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Largest Cities Throughout History

For each year listed, name the most populated city in the world.
Countries listed are modern-day countries.
Main sources: Ian Morris (2010), George Modelski (2003), Tertius Chandler (1987), Multiple, and other.
Quiz by Geopro
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Last updated: February 11, 2021
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First submittedFebruary 11, 2021
Times taken46
Average score63.0%
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Year
Population
Country
City
7000 BC
1,000-2,000
Israel (Palestine)
Jericho
6700 BC
1,000
Jordan
Basta
6500 BC
5,000-10,000
Turkey
Çatalhöyük
6000 BC
3,000
Turkey
Çatalhöyük
4000 BC
4,000
Iraq
Eridu
3800-3700 BC
10,000
Ukraine
Dobrovody
3700 BC
6,000-10,000
Iraq
Eridu
3600-3500 BC
10,000
Ukraine
Maydanets
3500 BC
14,000
Iraq
Uruk
3300 BC
40,000
Iraq
Uruk
3200 BC
20,000
Egypt
Abydos
3100 BC
20,000
Egypt
Memphis
3000 BC
40,000-45,000
Iraq
Uruk
2800 BC
80,000
Iraq
Uruk
2500 BC
60,000
Iraq
Lagash
2400 BC
50,000
Syria
Mari
2300 BC
80,000
Iraq
Girsu
2250 BC
30,000
Egypt
Memphis
2240 BC
30,000
Iraq
Akkad
2200 BC
50,000
Iraq
Girsu
2100 BC
100,000
Iraq
Ur
2075 BC
50,000
Iraq
Girsu
2059 BC
50,000
Iraq
Girsu
2030 BC
50,000
Iraq
Ur
2000 BC
65,000
Iraq
Ur
1991 BC
65,000
Iraq
Ur
1980 BC
65,000
Egypt
Thebes
1900 BC
65,000
Egypt
Thebes
1800 BC
60,000
Syria
Mari
1770 BC
60,000
Iraq
Babylon
1770 BC
60,000
Iraq
Babylon
1670 BC
60,000
Egypt
Avaris
1650 BC
100,000
Egypt
Avaris
1600 BC
100,000
Egypt
Avaris
1557 BC
100,000
Egypt
Memphis
1500 BC
60,000-75,000
Egypt
Thebes
1400 BC
80,000-100,000
Egypt
Thebes
1300 BC
120,000
China
Yinxu
1205 BC
80,000
Egypt
Memphis
1200 BC
160,000
Egypt
Pi-Ramses
1188 BC
50,000
Egypt
Thebes
1184 BC
120,000
Egypt
Thebes
1100 BC
120,000
Egypt
Pi-Ramses & Thebes
1000 BC
100,000
China
Haojing
900 BC
125,000
China
Haojing
700 BC
100,000
Egypt
Thebes
668 BC
100,000
Iraq
Ninevah
650 BC
120,000
Iraq
Ninevah
612 BC
120,000
Iraq
Babylon
600 BC
100,000-200,000
Iraq
Babylon
562 BC
200,000
Iraq
Babylon
500 BC
150,000-200,000
Iraq
Babylon
400 BC
320,000
China
Xiadu
320 BC
300,000
Egypt
Alexandria
300 BC
500,000
Tunisia
Carthage
220 BC
300,000
India
Pataliputra
200 BC
300,000-600,000
Egypt
Alexandria
195 BC
400,000
China
Chang'an
100 BC
1,000,000
Egypt
Alexandria
25 BC
400,000
Italy
Rome
1 AD
400,000-1,000,000
Italy
Rome
100
45,000-1,000,000
Italy
Rome
180
600,000
Italy
Rome
200
600,000-1,200,000
Italy
Rome
280
500,000
Italy
Rome
300
500,000-1,000,000
Italy
Rome
340
500,000
Turkey
Constantinople
361
300,000
Turkey
Constantinople
400
500,000-800,000
Italy
Rome
Year
Population
Country
City
410
300,000
Turkey
Constantinople
500
400,000-500,000
Turkey
Constantinople
570
400,000
Iraq
Ctesiphon
575
500,000
Iraq
Ctesiphon
600
600,000
Turkey
Constantinople
622
500,000
Iraq
Ctesiphon
637
400,000
China
Chang'an
700
800,000-1,000,000
