List of countries whose capital is not their largest city
Updated: Wikipedia source
The list of countries whose capital is not their largest city refers to the list of sovereign states whose capital is not their most populated city.
Tables
· List
Australia
Australia
Country
Australia
Capital
Canberra
Population
426,704
Largest city
Sydney
Population
5,312,163
Ratio
12
Notes
A planned city, Canberra has been Australia's capital city since its foundation in 1913. However, the national parliament was based in Melbourne, Victoria until 1927. Both cities were made part of New South Wales state.
Belize
Belize
Country
Belize
Capital
Belmopan
Population
20,621
Largest city
Belize City
Population
61,762
Ratio
3
Notes
Belize City was the capital until 1970.
Benin
Benin
Country
Benin
Capital
Porto-Novo
Population
264,320
Largest city
Cotonou
Population
761,100
Ratio
3
Notes
Cotonou is the de facto capital with seat of government. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area.
Bolivia
Bolivia
Country
Bolivia
Capital
Sucre
Population
259,388
Largest city
Santa Cruz
de la Sierra
Population
1,453,549
Ratio
7
Notes
La Paz is the de facto capital with the seat of government; it is in Bolivia's second most populous metropolitan area.
Brazil
Brazil
Country
Brazil
Capital
Brasília
Population
3,500,000
Largest city
São Paulo
Population
12,252,023
Ratio
4
Notes
Brasília, a planned city, has been the capital since its inauguration in 1960. Rio de Janeiro was capital from 1763 until 1960. Brasília is the third most populous city in Brazil and the seventh largest metropolitan area.
Burundi
Burundi
Country
Burundi
Capital
Gitega
Population
41,944
Largest city
Bujumbura
Population
1,092,859
Ratio
26
Notes
Bujumbura was the capital until 2019.
Cameroon
Cameroon
Country
Cameroon
Capital
Yaoundé
Population
1,430,000
Largest city
Douala
Population
2,000,000 +
Ratio
1
Notes
Yaoundé is the second largest city in Cameroon. Douala was the capital until 1902. In 1902, Buéa was the capital of British Cameroons prior to reunification. In October 1, 2017, Ambazonia became partially independent, Buéa is the capital of Ambazonia.
Canada
Canada
Country
Canada
Capital
Ottawa
Population
1,017,449
Largest city
Toronto
Population
2,794,356
Ratio
2
Notes
Toronto was the capital of the Province of Canada from 1849 to 1852 and 1856 to 1858. For some years before, Kingston was the de facto capital, but when time came to form the United Province of Canada in 1841, an official capital needed to be designated. There was much controversy until Queen Victoria made her ruling (supported by a vote with a maj
China
China
Country
China
Capital
Beijing
Population
22,000,000
Largest city
Shanghai (urban metropolitan area)
Population
30,484,300
Ratio
1
Notes
With a population of more than 19 million, Beijing is the second largest city in China after Shanghai. However, the size of Chonqging Municipality is about that of the sovereign country of Austria. University of Washington professor Kam Wing Chan argued that Chongqing's status is more akin to that of a province rather than a city. Chongqing was the
Chongqing (city boundaries)
Chongqing (city boundaries)
Country
Chongqing (city boundaries)
Capital
32,054,159
Population
1
Ecuador
Ecuador
Country
Ecuador
Capital
Quito
Population
1,763,275
Largest city
Guayaquil
Population
2,650,288
Ratio
1
Notes
Quito is the second largest city in Ecuador.
Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea
Country
Equatorial Guinea
Capital
Ciudad de la Paz
Population
2,000
Largest city
Malabo
Population
297,000
Ratio
148
Notes
Malabo was the capital until January 2026.
Gambia
Gambia
Country
Gambia
Capital
Banjul
Population
31,301
Largest city
Serrekunda
Population
337,000
Ratio
10
Notes
Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area.
