Historical urban community sizes


This article lists historical urban community sizes based on the estimated populations of selected human settlements from 7000 BC – AD 2000, organized by archaeological periods.
Many of the figures are uncertain, especially in ancient times. Estimating population sizes before censuses were conducted is a difficult task.

Neolithic settlements

TownLocation7000 BC6000 BC5000 BC4000 BC3800 BC3700 BC
'Ain GhazalJordan2,000-2,500
BeidhaJordan1,000
ÇatalhöyükTurkey1,000–10,000
ÇayönüTurkey8630-7680
ChoirokoitiaCyprus300–6002,000
Lepenski VirSerbia150–1,000
Nea NikomedeiaGreece500–700
OkolisteBosnia and Herzegovina1,000–3,000
Vinča-Belo BrdoSerbia2,000–2,500
SeskloGreece1,000–5,000
DobrovodyUkraine16,00010,000–16,000
FedorovkaUkraine6,000
MehrgarhPakistan1,000–10,000
MaydanetsUkraine10,00010,000–46,000
NebelivkaUkraine17,000
TaliankiUkraine15,000–25,000–30,00010,000–15,000
Tell BrakSyria4,0005,000
UrukIraq5,000

Bronze Age

CityLocation3700 BC3400 BC3100 BC2800 BC2600 BC
AdabIraq11,000
AnshanIran10,00010,000
Bad-tibiraIraq16,000
EriduIraq6,000–10,000
Habuba KabiraSyria6,000–8,000
HarappaPakistan35,000
KishIraq40,000
LagashIraq40,000
Larak/LarsaIraq10,00010,000
Manika, GreeceGreece6,000–15,0006,000–15,000
MemphisEgypt30,000
Mohenjo-daroPakistan41,250
NekhenEgypt5,000–10,000
NippurIraq13,000
Shahr-i SokhtaIran20,000
ShuruppakIraq20,000
Suheri13,00010,000
SusaIran8,000
Tell BrakSyria8,00022,00020,000
Thebes, GreeceGreece4,000–6,000
UmmaIraq26,000
UrIraq6,000
UrukIraq8,000
14,000		20,00040,000–50,00080,00080,000

CityLocation2500 BC2300 BC2000 BC1800 BC1600 BC1360 BC1200 BC
AthensGreece10,00010,000–15,000
Akrotiri (prehistoric city)Greece8,000–30,000
AdabIraq13,00010,00010,00010,000
AkkadIraq36,000
AmarnaEgypt
AnshanIran10,00010,00010,00010,000
Avaris/Pi-RamsesEgypt100,000160,000
BabylonIraq65,00080,000
Dur-KurigalzuIraq
EblaSyria30,000
ErlitouChina24,000–35,000
HarappaPakistan10,000
HattusaTurkey40,00040,000
HazorIsrael
HeliopolisEgypt
HeracleopolisEgypt
IsinIraq40,00020,000
KermaSudan
KeshIraq11,000
KishIraq25,00010,00040,000
KnossosGreece1,300–2,00018,00020,00030,000
LagashIraq40,00010,00030,00010,000
Larak/LarsaIraq10,00040,00020,000
Manika, GreeceGreece6,000–15,0006,000–15,000
MaliaGreece5,000–10,000–12,500
MariSyria
MemphisEgypt30,000–35,00060,00030,00022,00032,00050,000
Mohenjo-daroPakistan20,00020,00010,000
Mozah15,00015,000
MycenaeGreece20,00030,000–35,00030,000
Namazga-TepeTurkmenistan14,00014,000
NekhenEgypt21,000
NinivehIraq23,00033,000
NippurIraq20,00010,00010,000
PalaikastroGreece18,000
San Lorenzo TenochtitlánMexico7,500
Shahr-i SokhtaIran20,00020,000
ShuruppakIraq17,000
Suheri10,00010,00010,000
SusaIran25,00025,000
TaosiChina10,00014,000
Tell BrakSyria15,00015,000
Tell Churra20,000
Tell LeilanSyria20,00020,000
ThebesEgypt40,00040,00080,00080,000
Thebes, GreeceGreece4,000–6,0008,000
TirynsGreece1,200–1,80010,00010,000–15,000
UmmaIraq34,00020,00010,00020,000
UrIraq60,000
65,000
UrukIraq50,00075,000
Yin China50,000–120,000
ZabalaIraq10,00010,00010,000
ZhengzhouChina35,000