China
Chang'an
750
800,000
China
Chang'an
775
600,000
Iraq
Baghdad
800
800,000-1,000,000
China
Chang'an
833
900,000
Iraq
Baghdad
925
1,100,000
Iraq
Baghdad
935
350,000
Spain
Cordoba
1000
1,200,000
Iraq
Baghdad
1013
400,000
China
Kaifeng
1100
1,200,000
Iraq
Baghdad
1102
442,000
China
Kaifeng
1126
420,000
China
Kaifeng
1127
200,000
Turkey
Constantinople
1145
200,000
Turkmenistan
Merv
1153
200,000
Turkey
Constantinople
1170
200,000
Morocco
Fez
1180
200,000
China
Hangzhou
1200
255,000-1,000,000
China
Hangzhou
1210
600,000
Turkmenistan
Gurganj
1250
320,000
China
Hangzhou
1273
432,000
China
Hangzhou
1300
432,000-1,500,000
China
Hangzhou
1315
432,000
Egypt
Cairo
1325
500,000
Egypt
Cairo
1348
432,000
China
Hangzhou
1358
432,000
China
Jinling
1391
473,000
China
Jinling
1400
487,000-1,000,000
China
Jinling
1420
487,000
China
Jinling
1425
487,000
China
Beijing
1450
600,000
China
Beijing
1492
669,000
China
Beijing
1500
600,000-1,000,000
China
Beijing
1550
690,000
China
Beijing
1575
706,000
China
Beijing
1600
700,000-1,000,000
China
Beijing
1635
706,000
China
Beijing
1650
700,000
Turkey
Constantinople
1675
750,000
Turkey
Constantinople
1690
700,000-800,000
Turkey
Constantinople
1700
1,000,000
Thailand
Ayutthaya
1710
700,000
China
Beijing
1750
900,000
China
Beijing
1775
1,000,000
China
Beijing
1800
1,100,000
China
Beijing
1821
1,300,000
China
Beijing
1825
1,350,000
China
Beijing
1841
1,948,000
United Kingdom
London
1850
2,320,000
United Kingdom
London
1851
2,362,000
United Kingdom
London
1861
2,803,000
United Kingdom
London
1875
4,241,000
United Kingdom
London
1900
6,480,000-6,600,000
United Kingdom
London
1914
7,419,000
United Kingdom
London
1925
7,775,000
United States
New York
1936
10,150,000
United States
New York
1950
12,463,000
United States
New York
1965
15,000,000
Japan
Tokyo
1975
20,500,000
Japan
Tokyo
2000
26,400,000
Japan
Tokyo
2010
36,700,000
Japan
Tokyo
2020
37,393,000
Japan
Tokyo
+1
Level 77
Feb 12, 2021
Interesting quiz. Are your sources credible? For instance, Uruk is biggest with 40,000 in 3300BC and again with 40-45,000 in 3000BC. But in between it's population has fallen to below 20,000. A similar fate befalls Chang'an in the 8th century AD but with an even less credible fall in population of over 200,000 and bounce-back to where it was before in just 50 years. Also Baghdad in the 10th century. Have you any way of checking?
+1
Level 59
Feb 12, 2021
The issue with the source I used was that it was also according to three different historians opinions. The reason there were such fluctuations in population was because not every source had a city for each of the years - or that city was conquered by a large scale ancient or medieval raid :). Because of this I chose the one that was most believable (or most populated) or if any two sources agreed (these ones are marked in green) I chose that.

So that explains why the data may not be credible, but I tried my best!