List_of_metropolitan_areas_in_Europe_by_population
This list ranks metropolitan areas in Europe by their population according to three different sources; it includes metropolitan areas that have a population of over 1 million.
This article is missing information about smaller metropolitan areas defined by OECD and Eurostat. (April 2023) |
List includes metropolitan areas according only studies of ESPON, Eurostat, and OECD. For this reason some metropolitan areas, like the Italian Genoa Metropolitan Area (with a population over 1,510,000 as of 2012 according to "CityRailway" Official Report), are not included in this list, with data by other statistic survey institutes.
Figures in the first column come from the ESPON project, "Study on Urban Functions", which defines cities according to the concept of a functional urban area (core urban area defined morphologically on the basis of population density, plus the surrounding labour pool defined on the basis of commuting). Figures in the second column come from Eurostat's Urban Audit and correspond to Larger Urban Zones (LUZ). Figures in the fourth column come from the OECD Territorial Reviews and correspond to "metropolitan regions". Further information on how the areas are defined can be found in the source documents. These figures should be seen as an interpretation, not as conclusive fact.
Metropolitan area name | Country | OECD Metropolitan areas (2020)[1] |
City Population Urban Agglomeration (2024)[2] |
Eurostat Metropolitan region (2019)[3] |
Eurostat Metropolitan region (2018)[3] |
ESPON Functional Urban Area (2006)[4] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amsterdam metropolitan area | Netherlands | 2,890,428 | 2,525,000 | 3,269,905 | 3,242,852 | 2,497,000[lower-alpha 1] |
Antwerp | Belgium | 1,146,565 | 1,240,000 | 985,332 | 1,047,030 | 1,406,000[lower-alpha 2] |
Athens metropolitan area | Greece | 3,526,887 | 3,575,000 | 3,561,750 | 3,576,590 | 3,761,000 |
Barcelona metropolitan area | Spain | 5,105,991 | 4,850,000 | 5,575,204 | 5,514,881 | 4,082,000[lower-alpha 3] |
Belgrade | Serbia | — | 1,430,000 | — | — | — |
Berlin metropolitan area | Germany | 5,342,958 | 4,775,000 | 5,303,846 | 5,259,363 | 4,016,000 |
Bilbao | Spain | 1,014,366 | <1,000,000 | 1,137,191 | 1,134,848 | 947,000 |
Birmingham (West Midlands) | United Kingdom | 2,926,915 | 3,250,000 | 3,558,916 | 2,545,475 | 4,483,000 |
Bordeaux | France | 1,290,068 | 1,140,000 | — | — | |
Bremen | Germany | 1,274,429 | 1,000,000 | 1,277,609 | 1,274,611 | 1,077,000 |
Bristol | United Kingdom | 969,256 | <1,000,000 | 1,157,937 | 1,147,017 | 1,041,000 |
Brussels metropolitan area | Belgium | 2,500,251 | 2,750,000 | 2,548,941 | 2,528,996 | 2,639,000[lower-alpha 2] |
Bucharest metropolitan area | Romania | 2,219,341 | 2,200,000 | 2,315,173 | 2,301,255 | 2,064,000 |
Budapest metropolitan area | Hungary | 3,012,001 | 2,500,000 | 3,031,160 | 3,011,598 | 2,523,000 |
Cardiff | United Kingdom | 928,101 | <1,000,000 | 1,140,165 | 1,135,795 | 1,097,000 |
Copenhagen metropolitan area | Denmark | 1,945,157 | 1,770,000 | 2,045,259 | 2,030,718 | 2,350,000[5][6][lower-alpha 4] |
Donetsk | Ukraine | — | 1,410,000[lower-alpha 5] | — | — | — |
Dnipro | Ukraine | — | 1,330,000[lower-alpha 6] | — | — | — |
Dresden | Germany | 1,343,747 | — | — | — | — |
Dublin Metropolitan Area | Ireland | 2,110,459 | 1,530,000 | 2,107,749 | 2,069,386 | 1,477,000 |
Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Region | Germany | 2,729,936 | 3,300,000 | 2,710,127 | 2,693,115 | 2,764,000[lower-alpha 7] |
Gdańsk (Tricity) | Poland | 1,170,990 | <1,000,000 | — | 1,317,517 | 993,000 |
Gothenburg | Sweden | 1,051,345 | <1,000,000 | 1,021,831 | 1,015,974 | 759,000 |
Greater Glasgow | United Kingdom | 1,847,200 | 1,700,000 | 1,861,315 | 1,854,866 | 1,395,000 |
The Hague | Netherlands | 1,116,798 | 3,400,000[lower-alpha 8] | 1,103,368 | 1,093,212 | 1,404,000[lower-alpha 1] |
Hamburg Metropolitan Region | Germany | 3,328,679 | 2,925,000 | 3,327,940 | 3,309,215 | 2,983,000 |
Hannover | Germany | 1,316,006 | 1,150,000 | — | — | — |
Helsinki Metropolitan Area | Finland | 1,526,778 | 1,530,000 | 1,671,024 | 1,655,624 | 1,285,000 |
Istanbul[lower-alpha 9] | Turkey | 13,719,061 | 15,900,000 | — | — | — |
Katowice metropolitan area | Poland | 2,486,510 | 2,225,000 | 2,695,148 | 2,705,106 | 3,029,000[lower-alpha 10] |
Kazan metropolitan area | Russia | — | 1,590,000 | — | — | — |
Kharkiv | Ukraine | — | 1,600,000[lower-alpha 11] | — | — | — |
Kryvyi Rih metropolitan area | Ukraine | — | — | 1,170,953[7] | — | — |
Kyiv metropolitan area | Ukraine | — | 3,475,000[lower-alpha 12] | — | — | — |
Kraków metropolitan area | Poland | 1,423,235 | <1,000,000 | 1,491,811 | 1,480,803 | 1,236,000 |
Leipzig | Germany | 1,049,342 | — | — | — | — |
Lille | France | 1,505,093 | 1,320,000 | 2,594,456 | 2,597,774 | 1,379,000[lower-alpha 13] |
Lisbon metropolitan area | Portugal | 3,035,487 | 2,500,000 | 2,846,332 | 2,833,679 | 2,591,000 |
Liverpool/Birkenhead | United Kingdom | 1,548,752 | 1,890,000 | 1,784,475 | 2,042,955 | 2,241,000 |
Łódź metropolitan area | Poland | 903,719 | <1,000,000 | 1,070,544 | 1,074,374 | 1,165,000 |
London metropolitan area | United Kingdom | 12,451,423 | 14,900,000 | 14,372,596 | 14,257,962 | 11,203,000 |
Lyon | France | 2,129,101 | 2,025,000 | 1,865,534 | 1,867,275 | 1,669,000 |
Madrid metropolitan area | Spain | 7,005,286 | 6,650,000 | 6,641,649 | 6,549,520 | 5,263,000 |
Greater Manchester | United Kingdom | 3,399,018 | 3,150,000 | 3,712,997 | 3,695,071 | 2,556,000 |
Mannheim-Ludwigshafen | Germany | 1,191,766 | 1,590,000 | — | — | — |
Marseille | France | 1,278,124[lower-alpha 14] | 1,700,000 | 3,100,329 | 3,100,110 | 1,530,000 |
Milan metropolitan area | Italy | 4,985,668 | 6,100,000 | 4,354,448 | 4,336,121 | 7,636,000[lower-alpha 15] |
Minsk metropolitan area | Belarus | — | 2,100,000 | — | — | — |
Moscow metropolitan area | Russia | — | 19,100,000 | — | — | — |
Munich | Germany | 2,926,802 | 2,300,000 | 2,908,664 | 2,883,373 | 2,665,000[lower-alpha 16] |
Nantes | France | 1,003,395 | — | — | — | — |
Naples metropolitan area | Italy | 3,349,233 | 4,050,000 | 3,084,890 | 3,101,002 | 3,714,000[8] |
Nice | France | 1,020,879 | <1,000,000 | 1,080,815 | 1,082,139 | 1,082,000 |
Nizhny Novgorod | Russia | — | 1,660,000 | — | — | — |
Nottingham-Derby | United Kingdom | 935,049[lower-alpha 17] | 1,380,000 | 331,297 | 329,448[lower-alpha 18] | 1,534,000 |
Nuremberg Metropolitan Region | Germany | 1,352,002 | 1,210,000 | 1,349,848 | 1,340,886 | 1,443,000 |
Odesa | Ukraine | — | 1,100,000[lower-alpha 19] | — | — | — |
Greater Oslo | Norway | 1,420,926 | 1,260,000 | 1,305,122 | 1,287,495 | 1,037,000 |
Paris metropolitan area | France | 12,997,058 | 11,000,000 | 12,244,807 | 12,183,893 | 11,175,000 |
