 2025 and is projected at 4.25 million in 2050, close behind Guadalajara's 4.33 million. Tijuana went from about 0.1 million to 1.56 million. These are Degree of Urbanization figures, which count contiguous dense areas, so they differ from city-proper or metro counts. Years 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.

Mexico's largest cities, Population in millions, 1975 to 2050, 1975–2050
Date	🇲🇽 Mexico City	🇲🇽 Guadalajara	🇲🇽 Monterrey	🇲🇽 Puebla	🇲🇽 Tijuana	🇲🇽 Toluca	🇲🇽 León	🇲🇽 Torreón	🇲🇽 Ciudad Juárez	🇲🇽 San Luis Potosí	🇲🇽 Mérida	🇲🇽 Chihuahua	🇲🇽 Tampico	🇲🇽 Matamoros
1975	11.1M	2.0M	1.5M	0.6M	0.1M		0.4M	0.3M	0.5M	0.4M	0.3M	0.3M	0.4M	0.3M
1980	13.2M	2.4M	2.0M	0.7M	0.3M	0.2M	0.5M	0.4M	0.6M	0.5M	0.4M	0.4M	0.5M	0.3M
1985	14.4M	2.7M	2.3M	0.9M	0.5M	0.4M	0.7M	0.5M	0.7M	0.6M	0.5M	0.5M	0.5M	0.3M
1990	15.6M	3.1M	2.7M	1.4M	0.7M	0.6M	0.9M	0.6M	0.9M	0.7M	0.6M	0.5M	0.5M	0.3M
1995	16.6M	3.4M	3.0M	1.5M	0.9M	0.7M	1.0M	0.7M	1.0M	0.8M	0.6M	0.6M	0.6M	0.4M
2000	17.6M	3.6M	3.3M	1.7M	1.2M	0.9M	1.1M	0.8M	1.3M	0.8M	0.7M	0.6M	0.6M	0.4M
2005	17.9M	3.8M	3.5M	1.8M	1.3M	1.0M	1.2M	0.9M	1.3M	0.9M	0.7M	0.7M	0.6M	0.4M
2010	18.3M	4.0M	3.7M	1.9M	1.4M	1.2M	1.3M	0.9M	1.3M	1.0M	0.8M	0.7M	0.6M	0.4M
2015	19.0M	4.2M	3.9M	2.0M	1.5M	1.4M	1.4M	1.1M	1.3M	1.0M	0.8M	0.8M	0.6M	0.4M
2020	17.6M	4.1M	3.8M	1.9M	1.5M	1.5M	1.3M	1.2M	1.2M	1.0M	0.8M	0.8M	0.6M	0.5M
2025	17.7M	4.1M	3.9M	1.9M	1.6M	1.5M	1.4M	1.2M	1.2M	1.0M	0.8M	0.8M	0.6M	0.5M
2030	17.8M	4.2M	4.0M	2.0M	1.6M	1.5M	1.4M	1.2M	1.2M	1.0M	0.9M	0.8M	0.6M	0.6M
2035	17.9M	4.3M	4.1M	2.0M	1.6M	1.5M	1.4M	1.3M	1.3M	1.0M	0.9M	0.8M	0.6M	0.6M
2040	17.9M	4.3M	4.2M	2.0M	1.7M	1.5M	1.4M	1.3M	1.3M	1.1M	0.9M	0.8M	0.6M	0.6M
2045	17.8M	4.3M	4.2M	2.0M	1.7M	1.5M	1.5M	1.3M	1.3M	1.1M	0.9M	0.8M	0.6M	0.6M
2050	17.7M	4.3M	4.3M	2.0M	1.7M	1.5M	1.5M	1.3M	1.3M	1.1M	0.9M	0.8M	0.6M	0.6M

Post it

Suggested caption: “Mexico City is 4x its nearest rival. Monterrey is chasing No. 2.” Credit the source in your caption; it heads off the 'source?' comments.

Make it yours

Switch between bar, line, column and donut races with one click.
Pick 9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 4:5 for the feed or 16:9 for YouTube.
Change the theme, font, colors and race length, and add your own captions.
Paste your own numbers from Excel or Google Sheets. See the bar chart race maker for tips.

Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in Mexico?

In 2025, Mexico City ranks #1 with 17.7M, followed by Guadalajara (4.1M) and Monterrey (3.9M). 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 Mexico?

Mexico City is the largest city in Mexico in 2025, with about 17.7 million people under the UN's Degree of Urbanization definition. Guadalajara is second at about 4.14 million and Monterrey third at about 3.94 million.

Will Monterrey pass Guadalajara?

The UN projection has them nearly level by 2050. Guadalajara is projected at about 4.33 million and Monterrey at about 4.25 million, so Guadalajara stays marginally ahead. Monterrey is the faster grower of the two.

Why did Mexico City's population drop between 2015 and 2020?

The UN series falls from about 19.0 million in 2015 to about 17.6 million in 2020. This data does not explain the change, and it should be read as a feature of the UN's urban-area estimates, not a count of people leaving. Always check the definition when comparing with other sources.

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.

Related data

All cities charts

WorldReal data

Mexico's population

Mexico grew from 27.6 million in 1950 to 129.7 million in 2023, and the UN projects a peak of 149.9 million in 2058.

MoneyReal data

Mexico's GDP

Mexico's GDP reached a record $1.83 trillion in 2025, but it ranks 14th, down from 9th in 2000, after three 30% falls.

CitiesReal data

Brazil's largest cities

São Paulo is Brazil's largest city at about 18.95 million in 2025, nearly double Rio de Janeiro's 9.5 million, and is projected to shrink slightly by 2050.