India
India
Country
India
Capital
New Delhi
Population
249,998
Largest city
Mumbai
Population
12,442,373
Ratio
49
Notes
In 1912, the capital was moved from Calcutta (now Kolkata) to New Delhi, a district of Delhi, which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire.
Israel
Israel
Country
Israel
Capital
Jerusalem (limited recognition)
Population
363,095
(excluding
East Jerusalem)
Largest city
Tel Aviv
Population
460,613
Ratio
1
Notes
Jerusalem has only limited recognition as the capital of Israel. It would be Israel's largest city if East Jerusalem was included (increasing the population to 936,425). However, Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. Excluding East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv is Israel's largest city. Tel Aviv was the main capital until 1
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast
Country
Ivory Coast
Capital
Yamoussoukro
Population
200,659
Largest city
Abidjan
Population
4,348,000
Ratio
21
Notes
Abidjan was the capital until 1983.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Country
Kazakhstan
Capital
Astana
Population
743,014
Largest city
Almaty
Population
1,450,095
Ratio
1
Notes
Almaty was the capital from 1927 to 1997. Astana was named Nur-Sultan from 2019 until 2022.
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
Country
Liechtenstein
Capital
Vaduz
Population
5,109
Largest city
Schaan
Population
6,039
Ratio
1
Notes
Vaduz is the second largest city in Liechtenstein. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area.
Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
Country
Federated States of Micronesia
Capital
Palikir
Population
5,000
Largest city
Weno
Population
13,000
Ratio
1
Notes
Palikir is the second largest city of Micronesia.
Malta
Malta
Country
Malta
Capital
Valletta
Population
5,827
Largest city
St. Paul's Bay
Population
29,097
Ratio
6
Notes
Valletta is part of the Central Region, a conurbation with a population of 111,994. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area.
Morocco
Morocco
Country
Morocco
Capital
Rabat
Population
627,000
Largest city
Casablanca
Population
4,150,000
Ratio
6
Notes
Rabat is the seventh largest city in Morocco.
Myanmar
Myanmar
Country
Myanmar
Capital
Naypyidaw
Population
925,000
Largest city
Yangon
Population
4,346,000
Ratio
4
Notes
Yangon was the capital until 2006. Naypyidaw is a planned city without contiguous urban areas or a proper metro area.
New Zealand
New Zealand
Country
New Zealand
Capital
Wellington
Population
209,800
Largest city
Auckland
Population
1,547,200
Ratio
7
Notes
Auckland was the capital from 1841 to 1865.
Nigeria
Nigeria
Country
Nigeria
Capital
Abuja
Population
778,567
Largest city
Lagos
Population
7,937,932
Ratio
10
Notes
Lagos was the capital until 1991.
Pakistan
Pakistan
Country
Pakistan
Capital
Islamabad
Population
1,014,825
Largest city
Karachi
Population
14,910,352
Ratio
14
Notes
Karachi was the capital from 1947 to 1958.
Palau
Palau
Country
Palau
Capital
Ngerulmud
Population
0
Largest city
Koror
Population
11,200
Ratio
-
Notes
Koror was the capital until 2006.
Palestine
Palestine
Country
Palestine
Capital
Jerusalem (limited recognition)
Population
573,330 (East Jerusalem)
Largest city
Gaza City
Population
590,481
Ratio
5
Notes
Jerusalem is claimed as the capital of the State of Palestine although East Jerusalem is still under Israeli occupation since 1967. Gaza City is the country's largest city prior to evacuations in 2023.
Ramallah (administrative centre)
Ramallah (administrative centre)
Country
Ramallah (administrative centre)
Capital
104,173
Philippines
Philippines
Country
Philippines
Capital
Manila
Population
1,780,148
Largest city
Quezon City
Population
2,936,116
Ratio
1
Notes
Quezon City, a northeastern suburb of Manila, was planned as the post-colonial capital of the Philippines and officially declared the capital after independence from 1948. In 1976, both cities were made part of the Metropolitan Manila region. It had overtaken Manila as the largest city proper of the Philippines by the 1990 census.
