Dublin is set to be the most densely-populated city in Europe by the end of this century if current growth trends continue, with some 65,398 people per square kilometre, a new study has claimed.
Barcelona, with 44,230 per square kilometre, ranks second, while Paris, with 40,475 per square kilometre, comes in third.
Behind the study
The study, by Deluxe Holiday Homes, analysed more than 100 European cities to determine the ones that would be the most populated by the year 2100. The study tool into account each city’s current population, density, and population growth rate to determine future population and density.
While Dublin is the second smallest city in the list, the Irish capital’s population growth is set to grow at one of the fastest rates, with a population growth of 1.18%. Between now and the end of the century, the population is expected to grow 13 times.
Second-placed Barcelona currently has three times the population of Dublin but encompasses less space – by the year 2100, it is expected to house 4.5 million people.
Paris, the French capital, is currently the most populous city in the top ten, with a population of 2.2 million, and by the end of the century, it is expected to grow its population sevenfold, totalling 6.7 million people.
Stockholm, Sweden, ranks fourth, and is set to experience the fastest growth rate of the cities listed, with a 1.25% annual increase leading to a population seven times its current size. By 2100, Stockholm will have 6.7 million residents.
Copenhagen, Denmark ranks fifth with 28,338 people per square kilometre. Currently, it has a population of around 794,000, but this is projected to grow more than fivefold to 5 million by 2100.
Best of the rest
Amsterdam, Netherlands, ranks sixth with a projected population density of 27,129 people per square kilometre by 2100, housing just under 5 million residents. Brussels, Belgium follows in seventh place with 27,003 people per square kilometre, its population expected to grow from 1.2 million to 4.3 million by the end of the century. Athens, Greece ranks eighth with a density of 26,601 people per square kilometre, despite being the smallest city on the list; it will see modest growth, reaching 1.03 million residents by 2100.
In ninth place, Helsinki, Finland will have 20,965 people per square kilometre, with its population growing to 4.4 million by the end of the century, despite slower annual growth. Lastly, Lyon, France, takes the tenth spot with a density of 20,204 people per square kilometre, growing to 967,000 people by 2100, at a rate higher than Paris and Barcelona. Read more here.
Most populous European cities by 2100 – the top 10
| City | Country | 2024 Population | Area (km²) | Density (/km²) | Population Growth Rate (%) | Population in 2100 | Density in 2100 (/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | Ireland | 553,165 | 114.99 | 4,811 | 1.18% | 7,520,154 | 65,398 |
| Barcelona | Spain | 1,621,537 | 101.9 | 15,991 | 0.68% | 4,507,004 | 44,230 |
| Paris | France | 2,203,817 | 105.4 | 20,909 | 0.62% | 4,266,035 | 40,475 |
| Stockholm | Sweden | 942,370 | 188 | 5,012 | 1.25% | 6,701,198 | 35,645 |
| Copenhagen | Denmark | 794,128 | 179.8 | 4,417 | 0.72% | 5,095,257 | 28,338 |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | 851,573 | 165.76 | 5,135 | 0.68% | 4,496,939 | 27,129 |
| Brussels | Belgium | 1,212,352 | 162.4 | 7,465 | 0.67% | 4,385,336 | 27,003 |
| Athens | Greece | 745,514 | 38.96 | 19,135 | 0.03% | 1,036,379 | 26,601 |
| Helsinki | Finland | 665,558 | 213.75 | 3,113 | 0.67% | 4,481,212 | 20,965 |
| Lyon | France | 500,715 | 47.87 | 10,460 | 0.87% | 967,173 | 20,204 |
