Karachi — UN urban centre population
Karachi has a recorded base population of 21,422,590 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
Karachi UN urban centre: 21,422,590 people (2025), equal to the displayed UN urban centre figure of 21,422,590. Separate GeoNames settlement record: 11,624,219; 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.
Administrative units of Karachi
5 administrative records listed; completeness not established. 5 of 5 population values available; population values and dates not independently verified.
Available-value subtotal: 13,437,644; not a reconciled total. Shares use the displayed UN urban centre denominator 21,422,590; mixed/unknown dates are not comparable. An em dash means missing, not zero.
| Unit | Population | Share | Membership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi East District | 3,913,656 | 18.27% | Not independently verified |
| Karachi Central District | 3,822,325 | 17.84% | Not independently verified |
| Karachi South District | 2,329,764 | 10.88% | Not independently verified |
| Malir District | 2,008,901 | 9.38% | Not independently verified |
| Korangi District | 1,362,998 | 6.36% | Not independently verified |
Recorded localities
Gazetteer associations; boundary membership not independently verified.
Goth Shams Pir (5,001)
Comparable database records
Same definition label: UN urban centre. Dates/boundaries may still differ; this is not a harmonised international city ranking. Ratios use 21,422,590 as denominator.
| Place | Population | vs Karachi |
|---|---|---|
| Seoul | 22,490,482 | +5.0% |
| Kolkata | 22,549,738 | +5.3% |
| Mumbai | 20,203,056 | −5.7% |
| São Paulo | 18,949,790 | −11.5% |
| Manila | 24,735,305 | +15.5% |
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 (+2.03% per year). This anchor is a modelling convention, not an observed population date. Tiles, ranks and comparisons use the recorded base figure 21,422,590, 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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