Iron Age

CityLocation300 BC200 BC100 BCAD 1AD 100AD 200AD 300AD 361AD 400
AlexandriaEgypt150,000300,000–600,000400,000250,000–500,000500,000125,000–200,000
AugsburgGermany25,000–50,00025,000–50,000
AntiochTurkey120,000400,000150,000–250,000250,000150,000
AnuradhapuraSri Lanka68,000130,00072,000
Anyi100,000
AthensGreece25,00010,00010,00090,00090,000
AutunFrance40,000–100,00040,000–100,000
ArlesFrance10,00010,00075,000
AyodhyaIndia63,000
AquileiaItaly12,00012,000
CarnuntumAustria12,000–50,00012,000–50,000
CapuaItaly100,000100,00025,000–40,000
CarthageTunisia150,000–200,000100,000–300,000300,000
Chang'an/Xi'anChina100,000–400,000375,000–400,000246,000–500,00081,000–100,000120,000140,00080,000100,000
ChengduChina100,00070,000
Cổ LoaVietnam40,00050,000
Byzantium /
Constantinople		Turkey15,00020,000150,000200,000
CorinthGreece40,000–100,000
CologneGermany20,000–40,00020,000–40,000
CtesiphonIraq250,000
CuicuilcoMexico36,000
DatongChina100,000
El MiradorGuatemala200,000
EphesusTurkey33,600
IzapaMexico35,000
KaushambiIndia90,000-180,000
Kaveri59,000
LinziChina125,000–350,000100,000100,000100,000100,000
LondonUK30,00045,000–60,000
LugdunumFrance25,000–50,00025,000–50,000
LuoyangChina125,000–240,00060,000200,000420,000140,000–250,000200,000
MathuraIndia
MilanItaly30,000–40,000100,00025,000–100,000
Monte AlbánMexico5,20017,20017,20017,20017,200
NanjingChina56,00078,000100,000150,000300,000
NimesFrance40,000–60,000
Ostia AnticaItaly25,000–40,00025,000–50,000
PaithanIndia60,00084,000
PatalaPakistan73,000
PataliputraIndia350,000–400,000 - 1,000,00069,000250,000
PeshawarPakistan120,000
PhilippiGreece100,000
PingchengChina88,000200,000
PozzuoliItaly30,000–50,00030,000–50,000
PyayMyanmar69,000
QufuChina100,000–125,000
RajgirIndia100,000
RhodesGreece100,000–200,000100,000
RomeItaly100,000150,000–160,000400,0001,000,0001,000,0001,000,000800,000800,000800,000
SalonaCroatia25,00025,000
SeleuciaIraq200,000400,000250,000 150,000–250,000
ShangqiuChina100,000
SrughnaIndia100,000
SuzhouChina100,00066,00095,00058,000
SyracuseItaly50,000–100,00090,00090,000
TaxilaPakistan60,000
TeotihuacánMexico60,000–80,00090,000
ThessalonikiGreece30,00030,000
TikalGuatemala100,000
TosaliIndia16,000-47,000
Tres ZapotesMexico30,000
TrierGermany10,00010,000–50,00050,000–100,00060,000
UjjainIndia60,00094,00080,000
VaishaliIndia28,000-82,000
VidishaIndia~100,000
WanxianChina100,000
XiaduChina300,000
XianyangChina100,000100,000–300,000
XinzhengChina120,000–125,000
XuchangChina140,000
YeChina140,000120,000100,000

