Demographia defines an urban area (urbanized area agglomeration or urban centre) as a continuously built up landmass of urban development containing a high population density, without regard for administrative boundaries (i.e. <"a;Municipality" title="Municipality">municipality, <"a;City" title="City">city or <"a;Commune" title="Commune">commune) or a labor market (i.e.municipality, city or commune) or a labor market (i.e.metropolitan area). Except in Australia, the authorities use a minimum urban density definition of 400 persons per square kilometer (or the nearly identical 1,000 per square mile in the United States). Demographia uses maps, satellite photographs to estimate continuous urbanization. Demographia also uses small area population data, where available, to match population estimates to urbanized land area. National census authority data are presented in Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. Census of India urban agglomerations are not used because the geographical size of constituent units (municipalities) often includes large rural (non-urban) areas. Sources for population estimates and land area definitions are coded by "A", "C", "D", "E", "F", "G" or "H"; and "A", "B" or "H" in the Table below, respectively.
A: National census authority data.
B: Demographia land area estimate based upon map or satellite photograph analysis.
C: Demographia population "build up" from third, fourth or fifth order jurisdictions (NUTS-3, NUTS-4, NUTS-5 or equivalent).
D: Population estimate based upon United Nations agglomeration estimate.
E: Demographia population estimate from national census authority agglomeration data.
F: Other Demographia population estimate.
G: Estimate based upon projected growth rate from last census.
H: Combination of adjacent national census authority agglomerations.
The most reliable population estimates are "A" and "H." Population estimates "C" are generally reliable. Population estimates "D" and "E" are less reliable. Population estimates coded "F" and "G" are the least reliable.
The estimates are quite different from the list of World's largest urban agglomerations produced by the United Nations that reports inconsistently on urban geographic, despite its reference to agglomerations. This is evident, for example, in Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Seoul and Moscow, where the UN data are for political jurisdictions, rather than urban areas. In other cases, metropolitan area data are shown, such as in Brazil.
Urban areas are confined to a single metropolitan area or labor market area. In some cases, urban areas have virtually grown together (e.g.BosWash in the United States and Taiheiyō Belt in Japan), yet are still considered separate urban areas.
Urban areas are confined to a single nation, unless there is freedom of movement (including labor) between the adjacent nations. Currently, this condition is met only between some continental nations of the European Union (e.g.Lille–Kortrijk in both France and Belgium).
Includes large portions of the prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama; and small portions of Gunma, Tochigi and Ibaraki. Excludes urban areas of Utsunomiya (500,000; 88 km²) and Mito (500,000; 246 km²).
Various international sources limit their population estimates to DKI Jakarta itself (the natinal capital district). However, the urbanization of Jakarta extends into the regencies of Tangerang, Bekasi, Bogor and Karawang and the separate cities of Bekasi, Depok and Bogor. Demographia continues to use the “Jakarta” name instead of Jabodetabek because of its familiarity.
Includes satellite cities in Gyeonggi Province such as Suwon, Goyang, Seongnam, Bucheon and Ansan which are treated as separate urban agglomerations by the United Nations.
The population is higher than other agglomeration estimates (such as the United Nations), tend to be limited to Metro Manila, which is a province level jurisdiction. The continuous urbanization of Manila extends outward into Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Quezon provinces. The Demographia population estimate is a “build-up” of municipality population within the continuously developed area (urban area or agglomeration).
Includes Nara and Himeji. United Nations estimates separate Osaka–Kobe and Kyoto and exclude both Nara and Himeji. Excludes urban area of Ōtsu (700,000; 389 km²).
Includes the Governorate of Al-Qahirah (Cairo) and the cities of Al-Jizah (Giza) and Shubra al-Khaymah (Shubra El-Kheima)
The population estimate is suspect, due to the lack of readily available data for local areas outside the city jurisdiction (Moscow Oblast). Demographia is indebted to Richard Forstall, who has provided local authority area population data for portions of Moscow Oblast within the Moscow urban areas. Other estimates (such as the United Nations estimate) include only the municipality of Moscow, which includes only part of the urban footprint.
Excludes urban area of La Plata (675,000; 228 km²) which has been included in the 2007 edition (13,460,000; 2,979 km² in total).
