List of European cities by population within city limits

This list ranks European cities by population within city limits. The largest cities in Europe have official populations of over one million inhabitants within their city boundaries. These rankings are based on populations contained within city administrative boundaries, as opposed to urban areas or metropolitan areas, which necessarily have larger populations than the cities at their core.

Istanbul view

The limits of a city proper can differ greatly from the size of the city's urban area, so the figures in this list may not give an accurate view of the comparative population of different urban areas and should be treated with caution. For example, the Paris metropolitan area is the fourth most populous in Europe, but the strict definition of the administrative limits of the City of Paris results in a far lower population.

Largest cities

  Capital cities

City	Country	Official population	Date	Ref.
Istanbul	Turkey	15,701,602	31 Dec 2024
Moscow	Russia	13,149,803	1 Jan 2024
London	United Kingdom	8,866,180	30 Jun 2022
Saint Petersburg	Russia	5,597,763	1 Jan 2024
Berlin	Germany	3,897,145	31 Dec 2024
Madrid	Spain	3,416,771	1 Jan 2024
Kyiv	Ukraine	2,952,301	1 Jan 2022
Rome	Italy	2,751,747	1 Jan 2024
Baku	Azerbaijan	2,344,900	1 Jan 2024
Paris	France	2,048,472	1 Jan 2025
Vienna	Austria	2,028,399	1 Jan 2025
Minsk	Belarus	1,992,862	1 Jan 2024
Hamburg	Germany	1,910,160	31 Dec 2023
Warsaw	Poland	1,862,402	30 Jun 2024
Bucharest	Romania	1,719,958	1 Jan 2024
Barcelona	Spain	1,702,547	1 Jan 2024
Budapest	Hungary	1,686,222	1 Jan 2024
Belgrade	Serbia	1,683,229	1 Jan 2023
Munich	Germany	1,510,378	31 Dec 2023
Kharkiv	Ukraine	1,421,225	1 Jan 2022
Prague	Czech Republic	1,384,732	1 Jan 2024
Milan	Italy	1,371,499	1 Jan 2024
Kazan	Russia	1,318,604	1 Jan 2024
Sofia	Bulgaria	1,286,965	31 Dec 2023
Tbilisi	Georgia	1,258,526	1 Jan 2024
Nizhny Novgorod	Russia	1,204,985	1 Jan 2024
Ufa	Russia	1,163,304	1 Jan 2024
Samara	Russia	1,158,952	1 Jan 2024
Birmingham	United Kingdom	1,157,603	30 Jun 2022
Rostov-on-Don	Russia	1,140,487	1 Jan 2024
Krasnodar	Russia	1,138,654	1 Jan 2024
Yerevan	Armenia	1,127,000	1 Jul 2024
Cologne	Germany	1,086,463	30 Jun 2024
Voronezh	Russia	1,046,425	1 Jan 2024
Perm	Russia	1,026,908	1 Jan 2024
Volgograd	Russia	1,018,898	1 Jan 2024
Odesa	Ukraine	1,010,537	1 Jan 2022

Map

Istanbul

Moscow

London

Saint Petersburg

Berlin

Madrid

Kyiv

Rome

Baku

Bucharest

Paris

Minsk

Vienna

Hamburg

Warsaw

Budapest

Belgrade

Barcelona

Munich

Kharkiv

Milan

Sofia

Prague

Kazan

Nizhny Novgorod

Samara

Birmingham

Krasnodar

Rostov-on-Don

Ufa

Cologne

Voronezh

Perm

Volgograd

Yerevan

Tbilisi

Odesa

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Locations of cities in Europe with more than 1 million inhabitants

See also

• Europe portal

• List of urban areas in Europe
• List of metropolitan areas in Europe
• List of urban areas in the European Union

Notes

1. Istanbul is a transcontinental city, with its commercial and historical centre and two-thirds of the population in Europe, the rest in Asia (see Districts of Istanbul for details).
2. Istanbul total (2024) = 15,701,602
   Europe (25 districts) = 10,042,847
   Asia (14 districts) = 5,658,755
3. Moscow is the most populous city entirely within Europe.
4. Greater London, not the City of London
5. Continental placement may vary depending on geographic convention being followed.

References

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17. "Ergebnis 12411-003r: Tabelle" (in German). Bayerisches Landesamt für Statistik. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
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20. "Population: Population by cities and boroughs, as of 1 January". National Statistics Office of Georgia. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
21. "Number of De Jure Population of the Republic of Armenia as of July 1, 2024" (in English and Armenian). Statistical Committee of Armenia. p. 4. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
22. "Bevölkerung nach Gemeinden" (in German). Statistisches Landesamt Nordrhein-Westfalen. Retrieved 18 December 2024.