List of most populous cities in Mexico by decade

This list tracks and ranks the population of the top 10 largest cities and other urban places in Mexico by decade, as reported by each Mexican Population Census, starting with the 1921 Census.

This list generally refers only to the population of individual localities within their defined limits at the time of the indicated census. Some of these places have since been annexed or merged into other cities, while others may have expanded their borders due to such consolidation. One example is the 1928 integration of several municipalities into Mexico City.[1]

1921

There is no information at locality level from the first three population censuses, completed in 1895, 1900, and 1910.

Because of the Mexican Revolution, the 1920 census was postponed a year. At that time, Mexico City was already the most populated city in the country, even if it only covered what is now the Cuauhtémoc borough. Tacubaya, a neighboring independent city in present's day Miguel Hidalgo borough, was among the Top 10 localities, along with the most developed commercial and industrial cities at that time.

Rank City State Population[2]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 615,367 First city in Mexico to reach 500,000. Mexico City has ranked as the city with the highest population in every census count.
2 Guadalajara Jalisco 143,376 Highest ranking. Second city in Mexico to reach 100,000.
3 Puebla Puebla 95,535 Highest ranking.
4 Monterrey Nuevo León 88,479
5 Mérida Yucatán 79,225 Highest ranking.
6 San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí 57,353 Highest ranking.
7 Tacubaya Distrito Federal 54,775 Only appearance in the Top 10. Merged with Mexico City in 1928.
8 Veracruz Veracruz 54,225 Highest ranking.
9 León Guanajuato 53,639
10 Torreón Coahuila 50,902

The total population of these 10 cities was 1,292,876.

1930

Rank City State Population[3]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 1,029,068 First city in Mexico to reach 1,000,000.
2 Guadalajara Jalisco 179,556
3 Monterrey Nuevo León 132,577 Highest ranking. Third city in Mexico to reach 100,000.
4 Puebla Puebla 114,793 Fourth city in Mexico to reach 100,000.
5 Mérida Yucatán 95,015 Highest ranking.
6 San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí 74,003 Highest ranking.
7 León Guanajuato 69,403
8 Tampico Tamaulipas 68,126 First appearance in the Top 10.
9 Veracruz Veracruz 67,801 Would disappear from the Top 10 in the next census.
10 Torreón Coahuila 66,001

The total population of these 10 cities was 1,896,343.

1940

Rank City State Population[4]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 1,448,422
2 Guadalajara Jalisco 229,235
3 Monterrey Nuevo León 186,092
4 Puebla Puebla 138,491
5 Mérida Yucatán 98,852
6 Tampico Tamaulipas 82,475 Highest ranking. Last appearance in the Top 10.
7 Aguascalientes Aguascalientes 82,234 Highest ranking. Only appearance in the Top 10.
8 San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí 77,161
9 Torreón Coahuila 75,796
10 León Guanajuato 74,155

The total population of these 10 cities was 2,492,913.

1950

Rank City State Population[5]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 2,234,795
2 Guadalajara Jalisco 377,016
3 Monterrey Nuevo León 333,422
4 Puebla Puebla 211,331
5 Mérida Yucatán 142,858 Fifth city in Mexico to reach 100,000.
6 Torreón Coahuila 128,971 Highest ranking. Sixth city in Mexico to reach 100,000.
7 San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí 125,662 Seventh city in Mexico to reach 100,000.
8 León Guanajuato 122,726 Eighth city in Mexico to reach 100,000.
9 Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua 122,566 Ninth city in Mexico to reach 100,000. First appearance in the Top 10. First border city in the list.
10 Veracruz Veracruz 101,221 Tenth city in Mexico to reach 100,000. Last appearance in the Top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 3,900,568.

1960

Rank City State Population[6]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 2,832,133
2 Guadalajara Jalisco 736,800 Second city in Mexico to reach 500,000.
3 Monterrey Nuevo León 596,939 Third city in Mexico to reach 500,000.
4 Puebla Puebla 289,049
5 Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua 262,119
6 León Guanajuato 209,870
7 Torreón Coahuila 179,901 Highest ranking. Last appearance in the Top 10.
8 Mexicali Baja California 174,540 Highest ranking. First appearance in the Top 10. Second border city in the list.
9 Mérida Yucatán 170,834 Last appearance in the Top 10.
10 San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí 159,980 Last appearance in the Top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 5,612,165.

1970

Rank City State Population[7]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 2,902,969
2 Guadalajara Jalisco 1,193,601 Second city in Mexico to reach 1,000,000.
3 Monterrey Nuevo León 858,107
4 Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl State of Mexico 580,436 Fourth city in Mexico to reach 500,000. First appearance in the Top 10. First suburb from Greater Mexico City in the list.
5 Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua 424,135
6 Puebla Puebla 401,603
7 León Guanajuato 364,990
8 Tijuana Baja California 277,306 First appearance in the Top 10. Third border city in the list. Would disappear from the Top 10 in the next 3 census.
9 Mexicali Baja California 263,498 Last appearance in the Top 10.
10 Chihuahua Chihuahua 257,027 Only appearance in the Top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 7,523,672.

