Top 10 Most Diverse Cities in the World

1. New York, United States

   

   The City of New York, commonly known as New York City or simply New York, is the most populous city in the United States. It is also the most densely populated major city in the country. Located in the state of New York, it is a global hub for finance, culture, and media.

   The "Capital of the World" is home to so many different cultures. You can hear any language spoken on the street, from Spanish, Chinese, and French to Ojibwe, Zulu, and Lao.

   A city where nearly 40% of its population is foreign-born, and over 500 languages are spoken. It is truly the capital of the world.

   A diverse city with so many different cultures!

2. London, United Kingdom

   

   London is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the southeastern part of Great Britain, London has been a major settlement for over two millennia.

   It is one of the world's most important global cities, with significant influence in... read more

   Where I live in London, there is a large Polish community. I live adjacent to a street with two Polish delis right next to each other, and the competition between them is pretty intense. I also have a friend who lives in Southall, which is more commonly called "Little India."

   London is filled with people from all over the world, especially from former British colonies like Jamaica and Trinidad. There are also many others, such as Poles and Arabs.

   To illustrate how diverse London is, New Malden, a suburb in Greater London (approximately 10 miles from the center), is said to have the largest South Korean population outside of Korea, which is on the other side of the world. This is just one example of how diverse the city is.

3. Toronto, Canada

   

   Toronto is the most populous city in Canada, the provincial capital of Ontario, and the core of the Greater Toronto Area, the country's most populous metropolitan region. It is an international hub for business, finance, arts, and culture. Toronto is also recognized as one of the most multicultural and... read more

   Toronto is Canada's largest city, not only in terms of ethnic diversity from over 200 countries but also in the way these communities interact. Unlike most other cities, including those in the US, Toronto's ethnic minorities (correction: ethnic majority) live and work together side by side. There aren't really any exclusively Black or Latino neighborhoods.

   There are small pockets in the city, like Little India, Chinatown, and Little Italy, where initial immigrants settled during the city's early days. But for the most part, you'll find an Indian family living next to a Greek family, next to an Iranian family, next to a Korean family, and so on. Now that's true diversity in harmony!

   Statistically speaking, Toronto is the most culturally diverse city in the world. Not only does it have more than 50% immigrants, but those immigrants come from more countries and speak more different languages than any other city in the world.

   Yes, it's possible for a city to have 40% or more immigrants, but if those immigrants are primarily from 5 to 10 other countries, that's not true diversity.

4. Paris, France

   

   Paris is the capital and most populous city of France, covering an area of 105 square kilometers with an estimated population of 2,140,526 residents as of January 1, 2019. Since the 17th century, Paris has been a major center of finance, diplomacy, commerce, fashion, science, and the arts in Europe.... read more

   In France, 117 nationalities are represented, making it the European country with the highest number of different nationalities (ahead of London) and one of the top in the world. More than 80% of these people are not coming from former colonies, which ended 60 years ago for the last ones in North Africa.

   Paris is so small yet filled with so much diversity. It's way better than any other city in the world. It's also a beautiful place with so much history, unlike New York.

   A lot of immigrants from former colonies like Niger or Morocco.

5. Los Angeles, United States

   

   Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often abbreviated as L.A., is the largest city in California. It has an estimated population of nearly 4 million and is the second-largest city in the United States after New York City. It is also the third-largest in North America after Mexico City... read more

   Los Angeles is diverse in so many ways beyond just race or language. It's both the richest and the poorest, the prettiest and the ugliest. It has some of the most stereotypical, annoying people in the world, but it also has some of the coolest people you'll ever meet. There are drug addicts and health enthusiasts. These extremes can be found in any city, but they are particularly pronounced in Los Angeles.

   Los Angeles is so big that you can't just call it one city. For example, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Venice, Beverly Hills, and Calabasas are all actually separate cities. LA also has all types of landscapes nearby: beaches, deserts, valleys, rugged coasts, mountains, pine forests, and more.

6. Houston, United States

   

   Houston is the most populous city in the state of Texas and ranks fourth in the United States. According to a 2017 U.S. Census estimate, it had a population of approximately 2.312 million. It is also the most populous city in both the Southern United States and along the Gulf Coast.

   People clearly don't know Houston. It should be right up there with NYC. Houston has the largest Vietnamese and Indian populations, not to mention every nation is represented here.

   Houston is the fourth-largest city in the US and home to a huge foreign-born population.

7. Chicago, United States

   

   Chicago, officially the City of Chicago, is the third-most populous city in the United States. With over 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in both Illinois and the Midwestern United States. It is considered one of the most important business centers in the world.... read more

   The other list sites ignore Chicago because they're biased, ignorant, and just don't get it. Chicago has been very diverse for over 100 years. The people of the world know a good thing when they see it.

   I am Polish, but I was born there, and 55% of my class was Polish, 25% Latino, 10% Arab, 5% from other countries, and 5% American.

