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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
Melbourne, Australia: high-rise living
Singapore: home to 6.1 million people
Singapore: subsidised living
Singapore: exclusive ‘good class’ bungalows
Johannesburg, South Africa: home to 6.3 million people
Johannesburg, South Africa: unfinished and unofficial homes
Johannesburg, South Africa: wealthy suburbs
Toronto, Canada: home to 6.4 million people
Toronto, Canada: compact city living
Toronto, Canada: million-dollar properties
Madrid, Spain: home to 6.8 million people
Madrid, Spain: widespread evictions
Madrid, Spain: Europe’s largest illegal settlement
Hong Kong: home to 7.7 million people
Hong Kong: cage homes
Hong Kong: modest, multimillion-dollar properties
New York City, United States: home to 8.1 million people
New York City, United States: small apartments at big prices
New York City, United States: tiny city living
London, United Kingdom: home to 9.7 million people
London, United Kingdom: cosy studio apartments
London, United Kingdom: sheltered family housing
Paris, France: home to 11.2 million people
Paris, France: unusually small spaces
Paris, France: how the other half live
Mexico City, Mexico: home to 22.5 million people
Mexico City, Mexico: precarious living
Mexico City, Mexico: the 'Beverly Hills of Mexico'
São Paulo, Brazil: home to 22.8 million people
São Paulo, Brazil: inadequate accommodation
São Paulo, Brazil: lavish penthouses
Shanghai, China: home to 29.8 million people
Shanghai, China: bed leasing
Shanghai, China: attempted crackdown
Delhi, India: home to 33.8 million people
Delhi, India: cramped family homes
Delhi, India: sprawling new-builds
Tokyo, Japan: home to 37 million people
Tokyo, Japan: capsule apartments
Tokyo, Japan: luxury living
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Paulo Fridman/Corbis via 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. We've taken a deep dive into the property situation in 14 cities around the world, including some with the highest populations across the globe according to data from the World Population Review.

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Hannah Ward-Glenton

06 November 2024

Features

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