This site aims to gather and present the most complete set of information available online with regards to historic population data for cities around the world. It covers thousands of cities worldwide with no restrictions on size or location and it spans the entire history of urban development from the 4th millennium BC to the 21st century AD, with special emphasis on the period prior to 1800 where it aims to capture all data ever published. Post 1800 a substantial although not exhaustive selection of data is also included.

The table found on the Data page presents a summary of the information gathered so far, grouped into a few standard time periods: by clicking on an individual cell of this matrix, the underlying relational database can be queried to expose the detail of all individual data sources and measurements contributing to the value in that cell. Please note that the time periods can be redefined upon request to better suit the needs of individual users, as the underlying records in the database are maintained at their full granularity.

The site is currently work in progress: please refer to its "Methodology" and "Sources" pages for further details on its latest status and its next developments.

Many thanks for your interest in worldcitypop.com and we look forward to receiving from you any feedback you may have. Particularly we would be most grateful to anyone bringing to our attention any data sources or even any individual measurements that we may have overlooked so far.