1980

Rank City State Population[8]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 8,831,079 All 16 boroughs of Distrito Federal consolidated into Mexico City after the 1970 census.[1]
2 Guadalajara Jalisco 1,626,152
3 Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl State of Mexico 1,341,230 Third city in Mexico to reach 1,000,000. Highest position. First city other than Monterrey or Puebla reaching # 3. Population peaked in this census.
4 Monterrey Nuevo León 1,084,696 Fourth city in Mexico to reach 1,000,000.
5 Tlalnepantla State of Mexico 778,173 Fifth city in Mexico to reach 500,000. First appearance in the Top 10. Second suburb from Greater Mexico City in the list. Population peaked in this census.
6 Puebla Puebla 772,908
7 Ecatepec State of Mexico 741,821 Sixth city in Mexico to reach 500,000. First appearance in the Top 10. Third suburb from Greater Mexico City in the list.
8 Naucalpan State of Mexico 723,723 Seventh city in Mexico to reach 500,000. First appearance in the Top 10. Fourth suburb from Greater Mexico City in the list.
9 León Guanajuato 593,002 Eighth city in Mexico to reach 500,000.
10 Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua 544,496 Ninth city in Mexico to reach 500,000.

The total population of these 10 cities was 17,037,280.

1990

Rank City State Population[9]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 8,235,744
2 Guadalajara Jalisco 1,650,042 Population peaked in this census.
3 Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl State of Mexico 1,255,456
4 Ecatepec State of Mexico 1,218,135 Fifth city in Mexico to reach 1,000,000.
5 Monterrey Nuevo León 1,068,996
6 Puebla Puebla 1,007,170 Sixth city in Mexico to reach 1,000,000.
7 Naucalpan State of Mexico 845,960 Highest ranking.
8 Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua 789,522
9 León Guanajuato 758,279
10 Tlalnepantla State of Mexico 702,270 Last appearance in the Top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 17,531,574.

2000

Rank City State Population[10]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 8,605,239
2 Guadalajara Jalisco 1,646,183
3 Ecatepec State of Mexico 1,621,827
4 Puebla Puebla 1,271,673
5 Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl State of Mexico 1,225,083
6 Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua 1,187,275 Sixth city in Mexico to reach 1,000,000.
7 Tijuana Baja California 1,148,681 Seventh city in Mexico to reach 1,000,000.
8 Monterrey Nuevo León 1,110,909 First time outside the Top 5.
9 León Guanajuato 1,020,818 Eighth city in Mexico to reach 1,000,000.
10 Naucalpan State of Mexico 943,004 Last appearance in the Top 10. Population peaked in this census.

The total population of these 10 cities was 19,780,692.

2010

Rank City State Population[11]
1 Mexico City Distrito Federal 8,851,080
2 Ecatepec State of Mexico 1,655,015 First city other than Guadalajara reaching # 2. Population peaked in this census.
3 Guadalajara Jalisco 1,495,182
4 Puebla Puebla 1,434,062
5 Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua 1,321,004 Highest ranking.
6 Tijuana Baja California 1,300,983
7 León Guanajuato 1,238,962
8 Zapopan Jalisco 1,142,483 First appearance in the Top 10. First suburb of Greater Guadalajara in the list.
9 Monterrey Nuevo León 1,135,512
10 Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl State of Mexico 1,104,585

The total population of these 10 cities was 20,678,868.

2020

Rank City State Population[12]
1 Mexico City Mexico City 9,209,944
2 Tijuana Baja California 1,810,645 Highest ranking.
3 Ecatepec State of Mexico 1,643,623
4 León Guanajuato 1,579,803 Highest ranking.
5 Puebla Puebla 1,542,232
6 Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua 1,501,551
7 Guadalajara Jalisco 1,385,629 First time outside the Top 5.
8 Zapopan Jalisco 1,257,547
9 Monterrey Nuevo León 1,142,952
10 Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl State of Mexico 1,072,676

The total population of these 10 cities was 22,146,602.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Contreras Bustamante, Raúl. (2001). La ciudad de México como Distrito Federal y entidad federativa (in Spanish). México: Edit. Porrúa S.A. de C.V. 970-07-2618-5.
  2. ^ "Censo General de Habitantes 1921" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  3. ^ "Quinto Censo de Población 1930" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  4. ^ "Sexto Censo de Población 1940" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  5. ^ "Séptimo Censo General de Población 1950" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  6. ^ "VIII Censo General de Población 1960" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "IX Censo General de Población 1970" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  8. ^ "X Censo General de Población y Vivienda 1980" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  9. ^ "XI Censo General de Población y Vivienda 1990" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  10. ^ "XII Censo General de Población y Vivienda 2000" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  11. ^ "Censo de Población y Vivienda 2010" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  12. ^ "Censo de Población y Vivienda 2020" (in Spanish). INEGI. Retrieved March 13, 2021.