San Marino
San Marino
Country
San Marino
Capital
San Marino
Population
4,211
Largest city
Serravalle
Population
10,601
Ratio
2
Notes
Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area.
South Africa
South Africa
Country
South Africa
Capital
Pretoria
Population
2,345,908
Largest city
Johannesburg
Population
5,635,000
Ratio
1
Notes
Cape Town (pop. 4 million) and Bloemfontein (metro pop. 747,431) serve as legislative and judicial capitals respectively. Both cities were made part of the Gauteng province.
Switzerland
Switzerland
Country
Switzerland
Capital
Bern
Population
138,041
Largest city
Zürich
Population
397,698
Ratio
2
Notes
Switzerland does not have a de jure capital, but Bern was designated "federal city" with the seat of the two parliament chambers in 1848, when for the first time the independent Swiss states established standing federal authorities. Important federal authorities are also located in Lausanne (most notably: the Federal Supreme Court), Zürich, Lucerne
Taiwan
Taiwan
Country
Taiwan
Capital
Taipei
Population
2,668,572
Largest city
New Taipei
Population
4,004,367
Ratio
1
Notes
Despite having no formal designation to the national capital of the ROC by law, Taipei has been the seat of the ROC central government since 1949. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area.
Tanzania
Tanzania
Country
Tanzania
Capital
Dodoma
Population
324,347
Largest city
Dar es Salaam
Population
2,497,940
Ratio
7
Notes
Dar es Salaam was the capital until 1996.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Country
Trinidad and Tobago
Capital
Port of Spain
Population
49,867
Largest city
Chaguanas
Population
83,489
Ratio
1
Notes
Port of Spain is the third most populated city in Trinidad and Tobago. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area.
Turkey
Turkey
Country
Turkey
Capital
Ankara
Population
5,150,072
Largest city
Istanbul
Population
14,377,018
Ratio
3
Notes
Istanbul (as Constantinople) was the capital of the Ottoman Empire from 1453 to 1922.
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
Country
United Arab Emirates
Capital
Abu Dhabi
Population
896,751
Largest city
Dubai
Population
2,262,000
Ratio
2
Notes
Abu Dhabi is the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates.
United States
United States
Country
United States
Capital
Washington, D .
Population
705,749
Largest city
New York City
Population
8,398,748
Ratio
12
Notes
New York was the capital from 1785 to 1790 and the largest city in 1790 (narrowly edging out the next capital, Philadelphia, which served as capital from 1790 to 1800). Philadelphia was the nation's second-largest city when it was the capital. Washington, D . is the 22nd-largest city in the United States, but the Washington metropolitan area is th
Vietnam
Vietnam
Country
Vietnam
Capital
Hanoi
Population
8,807,523
Largest city
Ho Chi Minh City
Population
14,002,598
Ratio
1
Notes
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, was the capital of South Vietnam prior to reunification.