8. Amsterdam, Netherlands

   

   Amsterdam is the capital city of the Netherlands and its most populous municipality. It is known for its historic canals, rich cultural heritage, and vibrant arts scene. The city also serves as a financial and business hub in Europe.

   It should be in the top. I travel a lot and have never been to a place as diverse as Amsterdam. And it feels so natural.

9. Sydney, Australia

   

   Sydney, located on Australia's southeastern coast, is famous for its iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The city's scenic waterfront offers sailing, ferry rides, and harborside dining. Bondi Beach is renowned for its surf culture and laid-back atmosphere.... read more

10. São Paulo, Brazil

    

    There are many people here from various backgrounds: Japanese, Italians, Lebanese, Portuguese, Armenians, Chinese, Koreans, Irish, British, Greeks - you name it. São Paulo is home to so many ethnic groups. You can name any of these, and you'll find at least one of these groups in the streets of São Paulo.

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11. ?

    Oakland, United States

    

    Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. It serves as a major port on the West Coast and is the most populous city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Oakland ranks as the third largest city in the Bay Area, the eighth most populous... read more

    The majority race is only around 30%, which is about as diverse as it usually gets.

12. ?

    Miami, United States

    

    Miami, officially known as the City of Miami, is the cultural, economic, and financial center of South Florida. It is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, which is the most populous county in Florida. The city is a major hub for international trade, tourism, and finance.

The Contenders

13. San Francisco, United States

    

    San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California. It is known for landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, and its historic cable car system. The city has a diverse population and is a major hub... read more

    Very diverse. Chinese, Mexicans, Italians, Germans, Greeks, and so many more ethnicities have a presence here.

14. San Jose, United States

    

15. Singapore, Singapore

    

16. Istanbul, Turkey

    

    Istanbul, formerly known as Byzantium and Constantinople, is the most populous city in Turkey and serves as the country's economic, cultural, and historical center. The city straddles the Bosphorus Strait, placing it in both Europe and Asia... read more

17. Brussels, Belgium

    

    Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, is one of the three regions of Belgium and consists of 19 municipalities, including the City of Brussels. It serves as the de facto capital of the European Union and is also the capital of Belgium. The region is located in the north-central part of the... read more

    An amazingly diverse city. There are people here from every country imaginable, and the number of languages spoken is too many to even count!

    It has one of the largest Islamic populations in Europe, and also a lot of Jains, which is unusual for Europe.

18. Montreal, Canada

    

    Montreal is the most populous municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec and the second-most populous in the country. It was originally known as Ville-Marie and takes its name from Mount Royal, a three-peaked hill located in the city center.... read more

    There are so many neighborhoods for minorities like Little Greece, Little Portugal, Chinatown, and even a Gay Village.

    Well, I live in Montreal, and I admit there are a lot of Italians, Haitians, Chinese, some Brazilians, Koreans, Japanese, Americans, Mexicans, Arabs, Russians, Ukrainians, and even Pakistanis! Montreal has a lot of immigrants, similar to Toronto, as is common in Canada.

19. Berlin, Germany

    

    Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. It has about 3.8 million residents within its city limits, making it the most populous city in the European Union.

    Berlin is a federal state of Germany and is surrounded by the State of Brandenburg. It lies adjacent... read more

20. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    

    Kuala Lumpur is officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and is commonly referred to as KL. It serves as the national capital of Malaysia and is also the country's largest city. The city acts as the political, economic, and cultural center of the country, playing a central role in governance... read more

    Having traveled to many of the cities on the list, I find KL to be the most multicultural I've seen so far. Any Western city is nothing in comparison.

    This should be the top choice. Diversity isn't just 70% white European people like those other choices are.

21. Vancouver, Canada

    

    Vancouver is a coastal seaport city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. It is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in the country. Vancouver is a popular filming location and was the host city of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

    Vancouver is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with many different languages, cultures, and religions. Vancouver is not only diverse but also very accepting.

22. Moscow, Russia

    

    Moscow is the capital and most populous city of Russia. It is located in western Russia along the Moskva River. Moscow is a major political, economic, and cultural center and is home to the Kremlin, Red Square, and numerous historic landmarks.

23. Tokyo, Japan

    

    Tokyo, officially Tokyo Metropolis, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and has served as the Japanese capital since 1869. Located at the head of Tokyo Bay, it is part of the Kantō region on the central Pacific coast of Honshu, Japan's main island... read more

24. Johannesburg, South Africa

    Why do people always have something bad to say about South Africa? Johannesburg is one of the world's most diverse cities.

25. Atlanta, United States

    

    Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of approximately 498,715, making it the 38th most populous city in the United States. Atlanta is also a major transportation hub, home to the busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield... read more

26. Dallas, United States

    

27. Birmingham, United Kingdom