The World's Ten Biggest Metropolitan Areas

8. Shanghai, China
Metropolitan area: 17.8 million people
City: 9.8 million people

With China’s growing gross domestic product and economic strength, Shanghai has become the financial and commercial center of the country with one of the world’s busiest ports and the world’s most extensive bus systems with nearly one thousand lines.

Urban Detail:
Shanghai is a relatively homogenous city, with only 0.7 percent of its population born outside of China. Shanghai’s population growth is mainly powered by inward migration from rural areas, also called the "floating population." (Photo: Reuters)