| Country | Capital | Population | Largest city | Population | Ratio | Notes |
| Australia | Canberra | 426,704 | Sydney | 5,312,163 | 12 | A planned city, Canberra has been Australia's capital city since its foundation in 1913. However, the national parliament was based in Melbourne, Victoria until 1927. Both cities were made part of New South Wales state. |
| Belize | Belmopan | 20,621 | Belize City | 61,762 | 3 | Belize City was the capital until 1970. |
| Benin | Porto-Novo | 264,320 | Cotonou | 761,100 | 3 | Cotonou is the de facto capital with seat of government. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area. |
| Bolivia | Sucre | 259,388 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra | 1,453,549 | 7 | La Paz is the de facto capital with the seat of government; it is in Bolivia's second most populous metropolitan area. |
| Brazil | Brasília | 3,500,000 | São Paulo | 12,252,023 | 4 | Brasília, a planned city, has been the capital since its inauguration in 1960. Rio de Janeiro was capital from 1763 until 1960. Brasília is the third most populous city in Brazil and the seventh largest metropolitan area. |
| Burundi | Gitega | 41,944 | Bujumbura | 1,092,859 | 26 | Bujumbura was the capital until 2019. |
| Cameroon | Yaoundé | 1,430,000 | Douala | 2,000,000 + | 1 | Yaoundé is the second largest city in Cameroon. Douala was the capital until 1902. In 1902, Buéa was the capital of British Cameroons prior to reunification. In October 1, 2017, Ambazonia became partially independent, Buéa is the capital of Ambazonia. |
| Canada | Ottawa | 1,017,449 | Toronto | 2,794,356 | 2 | Toronto was the capital of the Province of Canada from 1849 to 1852 and 1856 to 1858. For some years before, Kingston was the de facto capital, but when time came to form the United Province of Canada in 1841, an official capital needed to be designated. There was much controversy until Queen Victoria made her ruling (supported by a vote with a maj |
| China | Beijing | 22,000,000 | Shanghai (urban metropolitan area) | 30,484,300 | 1 | With a population of more than 19 million, Beijing is the second largest city in China after Shanghai. However, the size of Chonqging Municipality is about that of the sovereign country of Austria. University of Washington professor Kam Wing Chan argued that Chongqing's status is more akin to that of a province rather than a city. Chongqing was the |
| Chongqing (city boundaries) | 32,054,159 | 1 | ||||
| Ecuador | Quito | 1,763,275 | Guayaquil | 2,650,288 | 1 | Quito is the second largest city in Ecuador. |
| Equatorial Guinea | Ciudad de la Paz | 2,000 | Malabo | 297,000 | 148 | Malabo was the capital until January 2026. |
| Gambia | Banjul | 31,301 | Serrekunda | 337,000 | 10 | Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area. |
| India | New Delhi | 249,998 | Mumbai | 12,442,373 | 49 | In 1912, the capital was moved from Calcutta (now Kolkata) to New Delhi, a district of Delhi, which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire. |
| Israel | Jerusalem (limited recognition) | 363,095 (excluding East Jerusalem) | Tel Aviv | 460,613 | 1 | Jerusalem has only limited recognition as the capital of Israel. It would be Israel's largest city if East Jerusalem was included (increasing the population to 936,425). However, Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. Excluding East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv is Israel's largest city. Tel Aviv was the main capital until 1 |
| Ivory Coast | Yamoussoukro | 200,659 | Abidjan | 4,348,000 | 21 | Abidjan was the capital until 1983. |
| Kazakhstan | Astana | 743,014 | Almaty | 1,450,095 | 1 | Almaty was the capital from 1927 to 1997. Astana was named Nur-Sultan from 2019 until 2022. |
| Liechtenstein | Vaduz | 5,109 | Schaan | 6,039 | 1 | Vaduz is the second largest city in Liechtenstein. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area. |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Palikir | 5,000 | Weno | 13,000 | 1 | Palikir is the second largest city of Micronesia. |
| Malta | Valletta | 5,827 | St. Paul's Bay | 29,097 | 6 | Valletta is part of the Central Region, a conurbation with a population of 111,994. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area. |
| Morocco | Rabat | 627,000 | Casablanca | 4,150,000 | 6 | Rabat is the seventh largest city in Morocco. |
| Myanmar | Naypyidaw | 925,000 | Yangon | 4,346,000 | 4 | Yangon was the capital until 2006. Naypyidaw is a planned city without contiguous urban areas or a proper metro area. |