Perm | Russia | — | 1,090,000 | — | — | — |
Porto Metropolitan Area | Portugal | 1,785,248 | 1,550,000 | 1,722,374 | 1,719,702 | 1,245,000[lower-alpha 20] |
Portsmouth-Southampton | United Kingdom | 542,048[lower-alpha 21] | 1,150,000 | 806,001 | 802,162 | 1,547,000 |
Poznań metropolitan area | Poland | 993,656 | <1,000,000 | — | 1,186,164 | 919,000 |
Prague metropolitan area | Czech Republic | 2,267,817 | 1,470,000 | 2,677,964 | 2,647,308 | 1,669,000 |
Rhein-Nord[lower-alpha 22] (Düsseldorf - Neuss) | Germany | 1,557,269 | See Rhein-Sud | 1,555,985 | 1,552,097 | 3,073,000[lower-alpha 23] |
Rhein-Süd[lower-alpha 22] (Cologne - Bonn) | Germany | 2,004,984 | 5,000,000 | 2,003,046 | 1,994,524 | 3,070,000[lower-alpha 23] |
Riga metropolitan area | Latvia | 927,924 | <1,000,000 | 1,003,203 | 1,005,237 | 1,195,000 |
Rome metropolitan area | Italy | 4,325,591 | 3,425,000 | 4,342,212 | 4,355,725 | 5,190,000 |
Rostov-on-Don | Russia | — | 1,400,000 | — | — | — |
Rotterdam | Netherlands | 1,876,165 | 3,400,000[lower-alpha 24] | 1,846,933 | 1,835,354 | 1,904,000[lower-alpha 1] |
Ruhr[lower-alpha 22] | Germany | 5,115,617 | 5,650,000 | 5,111,530 | 5,113,487 | 5,376,000[lower-alpha 23] |
Saarbrücken - Forbach | Germany/ France |
797,110 | — | — | 802,664 | 1,102,000 |
Saint Petersburg metropolitan area | Russia | — | 6,500,000 | — | — | — |
Samara | Russia | — | 1,370,000 | — | — | — |
Saratov | Russia | — | 1,210,000 | — | — | — |
Seville | Spain | 1,558,006 | 1,300,000 | 1,949,640 | 1,945,236 | 1,180,000[lower-alpha 25] |
Sofia | Bulgaria | 1,551,056 | 1,240,000 | 1,678,041 | 1,679,413 | 1,174,000 |
Metropolitan Stockholm | Sweden | 2,377,081 | 2,275,000 | 2,344,124 | 2,308,143 | 2,171,000 |
South Yorkshire (Sheffield) | United Kingdom | 1,204,485 | 1,540,000 | 584,028 | 580,108 | 1,869,000 |
Stuttgart Metropolitan Region | Germany | 2,794,283 | 2,400,000 | 2,787,724 | 2,778,591 | 2,289,000 |
Thessaloniki metropolitan area | Greece | 1,049,937 | <1,000,000 | 1,104,690 | 1,105,663 | 1,052,000 |
Toulouse | France | 1,445,789 | 1,130,000 | — | — | — |
Turin metropolitan area | Italy | 1,728,714 | 1,580,000 | 2,259,523 | 2,269,120 | 1,601,000[lower-alpha 26] |
Newcastle-Sunderland | United Kingdom | 1,192,598 | 1,470,000 | 1,177,704 | 1,172,580 | 1,599,000 |
Ufa | Russia | — | 1,230,000 | — | — | — |
Valencia | Spain | 1,768,205 | 2,075,000 | 2,540,588 | 2,531,187 | 1,398,000[lower-alpha 27] |
Vienna | Austria | 3,004,660 | 2,350,000 | 2,853,903 | 2,838,558 | 2,584,000 |
Volgograd | Russia | — | 1,090,000 | — | — | — |
Warsaw metropolitan area | Poland | 3,209,784 | 2,500,000 | 3,053,104 | 3,025,034 | 2,785,000 |
West Yorkshire (Leeds - Bradford) | United Kingdom | 2,655,815 | 2,225,000 | 1,750,276 | 1,741,298 | 2,302,000 |
Wrocław metropolitan area | Poland | 883,468 | <1,000,000 | 638,659 | 636,050 | 861,000 |
Zagreb metropolitan area | Croatia | 1,219,858 | <1,000,000 | 1,240,433 | 1,240,310 | — |
Zürich metropolitan area | Switzerland | 1,401,783 | 1,490,000 | 1,520,968 | 1,504,346 | 1,615,000 |
Polycentric metropolitan areas in the European Union
Rank | Area | State | Population[9] |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region | Germany | 12,190,000 |
2 | Randstad | Netherlands | 8,219,380 |
3 | Upper Silesian metropolitan area | Poland/ Czech Republic | 5,294,000 |
