List of largest European cities in history


Over the centuries, cities in Europe have changed a great deal, rising and falling in size and influence.
These tables give an idea of estimated population at various dates from the earliest times to the most recent:

Timeline: Neolithic–Bronze Age–Iron Age–ancient Greece–Roman Republic (7000–0 B.C.)


City2700056500 – 630005000400038003000 – 25002000160013001000700600500 – 400300200100 – 0
Athens10,000 – 15,0002,500 – 5,0005,000 – 10,00070,000 – 100,000 – 130,000150,000 – 350,000 – 610,000120,000 – 200,000 – 300,000 – 431,000100,000 – 200,000
Argos600 – 1,2005,000 – 10,00030,000 – 60,000
Aegina20,000 – 40,000
Akrotiri 8,000 – 15,000 – 30,000
Agrigento200,000 – 800,000
Avaricum40,000
Bibracte30,000
Cerveteri25,000 – 40,000
Capua100,000300,000100,000
Choirokoitia300 – 6002,000
Corinth5,00050,000 – 90,000 – 100,000
Crotone50,000 – 80,000
Dobrovody10,000 – 16,000
Dimini300
Durrington Walls4,000
Fedorovka6,000
Gournia4,000
Heuneburg10,000
Ischia5,000 – 10,000
Knossos1001,0001,300 – 2,00018,00020,000 – 40,000 – 100,00030,0005,000 – 10,000
Lepenski Vir150 – 1,000
Mycenae20,00030,000 – 35,000
Manika 6000 – 15,000
Malia700 – 1,0005,000 – 10,000 – 12.500
Maydanets10,000 – 29,000 – 46,000
Nea Nikomedeia500 – 700
Okoliste1000 – 3000
Palaikastro18,000
Populonia25,000 – 40,000
Tarquinia20,000 – 25,000 – 40,000
Vinča-Belo Brdo2000 – 2500
Veii25,000 – 40,000 – 100,000
Volsinii13,000 – 25,000 – 40,000
Vulci15,000 – 25,000 – 40,000
Sesklo3001000 – 5000
Sparta40,000 – 50,000
Syracuse, Sicily200,000 – 800,000 – 1,200,000200,000 – 400,000
Sybaris100,000 – 300,000
Solnitsata350
Tiryns1,200 – 1,80010,00015,000
Nebelivka17,000
Taranto100,000 – 300,000
Talianki15,000 – 30,000
Thebes, Greece4,000 – 6,0008,00030,000 – 60,000
Los Millares1,000 – 2,300
Pavlopetri5002,000
Rome3,145 – 7,40024,240 – 60,60080,000130,000250,000 – 300,000350,000500,000 – 1,000,000
Rhodes100,000 – 200,000100,000

Timeline: Roman Empire–Modern Age (0–1800 A.D.)