Middle Ages

CityLocation500600622700775800900
AleppoSyria72,000
AthensGreece110,000
AlexandriaEgypt94,000–200,000216,00060,000–100,00060,000–100,000
AngkorCambodia80,000100,00090,000–150,000
AnhilpurIndia80,000
AntiochTurkey150,000
AnuradhapuraSri Lanka70,000
ArlesFrance10,000
AyodhyaIndia75,000
BadamiIndia70,000
BaghdadIraq175,000150,000
BakhalalMexico45,000
BasraIraq100,000
BenaresIndia75,000-210,00049,00059,000
CarthageTunisia100,000
Chang'an / Xi'anChina95,000–400,000400,000–600,000400,0001,000,0001,000,000600,000–1,000,000100,000–750,000
ChengduChina94,000100,000100,000
ChenlaCambodia70,000
ChunarIndia72,000
ConstantinopleTurkey400,000–500,000150,000150,000125,00040,000–50,00040,000–50,000150,000
CopánHonduras63,000
CologneGermany15,000–20,00021,000
CórdobaSpain135,000160,000110,000–175,000
CtesiphonIraq400,000200,000–500,000
DaliChina90,000–100,000
Đại La /HanoiVietnam25,000
DatongChina200,000
DorestadNetherlands1,000–2,5001,000–2,500
El PilarGuatemala182,600
El TajínMexico40,00040,00050,000
Fanyang China100,000
FlorenceItaly1,0002,000–2,5005,000
FustatEgypt100,000150,000
GaoMali72,000
GranadaSpain20,000
GuangzhouChina200,000200,000
GwaliorIndia65,000
Huari/WariPeru70,000
JiankangChina500,000
Jinyang China100,000100,000
KannaujIndia230,000250,000250,000230,000200,000
KanchiIndia56,00070,00051,000
KyotoJapan200,000100,000–200,000200,000
LaonFrance28,000
LhasaChina100,000
LondonUK10,000–12,000
LuoyangChina200,000–500,000500,000200,000500,000300,000–400,000150,000–200,000
LyonFrance12,000
MaduraiIndia70,00070,000
MainzGermany20,00030,000
MandsaurIndia63,000
ManyakhetaIndia100,000–200,000
MetzFrance25,00014,000
MilanItaly30,00025,00030,000
NaplesItaly30,00030,00030,000
NanjingChina150,000–500,000
NaraJapan100,000
OrléansFrance10,000
PaduaItaly15,000
ParisFrance10,000–30,00020,000
Patna / PataliputraIndia500,000300,000100,00074,000
PaviaItaly15,000–20,000
PoitiersFrance5,000–9,0005,000–9,0005,000–9,00010,00010,000
PreslavBulgaria40,000–60,000
PrambananIndonesia60,00062,000
ProvinsFrance10,000
PyayMyanmar73,000100,000
PliskaBulgaria34,000
RayIran68,000
RegensburgGermany25,00025,000
ReimsFrance20,000
RennesFrance10,000
RomeItaly100,00050,000–90,00050,00050,00050,00050,00020,000–30,000
RouenFrance10,000
SevilleSpain20,00040,00035,00035,00040,000–52,000
SialkotPakistan85,000
SpeyerGermany20,000
SuzhouChina70,000120,000100,00084,000–100,00081,000–100,000
TeotihuacánMexico125,00060,000
ThessalonikiGreece100,00040,00040,00050,00050,000
TikalGuatemala45,00040,000
ToledoSpain25,00028,000
ToulouseFrance10,000
ToursFrance17,00020,000
TulaMexico41,00050,000
TrierGermany10,00015,00015,000–25,000
VeniceItaly37,000
VeronaItaly30,00025,000
WormsGermany10,000
WuchangChina100,00084,000
YeChina200,000

