Europe Cities by Population 2026

Europe Cities Overview

Europe is dominated by several megacities, with Moscow standing as the continent’s largest city with 13.4M residents. London follows as the second-largest metropolitan area with 9.2M inhabitants, while Saint Petersburg ranks third with 5.7M residents.

The continent features several major capital cities with populations over 2 million. Berlin (3.8M), Madrid (3.5M), Kiev (3M), Rome (2.7M), and Paris (2.1M) form this tier of European metropolises.

A significant group of cities maintains populations between 1-2 million, including several national capitals: Bucharest (2.1M), Minsk (2M), Budapest (1.7M), and Warsaw (1.9M). Major non-capital cities in this range include Hamburg (1.9M) and Barcelona (1.7M).

Russia’s vast territory is reflected in its numerous large cities spread across the country, including Novosibirsk (1.6M), Yekaterinburg (1.6M), and Nizhny Novgorod (1.2M). This pattern of urban distribution highlights Europe’s diverse political geography, with different regions showing distinct patterns of urbanization shaped by historical development, economic factors, and political boundaries.