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Alexandria

#74 largest metro areaAfrica

In Egypt

Metro population
5,484,000
0.066% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+1.85%
About 278 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
2,047/km²
2,679 km² metro area
City proper
5,263,542
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Alexandria

With a metropolitan population of 5,484,000, Alexandria ranks among Africa's largest cities. The city-proper holds 5,263,542 residents at a density of 2,047 people per km², making it substantially built-up. Founded in -33, it sits at just 9 m elevation on the continent's northern coast. Alexandria International Airport (HBE) serves the city's transportation needs. Annual growth of 1.9% indicates steady demographic expansion in the urban area.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
Egypt
Continent
Africa
World rank
#74 of 140
Share of country
4.6%
Founded
-33
Elevation
9 m
Coordinates
31.202, 29.916

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Alexandria International AirportHBE

    37 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Alexandria5.48M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Alexandria compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Alexandria5.48M

Population Trend in Egypt

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

050M100M150M200M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is Egypt's national population, not Alexandria's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Egypt population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
195021,148,164
196026,896,479
197034,623,990
198043,950,413
199058,396,618
200073,083,284
201089,196,072
2020109,315,124
2030127,139,322
2040145,213,654
2050161,630,192
2060174,845,206
2070185,940,690
2080194,292,900
2090199,500,190
2100201,895,184

Other Major Cities in Egypt

1 more city in our dataset.

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Alexandria Population FAQ

What is the population of Alexandria?

Alexandria's metropolitan area has about 5,484,000 people, making it the 74th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Alexandria's city and metro population?

About 5,263,542 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 5,484,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Alexandria growing or shrinking?

Alexandria is growing at +1.85% a year.

What share of Egypt's population lives in Alexandria?

Alexandria's metro area holds about 4.6% of Egypt's total population.

How densely populated is Alexandria?

Alexandria has roughly 2,047 people per km² across a metro area of about 2,679 km².

Which airports serve Alexandria?

The nearest major airports are Alexandria International Airport (HBE).

Which country is Alexandria in?

Alexandria is in Egypt, in Africa.

Explore More Cities

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