The population is lower than other estimates (such as the United Nations), which include metropolitan area population not within the continuously developed urban area.
Higher population estimates are indicated by some source. The Demographia population estimate is determined from accumulating smaller area population data from the 2006 census. Excludes urban area of Ikorodu (525,000; 130 km²) within Lagos State.
Excludes urban area of Karaj (1,380,000; 145 km²).
The population is lower than other estimates (such as the United Nations), which include metropolitan area population not within the continuously developed urban area. The Demographia population estimate is determined from accumulating smaller area population data from national census data within the urban footprint.
The population is lower than other estimates (such as the United Nations), which include metropolitan area population not within the continuously developed urban area. The Demographia population estimate is a “build-up” of sub-municipality population within the continuously developed area (urban area or agglomeration). Excludes urban area of Tangshan (900,000; 168 km²).
The population is higher than other estimates (such as the United Nations), which do not includes all population within the continuously developed urban area (especially in Taipei County). Excludes urban area of Chungli (1,600,000; 414 km²).
Combination of Toronto, Hamilton and Oshawa urban areas. Excludes urban areas of Kitchener (423,000; 314 km²), St. Catharines–Niagara Falls (309,000; 383 km²), Barrie (158,000; 172 km²) and Guelph (116,000; 78 km²) which constitute the Golden Horseshoe metropolitan region in Canada as well as urban areas of Buffalo (977,000; 950 km²) and Rochester (694,000; 764 km²) in the United States.
The population is higher than other agglomeration estimates (such as the United Nations), which does not include all of the continuously developed urban area. Continuous urbanization extends well beyond the municipality of Kuala Lumpur, for example to Port Klang and the area represents a single labor market (metropolitan area). The Demographia population estimate is a “build-up” of municipality population within the continuously developed area (urban area or agglomeration).
Combination of Houston and The Woodlands urbanized areas.
Excludes urban area of Johor Bahru (860,000; 583 km²) in Malaysia.
Excludes Bergamo which has been included in the 2007 edition (4,950,000; 3,043 km² in total).
Atlanta urbanized area.
Excludes urban area of Wanzhou (200,000; 16 km²) within the municipality of Chongqing. The direct-controlled municipality of Chongqing, which is sometimes translated as the direct-controlled city of Chongqing, has the largest population of any organism called a city in the stretches far beyond any reasonable definition of a metropolitan area and has a land area similar to that of Austria.
Detroit urbanized area. Excludes urban areas of Toledo (503,000; 524 km²), Flint (365,000; 599 km²), Ann Arbor (284,000; 333 km²) and South Lyon (106,000; 246 km²) in the United States as well as urban area of Windsor (279,000; 176 km²) in Canada .
Excludes urban areas of Gosford (255,000; 275 km²) and Wollongong (234,000; 184 km²).
Phoenix–Mesa urbanized area.
Excludes urban area of Geelong (137,000; 101 km²).
Includes the Governorate of Grand Algiers.
Montréal urban area.
Excludes urban areas of Acheng (300,000; 39 km²) and Shangzhi (250,000; 16 km²) within the sub-provincial city of Harbin.
San Diego urbanized area. Excludes urban area of Tijuana (1,400,000; 324 km²) in Mexico.
Seattle urbanized area. Excludes urban areas of Bremerton (178,000; 304 km²), Olympia–Lacey (144,000; 238 km²) and Marysville (114,000; 190 km²).
Excludes urban area of Kitakyūshū (1,800,000; 1,166 km²). Some sources combine Fukuoka with Kitakyūshū (such as the United Nations), which is not a part of the continuous urbanization of Fukuoka. The Demographia population estimate is a “build-up” of municipality population within the continuously developed area (urban area or agglomeration).
Denver–Aurora urbanized area. Excludes urban areas of Fort Collins (207,000; 216 km²) and Boulder (112,000; 85 km²).
St. Louis urbanized area.
Excludes urban areas of Amsterdam (1,100,000; 414 km²), Haarlem (450,000; 142 km²) and Utrecht (400,000; 109 km²) which constitute the Randstad metropolitan region.
Vancouver urban area. Excludes urban area of Abbotsford (139,000; 155 km²).
