Populous Cities In Asia

#5 Karachi

Karachi is Asia’s fifth-largest metropolis and Sindh’s capital. 

Its varied population of nearly 21 million people lives in the country’s financial and industrial core on the Arabian Sea.

Since the Indus Valley Civilization, the city has had a rich history. 

It was taken by the Arabs in the 8th century and became a British Empire port. Pakistan’s capital since 1947.

Karachi has struggled recently despite its economic and cultural prominence. 

Crime, pollution, and overcrowding. Karachi’s administration and residents are attempting to fix these issues and improve the city.

Technology and innovation have grown throughout the city. It has several tech startups and is trying to lead digital innovation.

Karachi has a vibrant past and a promising future. Its culture, trade, and innovation help Pakistan’s economy and culture.

#4 Delhi

Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. 

Lying on both sides of the Yamuna river, but chiefly to the west, or beyond its right bank. 

Delhi shares borders with the state of Uttar Pradesh in the east and with the state of Haryana in the remaining directions. 

Delhi became a union territory on 1 November 1956 and the NCT in 1995.

The NCT covers an area of 1,484 square kilometers (573 sq mi). 

According to the 2011 census, Delhi's city proper population was over 11 million, while the NCT's population was about 16.8 million.

Delhi's urban agglomeration, which includes the satellite cities Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, Meerut and YEIDA city in an area known as the National Capital Region (NCR), has an estimated population of over 28 million, making it the largest metropolitan area in India and the second-largest in the world (after Tokyo).

#3 Mumbai

India’s Maharashtra state capital, Mumbai, is Asia’s third biggest metropolis. Mumbai is India’s west coast city, with over 20 million residents. 

Its lively nightlife, busy markets, and famous buildings reflect its rich history, culture, and diversity.

Many of India’s biggest banks are in Mumbai, the financial hub. 

The city houses several of India’s biggest film studios and television networks. 

Mumbai’s many galleries, theaters, and museums showcase the city’s rich cultural legacy.

Mumbai is vibrant and diverse. This vibrant town is full of surprises, from its famous monuments and busy marketplaces to its rich history and cultural traditions.

#2 Beijing

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. With over 21 million residents, Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city as well as China's second largest city after Shanghai.

It is located in Northern China, and is governed as a municipality under the direct administration of the State Council with 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts.

Beijing is mostly surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin to the southeast together, the three divisions form the Jingjinji megalopolis and the national capital region of China.

Beijing is a global city and one of the world's leading centres for culture, diplomacy, politics, finance, business and economics, education, research, language, tourism, media, sport, science and technology and transportation. 

It is home to the headquarters of most of China's largest state-owned companies and houses the largest number of Fortune Global 500 companies in the world, as well as the world's four biggest financial institutions by total assets.

It is also a major hub for the national highway, expressway, railway, and high-speed rail networks. 

For a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beijing Capital International Airport was Asia's busiest airport (2009-2019) and the second busiest airport in the world (2010-2019).

#1 Shanghai

Shanghai is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China.

The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowing through it. 

The population of the city proper is the third largest in the world, with 24.89 million inhabitants in 2021, while the urban area is the most populous in China, with 39.3 million residents. 

As of 2018, the Greater Shanghai metropolitan area was estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product (nominal) of nearly 9.1 trillion RMB ($1.33 trillion). 

Shanghai is one of the world's major centers for finance, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and culture, and the Port of Shanghai is the world's busiest container port.

Originally a fishing village and market town, Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century due to both domestic and foreign trade and its favorable port location. 

The city was one of five treaty ports forced to open to European trade after the First Opium War. The Shanghai International Settlement and the French Concession were subsequently established. 

The city then flourished, becoming a primary commercial and financial hub of Asia in the 1930s. 

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the city was the site of the major Battle of Shanghai. 

After the war, with the CCP takeover of the mainland in 1949, trade was limited to other socialist countries and the city's global influence declined.