Geneva: Jakarta has officially become the world’s largest city, according to a new assessment by the United Nations. The Indonesian capital, now home to 41.9 million people, has surged past Dhaka and Tokyo, marking a major shift in global urban growth.
Dhaka, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, now ranks second with 36.6 million residents. Tokyo, which held the top position for decades, has dropped to third place with a stable population of 33.4 million. The UN projects that Dhaka could become the world’s largest city by 2050 as migration from rural regions continues to accelerate.
The UN’s World Urbanization Prospects 2025 report highlights the rapid rise of megacities worldwide. There are now 33 cities with populations above 10 million, compared to just eight in 1975. Asia alone hosts 19 of them, including nine of the top 10.
Beyond Jakarta, Dhaka, and Tokyo, the major urban giants include New Delhi with 30.2 million people, Shanghai with 29.6 million, Guangzhou with 27.6 million, Manila with 24.7 million, Kolkata with 22.5 million, and Seoul with 22.5 million. Cairo, with 32 million residents, is the only non-Asian city in the top 10. In the America, São Paulo leads with 18.9 million people, while Lagos continues its rapid climb as the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa.
Cities, towns and rural areas are fundamentally linked.
Policies that recognize each settlement’s unique role can drive compact growth, safeguard farmland and ecosystems and ensure vital services for all.
Learn more in the #WorldUrbanizationReport 2025: https://t.co/pPOr8l9pgF pic.twitter.com/WH1QcL67kA
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Both Jakarta and Dhaka face mounting environmental pressures. Many of Dhaka’s new arrivals come from rural communities hit by floods, erosion, and rising seas. Jakarta confronts similar threats, with experts warning that up to a quarter of the city could be submerged by 2050.
These challenges have pushed Indonesia to develop a new capital in Nusantara, located in East Kalimantan on Borneo island. Yet despite the move, the UN estimates Jakarta will gain another 10 million residents by mid-century.
The surge in population is intensifying concerns over inequality and affordability. Earlier this year, thousands of Jakarta residents marched to demand better conditions for low-income workers, including ride-share and delivery drivers who say they are struggling to keep up with rising living costs.
Other cities highlighted in the report are facing their own crises. Tehran, with nine million residents, is now rationing water as it edges toward severe shortages.
