Demographia

International: Selected Cities with
Declining Population
Ranked by Gross Loss Rate

This page is under continuous development. Demographia would appreciate any additional information. At the bottom of the table is a revision date.

CAUTIONARY NOTE:
The list includes cities as defined as municipalities or local government areas. It does not include urban areas or metropolitan areas.
For urban terms definitions see Urban Terms Defined.

      Peak Population Latest Population    
Rank Nation City Year Population Year Population Change from Peak Annual Rate
1 US St. Louis 1950 857,000 2000 348,000 -59.40% -1.79%
2 US Pittsburgh 1950 677,000 2000 335,000 -50.50% -1.40%
3 US Buffalo 1950 580,000 2000 293,000 -49.50% -1.36%
4 UK Liverpool 1931 857,000 2001 439,000 -48.80% -0.95%
5 UK Manchester 1931 766,000 2001 393,000 -48.70% -0.95%
6 US Detroit 1950 1,850,000 2000 951,000 -48.60% -1.32%
7 US Cleveland 1950 915,000 2000 478,000 -47.80% -1.29%
8 UK Glasgow 1931 1,088,000 2001 579,000 -46.80% -0.90%
9 US Newark 1930 442,000 2000 274,000 -38.00% -0.68%
10 Denmark Kobenhavn 1950 768,000 2001 501,000 -34.80% -0.83%
11 US Cincinnati 1950 504,000 2000 331,000 -34.30% -0.84%
12 UK Belfast 1951 444,000 1991 295,000 -33.60% -1.02%
13 Portugal Lisboa 1961 818,000 2001 557,000 -31.90% -0.96%
14 US Baltimore 1950 950,000 2000 651,000 -31.50% -0.75%
15 Germany Leipzig 1939 707,000 2001 493,000 -30.30% -0.58%
16 Italy Milano 1971 1,687,000 2001 1,183,000 -29.90% -1.18%
17 US Washington 1950 802,000 2000 572,000 -28.70% -0.67%
18 Italy Genova 1971 844,000 2001 604,000 -28.40% -1.11%
19 France Paris 1921 2,906,000 1999 2,125,000 -26.90% -0.40%
20 US Philadelphia 1950 2,072,000 2000 1,518,000 -26.70% -0.62%
21 US Minneapolis 1950 522,000 2000 383,000 -26.60% -0.62%
22 US Boston 1950 801,000 2000 589,000 -26.50% -0.61%
23 Belgium Brussels 1950 183,000 2001 137,000 -25.10% -0.57%
24 Italy Torino 1971 1,142,000 2001 857,000 -25.00% -0.95%
25 Italy Bologna 1971 487,000 2001 370,000 -24.00% -0.91%
25 Germany Dresden 1939 630,000 2001 479,000 -24.00% -0.44%
27 Austria Vienna 1910 2,031,000 2001 1,550,000 -23.70% -0.30%
28 Netherlands Hague 1960 605,000 2001 464,000 -23.30% -0.65%
29 Italy Firenze 1971 456,000 2001 352,000 -22.80% -0.86%
29 US New Orleans 1960 628,000 2000 485,000 -22.80% -0.64%
31 Germany Berlin 1939 4,339,000 2001 3,388,000 -21.90% -0.40%
32 Italy Napoli 1971 1,267,000 2001 993,000 -21.60% -0.81%
33 France Lyon 1950 536,000 1999 422,000 -21.30% -0.49%
34 Portugal Porto 1981 330,000 2001 263,000 -20.30% -1.13%
35 US Chicago 1950 3,621,000 2000 2,896,000 -20.00% -0.45%
36 US Milwaukee 1960 741,000 2000 597,000 -19.40% -0.54%
37 Germany Essen 1960 729,000 2001 592,000 -18.80% -0.51%
38 Germany Dusseldorf 1960 702,000 2001 571,000 -18.70% -0.50%
39 Netherlands Rotterdam 1961 731,000 2001 599,000 -18.10% -0.50%
40 Japan Osaka 1965 3,156,000 2000 2,599,000 -17.60% -0.55%
41 UK Leeds 1961 511,000 1991 424,000 -17.00% -0.62%
42 Latvia Riga 1990 910,000 2001 757,000 -16.80% -1.66%
43 UK London 1939 8,615,000 2001 7,172,000 -16.70% -0.30%
44 Estonia Talinn 1990 479,000 2001 400,000 -16.50% -1.63%
45 Greece Athens 1981 886,000 2001 746,000 -15.80% -0.86%
46 Netherlands Amsterdam 1961 868,000 2001 735,000 -15.30% -0.42%
47 Switzerland Zurich 1960 428,200 2000 364,000 -15.00% -0.41%
48 Slovenia Maribor 1991 108,000 2002 92,000 -14.80% -1.45%
49 Spain Bilbao 1970 410,000 2001 349,972 -14.60% -0.51%
50 Canada Montreal 1971 1,214,000 2001 1,040,000 -14.30% -0.51%
51 UK Bristol 1951 444,000 2001 381,000 -14.20% -0.31%
51 Spain Barcelona 1981 1,753,000 2001 1,504,000 -14.20% -0.76%
53 Germany Wuppertal 1960 425,000 2001 365,000 -14.10% -0.37%
54 Hungary Budapest 1981 2,060,000 2001 1,775,000 -13.80% -0.74%
55 Germany Duisburg 1980 592,000 2001 512,000 -13.50% -0.69%
56 Italy Roma 1981 2,831,000 2001 2,460,000 -13.10% -0.70%
57 US Kansas City 1970 507,000 2000 442,000 -12.80% -0.46%
58 UK Birmingham 1951 1,113,000 2001 977,000 -12.20% -0.26%
59 France Marseilles 1982 901,000 1999 798,000 -11.40% -0.71%
60 Germany Bremen 1970 606,000 2001 541,000 -10.70% -0.37%
60 UK Coventry 1981 337,000 2001 301,000 -10.70% -0.56%
62 Germany Hanover 1960 574,000 2001 516,000 -10.10% -0.26%
63 Germany Dortmund 1960 652,000 2001 589,000 -9.70% -0.25%
64 Germany Stuttgart 1960 649,000 2001 587,000 -9.60% -0.25%
65 Ukraine Kharkov 1991 1,623,000 2001 1,470,000 -9.40% -0.99%
65 Ukraine Donetsk 1991 1,121,000 2001 1,016,000 -9.40% -0.98%
67 Georgia Tblisi 1989 1,260,000 2001 1,144,000 -9.20% -0.80%