Great Britain, Spain and Portugal have set up population colonies that are now home to far more people than the country of origin. But what about more recent diaspora of countries that didn't set up their own population colonies?
Largest Italian cities in the world
For example is Buenos Aires, a city established by the Spanish, now has a population that if 3/4 of Italian origin. Out of a population of 14 million (with suburbs), that is about 10 million people of Italian descent, making it the largest Italian city in the world, well above Rome (2.8 million, or 4.2 million for metropolitan area), Milan (1.4 m or 4.3 for metro area) or Naples (0.9 m or 4.2 for metro area).
Other cities with huge Italian populations are São Paulo with about 3.5 million, and New York with about 2 million people of Italian descent. Let's also not forget that not all people in Italian cities are Italian. There are plenty of foreigners and naturalised Italians who aren't ethnic Italians. Rome has 12.8% of foreigners, Milan 14.5% and Naples 4.4%. So even taking into account metropolitan areas, the largest ethnic Italian cities worldwide would be:
Rome, Milan and São Paulo are very close, so it's difficult to say which really has the largest Italian population, especially considering that many people who identify as Italian may be of mixed descent.
Largest Irish cities in the world
Dublin is the only major city is Ireland with 1.4 million inhabitants in its metro area. The second largest is Cork (300,000 in metro area).
There are many times more people of Irish descent outside Ireland than in Ireland itself. Most of them immigrated to English-speaking countries, including Great Britain. In 1950, 700,000 Irish nationals lived in Britain. This number has nearly halved since then, in great part thanks to the Irish economic miracle (Ireland now has the highest GDP per capita in Europe after Luxembourg - twice higher than the UK). There are officially 175,000 Irish nationals living in London, but the true number could be much higher if we taken into account those who became British citizens or who are only partly Irish.
Estimating the Irish population of American and Australian cities is more tricky. The largest Irish cities in the US are Boston (22%) and New York (13%), but it's not clear if the percentages are for the city proper or the metropolitan area, which makes a huge difference. The metropolitan area of New York includes most of New Jersey (14% of Irish) and Connecticut (18% of Irish), with an average of 15%. That would give us between 155,000 and 1 million people of Irish descent in Boston, and between 1 million and 3 million in New York.
Philadelphia has some 600,000 people of Irish descent, Seattle about 300,000, Chicago 200,000, and Los Angeles 140,000.
In Australia, 10% of the population identifies as being of Irish ancestry and 30% of partial Irish ancestry. Even taking a low 10%, that would mean that Sydney has some 530,000 Irish, Melbourne 500,000, and Brisbane 250,000.
In Canada, Toronto officially has 265,000 people of Irish descent and Vancouver 275,000.
So the biggest Irish cities worldwide would be:
Largest Polish cities in the world
Chicago bills itself as the largest Polish city outside of Poland with approximately 1.9 million people of Polish descent. That makes it the second Polish city in the world after Warsaw (3.1 million for metro area). Krakow comes 3rd with 1.7 million for the metro area.
Largest Greek cities in the world
Athens is unquestionably the largest Greek city in the world with a metropolitan population of 3.7 million (over of third of the country's population!), followed by Thessaloniki (1 million for metro area).
After that it's hard to say if the third largest Greek city is Patras (300,000 for metro area) of Melbourne, which has an estimated Greek population between 175,000 and 400,000, or London with 285,000 Greek residents. Heraklion (210,000) and New York comes next with about 175,000~200,000, followed by Larissa (165,000), then Chicago and Boston (both around 100,000).
Largest Italian cities in the world
For example is Buenos Aires, a city established by the Spanish, now has a population that if 3/4 of Italian origin. Out of a population of 14 million (with suburbs), that is about 10 million people of Italian descent, making it the largest Italian city in the world, well above Rome (2.8 million, or 4.2 million for metropolitan area), Milan (1.4 m or 4.3 for metro area) or Naples (0.9 m or 4.2 for metro area).
Other cities with huge Italian populations are São Paulo with about 3.5 million, and New York with about 2 million people of Italian descent. Let's also not forget that not all people in Italian cities are Italian. There are plenty of foreigners and naturalised Italians who aren't ethnic Italians. Rome has 12.8% of foreigners, Milan 14.5% and Naples 4.4%. So even taking into account metropolitan areas, the largest ethnic Italian cities worldwide would be:
- Buenos Aires : ~10 million ethnic Italians
- Naples : ~4 million
- Rome & Milan : ~3.6 million
- São Paulo : ~3.5 million
- New York : ~2 million
Rome, Milan and São Paulo are very close, so it's difficult to say which really has the largest Italian population, especially considering that many people who identify as Italian may be of mixed descent.
Largest Irish cities in the world
Dublin is the only major city is Ireland with 1.4 million inhabitants in its metro area. The second largest is Cork (300,000 in metro area).
There are many times more people of Irish descent outside Ireland than in Ireland itself. Most of them immigrated to English-speaking countries, including Great Britain. In 1950, 700,000 Irish nationals lived in Britain. This number has nearly halved since then, in great part thanks to the Irish economic miracle (Ireland now has the highest GDP per capita in Europe after Luxembourg - twice higher than the UK). There are officially 175,000 Irish nationals living in London, but the true number could be much higher if we taken into account those who became British citizens or who are only partly Irish.
Estimating the Irish population of American and Australian cities is more tricky. The largest Irish cities in the US are Boston (22%) and New York (13%), but it's not clear if the percentages are for the city proper or the metropolitan area, which makes a huge difference. The metropolitan area of New York includes most of New Jersey (14% of Irish) and Connecticut (18% of Irish), with an average of 15%. That would give us between 155,000 and 1 million people of Irish descent in Boston, and between 1 million and 3 million in New York.
Philadelphia has some 600,000 people of Irish descent, Seattle about 300,000, Chicago 200,000, and Los Angeles 140,000.
In Australia, 10% of the population identifies as being of Irish ancestry and 30% of partial Irish ancestry. Even taking a low 10%, that would mean that Sydney has some 530,000 Irish, Melbourne 500,000, and Brisbane 250,000.
In Canada, Toronto officially has 265,000 people of Irish descent and Vancouver 275,000.
So the biggest Irish cities worldwide would be:
- New York : 1~3 million
- Dublin : 1.4 million
- Boston : 0.2~1 million
- Philadelphia : 600,000
- Sydney : 535,000
- Melbourne : 500,000
- Seattle : 300,000
- Cork : 300,000
- Vancouver : 275,000
- Toronto : 265,000
- Brisbane : 250,000
- Chicago : 200,000
- London : 175,000
Largest Polish cities in the world
Chicago bills itself as the largest Polish city outside of Poland with approximately 1.9 million people of Polish descent. That makes it the second Polish city in the world after Warsaw (3.1 million for metro area). Krakow comes 3rd with 1.7 million for the metro area.
Largest Greek cities in the world
Athens is unquestionably the largest Greek city in the world with a metropolitan population of 3.7 million (over of third of the country's population!), followed by Thessaloniki (1 million for metro area).
After that it's hard to say if the third largest Greek city is Patras (300,000 for metro area) of Melbourne, which has an estimated Greek population between 175,000 and 400,000, or London with 285,000 Greek residents. Heraklion (210,000) and New York comes next with about 175,000~200,000, followed by Larissa (165,000), then Chicago and Boston (both around 100,000).