City0 – 100200300400500600700800900100011001200130014001500160017001800
Athens30,000110,00025,00035,000 – 50,00040,000
Aquileia100,000100,000
Augsburg25,000 – 50,00025,000 – 50,00012,00050,00030,000 – 50,00045,000 – 50,000 – 100,00026,00028,000 – 32,000
Amalfi80,000
Antwerp5,00020,000100,000 – 200,00046,000 – 90,00075,000
Arles75,000 – 100,000
Autun40,000 – 100,000
Amsterdam30,00065,000 – 100,000 – 175,000175,000 – 200,000 – 210,000195,000 – 201,000
Barcelona50,00060,000 – 70,000100,000
Bruges50,000125,000 – 200,000
Bucharest60,00050,000
Brussels30,000100,000100,00070,000
Bordeaux30,000 – 40,00050,000100,000
Berlin6,00012,00020,000172,000
Bologna35,00050,000 – 70,000
Bolgar25,000 – 30,00050,000
Carnuntum50,00050,00050,000
Cádiz100,00087,000
Corinth100,000 – 200,000 – 700,00045,000 + in 856 AD.
Constantinople400,000400,00 – 800,000100,000 – 800,000100,000 – 800,000100,000 – 250,000500,000 – 1,000,000500,000300,000400,00070,000400,000 – 660,000700,000300,000 – 700,000400,000 – 570,000
Córdoba45,000450,00060,000
Cologne40,00040,00015,000 – 20,00021,00020,00021,000 – 50,00050,000 – 60,00050,000 – 60,00040,00045,00040,00050,000
Danzig30,00060,000 – 80,000
Dublin1,000 – 2,0004,000 – 5,00010,00020,00075,000200,000
Edirne 10,00028,000125,000160,000 – 183,00093,000100,000
Feodosia40,00085,000 – 88,00050,00040,00036,000 – 44,000
Florence15,00050,000 – 60,00080,000 – 120,00070,00070,000
Genoa80,00050,000100,000100,00060,00070,00090,000
Ghent5,00010,00060,000 – 80,00070,000 – 80,00080,000 – 150,000 – 175,000 – 200,000
Granada26,000150,000100,00070,000
Hamburg8,00015,000 – 20,00040,000 – 60,000 – 100,00063,000 – 75,000117,000 – 130,000
Kiev45,000100,000
Lisbon35,00050,000 – 60,00060,000 – 70,000 – 120,000120,000 – 140,000200,000237,000
London30,00045,000 – 50,000 – 60,00010,000 – 12,00020,000 – 25,00010,000 – 20,00020,000 – 25,00050,000 – 100,00050,000 – 100,000 – 120,000225,000 – 410,000550,00 – 700,000861,000 – 1,000,000
Lugdunum 50,000 – 100,000 – 200,00050,000 – 100,000 – 200,00012,00020,00040,000 – 70,00040,000 – 70,000100,000150,000
Leuven45,000
Lublin40,000 – 70,000
Lübeck6,00024,00030,000 – 37,00032,00024,000
Madrid60,000105,000182,000
Magdeburg30,00040,000 – 45,000
Marseilles80,000 – 100,00080,00083,000 – 100,000
Mainz20,00030,00025,00024,00020,00020,000 – 42,000
Messina100,000
Milan40,00040,000100,00090,000200,000125,000100,000180,000113,000122,000 – 250,000
Metz40,00025,00040,000
Montpellier30,000 – 40,00015,00040,000
Moscow20,000 – 30,00030,000 – 40,000100,000200,000200,000270,000
Narbonne30,000 – 50,00031,000
Naples30,00050,00030,00030,00050,000 – 60,000200,000350,000207,000500,000
Nimes40,000 – 60,00040,000
Nuremberg10,00020,00020,00020,000 – 52,00040,000 – 50,000 – 100,00027,000
Ostia Antica20,000 – 50,000 – 100,00050,000 – 100,000
Ohrid40,000
Palermo350,000150,000150,00050,000100,000124,000135,000
Paris80,00030,00020,000 – 30,00020,000 – 30,00020,00050,000110,000 – 160,000228,000 – 275,000 – 300,000280,000225,000245,000 – 420,000515,000546,000 – 830,000
Padua25,000 – 40,00025,000 – 40,00025,000 – 40,00040,000
Philippi100,000
Pliska34,000
Plovdiv20,00020,00030,000
Pozzuoli50,000 – 100,000
Pskov35,00052,000 – 60,000
Preslav60,00060,000
Prague10,00022,00040,000 – 77,00095,000 – 100,00070,000100,00048,00077,000 – 100,000
Regensburg25,00040,000
Reims30,000 – 50,00030,000
Rome1,650,0001,000,0001,200,0001,100,000100,00090,00040,000 – 50,00050,00030,00020,00050,000 – 55,00090,000 – 110,000120,000 – 150,000150,000
Ravenna50,00050,000
Rouen10,00030,00040,00070,00040,000 – 70,00040,000 – 70,00063,00080,000 – 90,000
Saint Petersburg100,000+220,000 – 425,000
Salerno50,00050,00030,0004,000
Smolensk20,000 – 30,000 – 40,00025,00050,00064,00040,000
Sarai100,00 – 600,000
Speyer30,000+30,00020,000
Seville90,000150,00025,000100,000 – 300,00080,00096,000
Siena50,000 – 120,00025,000
Syracuse, Sicily80,000
Thessaloniki200,00050,00040,000150,000150,000100,000 – 150,000100,000 – 150,000
Trakai50,000
Trnovo48,00035,000
Targoviste25,000 – 40,00050,000 – 60,00045,000 – 60,000
Trier70,000 – 80,000 – 100,00070,000 – 80,000 – 100,00015,00020,000
Toulouse50,00050,00030,00025,00050,00030,000
Venice60,00080,000110,000 – 180,000110,000 – 150,000100,000 – 170,000200,000140,000140,000
Verona20,000 – 25,00040,000
Veliky Novgorod10,000 – 15,000 – 18,00020,000 – 30,000 – 40,00050,000 – 60,000 – 400,00050,000
Vienna15,000 – 20,00015,000 – 20,00012,00020,00024,00045,00030,000 – 50,000 – 60,000100,000 – 113,000250,000
Worms28,000 – 60,00020,000
Ypres40,000 – 80,000 – 200,00040,000 – 80,000 – 200,000

Data from Hohenberg and Lees (1985)

CityPopulation
Paris275,000
Bruges125,000
Milan125,000
Venice110,000
Genoa100,000
Granada100,000
Prague95,000
Ghent70,000
Rouen70,000
Seville70,000

CityPopulation
Constantinople700,000
London550,000
Paris500,000
Naples215,000
Lisbon188,000
Amsterdam180,000
Moscow150,000
Venice138,000
Rome130,000
Milan120,000
Belgrade100,000
Lyon100,000
Madrid100,000
Vienna100,000
Marseille100,000
Sarajevo100,000
Gdańsk100,000

CityPopulation
London1,000,000
Paris600,000
Naples426,000
Moscow250,000
Vienna240,000
St. Petersburg220,000
Amsterdam220,000
Dublin200,000
Lisbon180,000
Berlin172,000
Warsaw*120,000

*Warsaw data from 1792

Data from Chandler (1987)