4 | Flemish Diamond | Belgium | 5,103,000 |
5 | Vienna-Bratislava metropolitan region | Austria/ Slovakia | 4,600,000 |
- List of cities in Europe by population within city limits
- List of urban areas in Europe
- List of European city regions
- Lists of cities in Europe
- List of largest cities in the European Union by population within city limits
- List of urban areas in the European Union
- List of European Union cities proper by population density
- List of metropolitan areas by population for the world
- World's largest cities
Regional and country-specific lists
- Largest metropolitan areas in the Nordic countries
- List of metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom
- List of metropolitan areas in Belgium
- List of metropolitan areas in France
- List of metropolitan areas in Germany
- List of metropolitan areas in Italy
- List of metropolitan areas in Spain
- List of metropolitan areas in Sweden
- List of metropolitan areas in Poland
- Total population is 4,251,000 if the metropolitan area of Mataro (169,000) is included.
- Part of the wider Öresund region, which includes the Swedish metropolitan area of Malmö (961,000). The total regional population is 2,842,000.
- Part of the polycentric Upper Silesian urban region with a total population of 5,294,000. The region additionally includes the metropolitan areas of Ostrava (1,046,000), Bielsko-Biala (584,000) and Rybnik (526,000).
- Does not include Aix-en-Provence, which OECD, unlike INSEE, considers as a separate metropolitan area, with a population of 352,097 in 2020.
- When combined with the Augsburg metropolitan area (606,000), the region has a total population of 3,271,000.
- Does not include Southampton, which OECD considers as a separate metropolitan area, with a population of 695,204 in 2020.
- Part of the polycentric urban region of Rhein-Ruhr, which has a total population of 12,190,000.
- Total population is 1,262,000 if the metropolitan area of Utrera (82,000) is included.
- Total population is 1,716,000 if the metropolitan of Pinerolo is included.
- Total population is 1,499,000 if the metropolitan area of Sagunto is included.
- "OECD - Metropolitan areas - Population, all ages". OECD. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
- "Major Agglomerations of The World". citypopulation.de. 1 January 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
- "Database". ec.europa.eu. Eurostat. Retrieved 20 Jun 2020. click General and regional statistics / Regional statistics by typology / Metropolitan regions / Demography statistics by metropolitan regions / Population on 1 January by broad age group, sex and metropolitan regions (met_pjanaggr3)
- "Study on Urban Functions (Project 1.4.3)]" (PDF). European Spatial Planning Observation Network. March 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015., Final Report, Chapter 3
- OECD: Territorial Review Copenhagen, 2009, p. 34, ISBN 9789264060029
- "Чисельність наявного населення України на 1 січня 2019" (PDF).(in Ukrainian)
- "Principal Agglomerations of the World". Citypopulation. January 2017.
- European Spatial Planning Observation Network, Study on Urban Functions (Project 1.4.3) Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine, Final Report, Chapter 3, (ESPON, 2007) page 241-243
- Geopolis: research group, university of Paris-Diderot, France - Population of urban areas of 10,000 or more