List of cities proper by population

This article lists the most populous cities in the world defined according to a concept of city proper. A city proper is a locality defined according to legal or political boundaries and an administratively recognised urban status that is usually characterised by some form of local government. Cities proper and their boundaries and population data may not include suburbs.

World Urbanization Prospects, a UN publication, defines population of a city proper as "the population living within the administrative boundaries of a city or controlled directly from the city by a single authority." The book continues to say that "city proper as defined by administrative boundaries may not include suburban areas where an important proportion of the population working or studying in the city lives." This definition does not give an accurate picture of the urban area or metropolitan area of cities. Using this strictly administrative definition, many cities will be included on this list that are smaller than their urban area. However, many Chinese cities included govern territories that extend well beyond the traditional "city proper" into suburban and rural areas.

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