Essen — UN urban centre population
Essen has a recorded base population of 2,717,087 for the UN urban centre definition (2025 annual estimate). UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; the moving counter uses UN 2025–2026 annual growth, not new population observations.
At a glance
Separate UN urban-centre definition
Essen UN urban centre: 2,717,087 people (2025), equal to the displayed UN urban centre figure of 2,717,087. Separate GeoNames settlement record: 593,085; the UN value is larger (different boundaries; GeoNames population date unavailable). UN WUP 2025 Degree of Urbanisation; not a municipal/province boundary. Association: name/country/coordinates matched; boundary relationship unverified. No containment claim is made.
Comparable database records
Same definition label: UN urban centre. Dates/boundaries may still differ; this is not a harmonised international city ranking. Ratios use 2,717,087 as denominator.
| Place | Population | vs Essen |
|---|---|---|
| Cali | 2,700,232 | −0.6% |
| Guiyang | 2,686,949 | −1.1% |
| Semarang | 2,679,349 | −1.4% |
| Montréal | 2,668,723 | −1.8% |
| Naples | 2,767,923 | +1.9% |
About these numbers
Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025. Reference: 2025 annual estimate. Live method: exponential projection from modelling anchor 2025-01-01 using UN 2025–2026 annual growth (−0.28% per year). This anchor is a modelling convention, not an observed population date. Tiles, ranks and comparisons use the recorded base figure 2,717,087, not the ticking estimate. Country/world denominators are World Bank values and can differ in date and method from local/UN values. Ranks cover only records with the same definition label in this database, not all cities in the world.
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This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.