CityLocation1000110011501200125013001350
AngkorCambodia200,000
400,000		125,000
550,000		140,000
600,000		150,000
650,000		650,000
AmalfiItaly35,000–80,00010,000–15,000
AniTurkey100,000–200,000
AnhilpurIndia100,000100,000135,000
AntiochTurkey40,00040,000
L'AquilaItaly40,000
BaganMyanmar100,000150,000180,000180,000
BaghdadIraq125,000150,000250,000150,000
BeijingChina130,000140,000401,000400,000
BerlinGermany2,4001,200–2,0004,000–7,000
BolognaItaly50,00050,00023,000
BraunschweigGermany10,00021,000
BrugesBelgium12,00015,00025,00036,00050,000
CahokiaUnited States10,200–15,30025,00020,000–30,000
CairoEgypt135,000150,000175,000200,000–250,000300,000400,000350,000
Chang'an / Xi'anChina118,000114,000
ChartresFrance7,000
ChunarIndia66,000
CologneGermany21,00025,000–35,00032,000–60,00052,000–60,00040,000–60,00057,000
ConstantinopleTurkey150,000200,000–250,000200,000150,000–250,000100,000150,00080,000
CórdobaSpain110,00060,000 60,00060,00040,000
CuttackIndia100,00090,00090,000
DaliChina90,000
100,000		100,000
DelhiIndia10,00060,00080,000100,000125,000
DharIndia80,000
DwarasamudraIndia30,000120,000150,000
EdessaTurkey25,000
ErfurtGermany10,00021,00032,000
Fanyang China100,000
FesMorocco75,000125,000160,000200,000–250,000200,000150,000–200,000125,000
FlorenceItaly13,00020,00030,00050,000–110,00060,000–120,00040,000
Gangaikonda CholapuramIndia200,000300,000300,000250,000150,000
GaurIndia60,00090,000100,000
GenoaItaly15,000–80,00030,000100,000100,000
GhentBelgium8,00012,00025,00065,00042,000–65,00057,000
GuangzhouChina140,000150,000150,000
HangzhouChina80,00090,000145,000–800,000255,000–1,000,000320,000–1,000,000432,000–800,000432,000
Ile-IfeNigeria75,000–105,000
JinzhouChina85,000
KaifengChina400,000–1,000,000442,000–1,000,000150,0001,000,000
KalburgiIndia70,000
KalyanIndia150,000125,000
KannaujIndia72,00080,00092,000
Khajuraho India100,00050,000
KhambhatIndia50,00060,000
KyivUkraine45,00048,000–100,00036,000–50,000
KollamIndia60,000
KyotoJapan175,000–300,000
LaonFrance25,000
LondonUK20,000–25,00010,000–20,00020,000–30,00080,000–100,00025,000–50,000
LübeckGermany6,00018,800
MaduraiIndia60,000
MainzGermany30,00030,00025,00025,00025,00024,000
ManyakhetaIndia71,000
MarrakeshMorocco150,000150,000150,000125,000
MarseilleFrance6,000–7,00025,00040,000
MervTurkmenistan200,00070,000
MetzFrance16,00021,00023,000–27,00032,000
MilanItaly15,00045,00058,000 60,000–100,000150,000150,000–200,00050,000–200,000
MontpellierFrance40,000–50,000
NabadwipIndia85,000
NanjingChina130,000130,000130,00095,000
NaplesItaly30,00030,00030,00030,00030,000–36,000 40,000–100,00060,000
NishapurIran125,000
NorwichUK20,000–25,000
PaduaItaly15,00035,000
PalermoItaly60,000–75,000150,000150,00050,000 40,000–100,000
ParisFrance20,00050,000–65,000110,000160,000200,000–270,000 215,000
PolonnaruwaSri Lanka75,000
PragueCzech Republic10,00022,00040,00050,000
PuriIndia78,00072,000
Ramavati75,000
RegensburgGermany40,00030,000
RomeItaly35,00030,000–40,00030,000–40,00040,00040,000–50,00015,000–17,000
RouenFrance20,00020,00030,000–40,00050,00040,000–50,000
SalernoItaly50,00050,00050,00010,000
SaraiRussia120,000
SevilleSpain52,00040,000–50,000
ShangjingChina140,000
SpeyerGermany25,00030,00030,00030,00030,00025,000
SuzhouChina100,00096,000
TabrizIran125,000100,000
ThanjavurIndia200,000250,000200,000
Thăng Long/HanoiVietnam30,00040,000
ThessalonikiGreece40,00040,00040,00030,00050,000–100,00050,000–150,000
ToledoSpain37,00035,00042,000
ToulouseFrance35,000
TrierGermany20,00020,00020,00025,000
VeniceItaly45,000–60,00058,00064,000–70,00070,000–80,00045,000100,000–120,00065,228
Veliky NovgorodRussia10,000–18,00020,000–40,00050,000
VeronaItaly10,00020,000–25,00020,000–25,00035,000–40,000
VijayanagarIndia200,000
WarangalIndia63,00080,000
WormsGermany20,00028,00025,00020,000
YorkUK8,00023,000
YpresBelgium40,000–200,00030,000