CityCountry430 B.C.200 B.C.A.D. 100A.D. 361A.D. 500A.D. 622
SevilleSpain37–40,00040,000
LondonUnited Kingdom30,000
SyracuseItaly125,000100,00051–60,00045–50,000
RomeItaly35,000150,000450,000150,000100,00050,000
MilanItaly30,00040,000
AthensGreece155,00075,00075,00050–60,000
CorinthGreece70,00070,00050,000
Byzantium/
Constantinople		Turkey36,000300,000400,000350,000


CityCountry80090010001100115012001250130013501400145015001550157516001650
LondonUnited Kingdom15,00025,00040,00045,00050,00060,00050,00074,000112,000187,000410,000
LisbonPortugal15,00015,00015,00035,00045,00055,00060,00055,00062,00085,000100,000170,000
CórdobaSpain160,000200,000450,00060,00060,00060,00040,00036,00030,00032,000
SevilleSpain35,00040,00090,000125,000125,000150,00075,00090,00060,00060,00060,00046,00070,000100,000126,00060,000
GranadaSpain60,00060,00060,00075,00090,00060,00090,000165,00070,00070,00060,00068,000
MadridSpain80,000125,000
ParisFrance25,00020,00030,00050,000110,000160,000228,000215,000280,000150,000185,000210,000220,000245,000455,000
AmsterdamNetherlands48,000165,000
RomeItaly50,00040,00035,00035,00035,00030,00033,00038,00058,00070,000102,000110,000
NaplesItaly30,00025,00030,00030,00035,00040,00040,00040,00075,000114,000209,000215,000224,000265,000
MilanItaly25,00020,00030,00042,00045,00060,00065,00060,00050,00080,00083,00089,00075,00098,000107,000105,000
PalermoItaly35,00075,00090,000125,000150,00075,00035,00025,00039,00060,00070,000105,000132,000
VeniceItaly35,00045,00055,00060,00070,00090,000110,00085,000110,000100,000115,000171,000157,000151,000134,000
PragueCzech Republic15,00022,00040,00050,00095,00070,00070,00070,00070,000110,000
AthensGreece25,00035,00035,00033,000
Constantinople/
Istanbul		Turkey250,000300,000300,000200,000200,000150,000100,000100,00080,00075,00045,000200,000660,000680,000700,000700,000
SaraiRussia80,000100,000120,000
MoscowRussia30,00080,00075,00060,00080,000100,000


CityCountry167517001750177518001825185018621875190019141925193619501975
LondonUnited Kingdom485,000550,000676,000710,000861,0001,335,0002,320,0002,803,0004,241,0006,480,0007,419,0007,742,0009,710,0008,860,00010,500,000
LisbonPortugal178,000188,000213,000219,000237,000258,000262,000280,000243,000363,000455,000567,000875,0001,600,000
CórdobaSpain27,00028,00034,00052,000
SevilleSpain80,00068,00096,00083,000117,000148,000212,000383,000685,000
GranadaSpain35,00045,00053,00058,00075,000
MadridSpain115,000105,000110,000132,000182,000201,000216,000303,000373,000539,000623,000791,0001,220,0001,527,0004,150,000
ParisFrance540,000530,000556,000600,000547,000855,0001,314,0001,800,0002,250,0003,330,0004,000,0004,800,0005,950,0005,900,0009,400,000
AmsterdamNetherlands195,000210,000219,000209,000195,000196,000225,000268,000289,000510,000601,000718,000859,0001,800,000
RomeItaly105,000138,000146,000148,000142,000125,000158,000194,000251,000438,000570,000758,0001,155,0001,665,0003,600,000
NaplesItaly170,000207,000310,000355,000430,000350,000413,000447,000450,000563,000691,000852,0001,210,0001,900,000
MilanItaly114,000113,000110,000117,000122,000156,000182,000226,000267,000491,000655,000917,0001,103,0001,400,0003,800,000
PalermoItaly128,000125,000111,000127,000135,000154,000170,000175,000188,000255,000370,000470,000672,000
VeniceItaly138,000143,000158,000151,000146,00099,000141,000171,000226,000354,000
BerlinGermany26,000113,000136,000172,000222,000446,000582,0001,045,0002,707,0003,500,0004,013,0004,226,0003,707,0002,000,000
BudapestHungary--------309,208733,385880,371960,9951,060,4311,629,0002,026,543
PragueCzech Republic48,00058,00077,00098,000117,000474,000670,000745,000951,0001,275,000
AthensGreece30,000181,000571,0001,140,0003,300,000
IstanbulTurkey750,000700,000625,000600,000570,000675,000785,000820,000873,000900,0001,125,000817,0001,035,0003,200,000
EdirneTurkey100,00085,00082,00080,00088,00085,000
MoscowRussia105,000114,000146,000177,000248,000257,000373,000346,000600,0001,120,0001,805,0001,764,0004,050,0005,100,00010,700,000
Saint PetersburgRussia74,000164,000220,000438,000502,000565,000764,0001,439,0002,133,0001,430,0002,983,0002,700,0004,280,000