Jakarta Becomes the World’s Most Populated City

On 27th November 2025, the UN World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 report declared Jakarta the world’s most populated city with an estimated 42 million residents, overtaking Tokyo.

The rankings reflect a revised UN methodology applying consistent global criteria for defining urban areas.

Aspect	Details
UN Report	The findings were published in the World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 report.
Most Populated City	Jakarta became the world’s most populated city with around 42 million residents.
Global Rankings	Dhaka ranked second with 37 million people, while Tokyo fell to third with 33 million.
Methodology Change	The revised UN methodology applies consistent global criteria for defining urban areas.
Growth of Megacities	The number of megacities with over 10 million people increased from 8 in 1975 to 33 in 2025.
Asian Dominance	Nine of the world’s top ten megacities are located in Asia, including New Delhi, Shanghai, Manila, and Kolkata.

PT Facts

Jakarta: Capital city of Indonesia.
Megacity: Generally refers to an urban agglomeration with more than 10 million people.
Urban Challenges: Rapid urbanisation creates pressure on housing, transport, sanitation, water supply, and climate resilience.
Asian Cities: Dominate global urban rankings due to demographic concentration and economic migration.

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