Overview
- The UN’s World Urbanization Prospects 2025 estimates Greater Jakarta’s population at nearly 42 million, ahead of Dhaka at about 37 million and Tokyo at roughly 33 million.
- Nine of the world’s 10 most populous cities are in Asia, with Cairo as the only non-Asian city in the top tier.
- Tokyo has fallen from the top spot held in 2018 and is projected to continue declining in population over the coming decades.
- Jakarta’s rise underscores mounting governance strains including chronic congestion, pollution, and flooding, while Indonesia’s planned Nusantara capital relocation has faced delays and funding shortfalls.
- The report finds cities house 45% of the world’s 8.2 billion people and counts 33 megacities today, up from eight in 1975, as UN officials urge integrated urban policies to manage growth.