City14001450150015501575
Aachen15,000
Adrianople / Edirne28,00085,000125,000160,000183,000
Agra250,000500,000
Ahmedabad70,00080,000–100,000140,000–175,000300,000
Ahmednagar70,000
Alessandria8,000
Antwerp18,000 20,000 40,00090,000104,984
Asti8,000
Augsburg14,000 17,000 20,00045,000
Ayutthaya150,000150,00010,000
Bago150,000175,000
Beijing150,000600,000672,000690,000706,000
Bologna40,00055,00061,731 72,395
Brescia27,00030,000 49,00041,000
Bursa95,000130,000
Bruges37,00025,00030,00035,00029,000
Cairo125,000–360,000380,000400,000360,000275,000
Chan Chan60,000–100,0005,000–10,000
Chang'an / Xi'an150,000150,000127,000150,000
Cologne40,00030,00035,00037,000
Como10,00010,000
Constantinople / Istanbul75,00040,000–50,000200,000660,000680,000
Crema11,000
Cremona35,00040,00034,000
Cuneo6,000
Cuttack75,000100,000140,00090,000
Cusco45,000
Delhi80,000–100,000160,000160,000
Fez125,000150,000130,000
Florence45,000–61,00054,000 55,000–70,00059,216
Fossano9,000
Gao60,000
Gaur150,000200,000
Ghent70,00040,00050,000
Genoa80,000–100,000120,000 60,00065,000
Granada100,000165,00070,000
Guangzhou150,000175,000150,000160,000170,000
Gwalior80,000
Hangzhou235,000250,000250,000260,000260,000
Hanoi50,000
Jaunpur100,000
Kalburgi90,000
Kano50,000
Khambhat60,000
Kollam60,000
Lodi9,000
London45,00075,00040,00080,000
Lyon20,000–35,00060,00050,00070,000
Lübeck17,20021,56825,44422,452
Magdeburg20,00024,00018,00040,000
Mandu70,000
Mantua28,00038,000
Milan125,000110,000100,00069,000115,000
Modena18,00016,000
Nanjing487,000150,000157,000182,000188,000
Naples40,000–100,00060,000 125,000–150,000212,000215,000
Novara7,000
Nuremberg18,00025,982 36,00040,000
Oyo-Ile150,00060,000
Padua27,00032,000
Paris100,000 150,000100,000130,000220,000
Parma19,00025,000
Pavia16,00013,000
Piacenza27,000
Prague40,00030,000
Rome33,00033,500 38,000–55,00045,00080,000
Rouen40,00065,000
Samarkand130,000
Seoul100,000125,000150,000125,000
Seville15,000 60,00065,000109,000
Suzhou129,000
Tabriz150,000200,000250,000
Tenochtitlan/Mexico City200,000-400,00060,000
Texcoco60,000
Venice85,000–200,000150,000 100,000158,000134,871
Verona14,80038,00052,000
Vijayanagar400,000550,000500,000 - 1,000,000