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What homes look like in the world’s most populous cities

How people live in the world's busiest cities
Melbourne, Australia: home to 5.3 million people
Melbourne, Australia: empty houses
Singapore: home to 6.1 million people
Singapore: subsidised living
Toronto, Canada: home to 6.5 million people
Toronto, Canada: million-dollar properties
Madrid, Spain: home to 6.8 million people
Madrid, Spain: widespread evictions
Hong Kong: home to 7.7 million people
Hong Kong: cage homes
New York City, United States: home to 7.9 million people
New York City, United States: tiny city living
London, United Kingdom: home to 9.8 million people
London, United Kingdom: sheltered family housing
Paris, France: home to 11.3 million people
Paris, France: unusually small spaces
Mexico City, Mexico: home to 22.8 million people
Mexico City, Mexico: precarious living
São Paulo, Brazil: home to 22.9 million people
São Paulo, Brazil: inadequate accommodation
Shanghai, China: home to 30.5 million people
Shanghai, China: bed leasing
Delhi, India: home to 34.6 million people
Delhi, India: cramped family homes
Tokyo, Japan: home to 37 million people
Tokyo, Japan: capsule apartments
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Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

How people live in the world's busiest cities

Millions of people are drawn in by the allure of a bustling city, whether it’s for work, family, or a faster pace of life.

But many of the world’s cities are densely populated*, which puts a strain on available accommodation, both in terms of cost and the physical squeeze of more and more people living in a limited space. 

Click or scroll through to take a deep dive into the property situation in 14 cities around the world, including some with the highest populations across the globe...

*Data from the World Population Review is accurate at the time of publishing

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Hannah Ward-Glenton

01 August 2025

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