| New Zealand | Wellington | 209,800 | Auckland | 1,547,200 | 7 | Auckland was the capital from 1841 to 1865. |
| Nigeria | Abuja | 778,567 | Lagos | 7,937,932 | 10 | Lagos was the capital until 1991. |
| Pakistan | Islamabad | 1,014,825 | Karachi | 14,910,352 | 14 | Karachi was the capital from 1947 to 1958. |
| Palau | Ngerulmud | 0 | Koror | 11,200 | - | Koror was the capital until 2006. |
| Palestine | Jerusalem (limited recognition) | 573,330 (East Jerusalem) | Gaza City | 590,481 | 5 | Jerusalem is claimed as the capital of the State of Palestine although East Jerusalem is still under Israeli occupation since 1967. Gaza City is the country's largest city prior to evacuations in 2023. |
| Ramallah (administrative centre) | 104,173 | |||||
| Philippines | Manila | 1,780,148 | Quezon City | 2,936,116 | 1 | Quezon City, a northeastern suburb of Manila, was planned as the post-colonial capital of the Philippines and officially declared the capital after independence from 1948. In 1976, both cities were made part of the Metropolitan Manila region. It had overtaken Manila as the largest city proper of the Philippines by the 1990 census. |
| San Marino | San Marino | 4,211 | Serravalle | 10,601 | 2 | Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area. |
| South Africa | Pretoria | 2,345,908 | Johannesburg | 5,635,000 | 1 | Cape Town (pop. 4 million) and Bloemfontein (metro pop. 747,431) serve as legislative and judicial capitals respectively. Both cities were made part of the Gauteng province. |
| Switzerland | Bern | 138,041 | Zürich | 397,698 | 2 | Switzerland does not have a de jure capital, but Bern was designated "federal city" with the seat of the two parliament chambers in 1848, when for the first time the independent Swiss states established standing federal authorities. Important federal authorities are also located in Lausanne (most notably: the Federal Supreme Court), Zürich, Lucerne |
| Taiwan | Taipei | 2,668,572 | New Taipei | 4,004,367 | 1 | Despite having no formal designation to the national capital of the ROC by law, Taipei has been the seat of the ROC central government since 1949. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area. |
| Tanzania | Dodoma | 324,347 | Dar es Salaam | 2,497,940 | 7 | Dar es Salaam was the capital until 1996. |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Port of Spain | 49,867 | Chaguanas | 83,489 | 1 | Port of Spain is the third most populated city in Trinidad and Tobago. Both cities are part of the same metropolitan area. |
| Turkey | Ankara | 5,150,072 | Istanbul | 14,377,018 | 3 | Istanbul (as Constantinople) was the capital of the Ottoman Empire from 1453 to 1922. |
| United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi | 896,751 | Dubai | 2,262,000 | 2 | Abu Dhabi is the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates. |
| United States | Washington, D . | 705,749 | New York City | 8,398,748 | 12 | New York was the capital from 1785 to 1790 and the largest city in 1790 (narrowly edging out the next capital, Philadelphia, which served as capital from 1790 to 1800). Philadelphia was the nation's second-largest city when it was the capital. Washington, D . is the 22nd-largest city in the United States, but the Washington metropolitan area is th |
| Vietnam | Hanoi | 8,807,523 | Ho Chi Minh City | 14,002,598 | 1 | Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, was the capital of South Vietnam prior to reunification. |
References
- The population data is based on city proper instead of metropolitan area
- "Decreto Supremo Nº1672"http://www.doctoraedilicia.com/publicaciones/noticias/cuadrods1672.pdf
- "Remember This? Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa"https://www.ottawamatters.com/remember-this/remember-this-queen-victoria-chooses-ottawa-1162999
- "The world's biggest cities: How do you measure them?"https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16761784
- "Ten major cities' population up by 74pc"https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/08/28/ten-major-cities-population-up-by-74pc/
- "Daily Mashriq"http://www.mashriqtv.pk/E-Paper/The-statesman/2017-09-06/page-3/detail-0
- "District Wise Census Results Census 2017"https://web.archive.org/web/20170829164748/http://www.pbscensus.gov.pk/sites/default/files/DISTRICT_WISE_CENSUS_RESULTS_CENSUS_2017.pdf
- Dept. of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior. Republic of China(Taiwan)https://www.ris.gov.tw/app/en/3910