London is famous for many, many things. David Beckham first played football in London, the Queen (kinda) lives in London, Big Ben chimes there and black cabs â€˜beepâ€™ all day (and nightâ€¦) long in London.

The thing that London is really famous for though is its people. London has been the home of so many of the worldâ€™s greatest men and women. Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in London. John Keats wrote transformational poetry in London. Alfred Hitchcock revolutionised the filming industry in London.

Outside of these famous names, a few skyscrapers and world famous tourist attractions, how well do you really know London? What does a Londoner really look like? And how does London compare to the cities of Europe and the world?

To find out, weâ€™ve had the Bateaux data captains churning through the data. Pouring over statistics ranging from population density to a migrant population analysis, weâ€™ve put together a profile comparing 27 of the worldâ€™s major cities.

Tokyo has the highest average salary - Â£71,824



If youâ€™re visiting any of the worldâ€™s major cities then the first thing you will need to consider is money. How much will you need to get around the city? How much will food cost? And what does it cost to buy a beer? Well, prices are dictated by the average salary of an everyday person in that city, so this where we will start our analysis.





Interestingly, the city with the highest average salary is the Japanese capital, Tokyo. Reaching an average of Â£71,824, thatâ€™s a comfortable Â£60,000 more than Moscow who finished with the lowest average salary in our analysis at Â£11,087. Surprisingly, London comes in just below half way with the average salary reaching around Â£43,629.







New York has the highest population Density â€“ 40,311 People per Square Mile



Where one person can see a city as a bastion of opportunity and hope, another may see it as an overcrowded black hole. And who can blame them? Cities have grown exponentially in the last 30 years with mega cities like New York, Tokyo and London practically becoming their own countries.



Instead of just looking at the population of a city a better method is to analyse the density of the city. This involves taking the overall population and dividing it by the metro land area of that city. The data in the graphic below gives you a better insight into how crowded and dense each city really is - compared directly to similar cities.





The city with by far and away the highest population density in our analysis was New York. The big apple is a mecca for people looking to launch their career and because of this, the city is one of the most densely populated cities in the world with 40,311 people crammed in one square mile. Compare this to Reykjavik or, surprisingly, Sydney who have roughly 1,000 people per square mile and you can really start to see the vast differences between these cities. Another surprise was that London came in near the bottom of our analysis with only 4,289 people per square mile. The majority of Europeâ€™s cities have a higher population density than London with only Melbourne, Beijing, Reykjavik and Sydney producing lower numbers per square mile.



Migrant Analysis



Cities really are a mecca of hope for people looking to build a new life. As such, they can act as a homing beacon for people all over the world looking for opportunity, renewed hope and a new home.



Today, the worldâ€™s cities are populated with a vast array of ethnicities and nationalities. This adds to the cultural and ethos differences that make our cities such great places to live, visit and, most importantly, eat in.



To give you an insight into the makeup of the population weâ€™ve analysed the different nationalities that have migrated to, and now reside in, each city.



Please note the analysis does not include the home countries nationality and only includes the nationality of those born outside of the home country and have since migrated to the city.







- India is the biggest migrant nationality in London



- Turkey is the biggest migrant nationality in Berlin



- France is the biggest migrant nationality in Brussels



- Pakistan is the biggest migrant nationality in Manchester



- Turkey is the biggest migrant nationality in Munich



- Morocco is the biggest migrant nationality in Amsterdam

- Algeria is the biggest migrant nationality in Paris



- Romania is the biggest migrant nationality in Rome



- Serbia is the biggest migrant nationality in Vienna



- Algeria is the biggest migrant nationality in Marseille



- Philippines is the biggest migrant nationality in Milan



- Armenia is the biggest migrant nationality in Warsaw

- Italy is the biggest migrant nationality in Barcelona



- Germany is the biggest migrant nationality in Budapest



- Ukraine is the biggest migrant nationality in Moscow



- Romania is the biggest migrant nationality in Madrid



- Finland is the biggest migrant nationality in Stockholm



- Poland is the biggest migrant nationality in Reykjavik

- Pakistan is the biggest migrant nationality in Copenhagen



- China is the biggest migrant nationality in Tokyo



- Cuba is the biggest migrant nationality in Miami



- Dominican Republic is the biggest migrant nationality in New York



- South Korea is the biggest migrant nationality in Beijing



- United Kingdom is the biggest migrant nationality in Melbourne



- Philippines is the biggest migrant nationality in Hong Kong



- United Kingdom is the biggest migrant nationality in Sydney



- India is the biggest migrant nationality in Dubai

52% of London is under 40 years of age



London is, generally, not the type of place most people dream of retiring. Firstly, it is expensive. The average pension is unlikely to last long after you take out rent, leisure costs and dining expenses.



Secondly, London, like much of the United Kingdom, has a reserved culture. As a working city, the culture is one of mad busy business people and frantic tourists. Again, not the idyllic retirement every pensioner yearns.



Unsurprisingly, this is reflected in our analysis with over 52% of the population aged 40 or under. Interestingly, when we looked further into the data, London has one of the smallest percentages of those aged 65 plus.







Milan has the oldest population with 60% aged over 40 years of age



As Italyâ€™s second biggest city, Milan is a hub for fashion, design and world-class shopping. If you ask us, the perfect place to retire. I mean, who doesnâ€™t want to look great and go shopping when they retire?



But it may not be only sun and shopping that is giving Milan an ageing population crisis. Italy is in the midst of a birth rate apocalypse with births falling to 488,000 in 2015. In fact, Italyâ€™s government are so concerned by their ageing population that as of 2016 the Italian government introduced an 80 euro per child monthly bonus for families on low and medium incomes.



The same pattern is noted in our analysis of Rome with over 58% of the population aged over 40 or above.







Budapest has the biggest female population with a 55% to 45% split



Nicknamed the â€œParis of the Eastâ€, Budapest is blessed with an abundance of hot springs and manmade beauty. Surprisingly itâ€™s also blessed with a high percentage of females. With over 55% of the population female, this pattern is found in many east European cities including Warsaw who also has a 54.8% female population.



Dubai has the biggest male population with a 76.10% to 23.90% split



Not only does Dubai have the biggest percentage male population at 76.10%, but they also have the youngest population in our analysis with 74% aged under 40 years of age.



The hypothesis behind why these two statistics are so out of sync with the rest of the world is that Dubai has a significant migrant population. These are mostly young men from India working on construction to fuel Dubaiâ€™s stunning 20 year growth.







Where should you visit?



Each of the cities used in this analysis offer a new culture experience that will inspire, awe and astonish.



That said, what tidbits can you take from this analysis? Well, if you want to meet people then cities like New York and Brussels mean you are never far from a new friend.



If you fancy a city break on the cheap then Moscow, Hong Kong and Beijing offer budget options (minus the flight costs!).



And if youâ€™re on the lookout for young, hot males, then you should definitely visit Dubai.



Still looking for a city break this Autumn? View our last data piece where we analysed the cost of hotels, restaurants and even beer all around the world here.







Methodology

All statistics that feature in this article have been collaborated using open data from the Office for National Statistics, CIA factbook and relevant census data from various countries. If you would like to access the full and raw dataset please email scott.taylor@reckless.agency or visit the google document here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HtdHfJJVKVhS1FhTCWdU-UPxYzQgzlGwmu_MBOMuBjM/edit#gid=1511404403

Please note that Bateaux London acknowledges that the information included in this blog is based on their interpretation of the data presented.

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