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Jakarta Overtakes Tokyo — Now the World’s Largest City with About 42 Million Residents

Jakarta has become the world’s largest city, with about 42 million residents, according to the U.N.'s World Urbanization Prospects 2025. The report ranks Dhaka second (~40M) and Tokyo third (~33M) and highlights that megacities rose from eight in 1975 to 33 in 2025, with more growth expected by 2050. It also notes 81% of cities have fewer than 250,000 people and that small- and medium-sized cities are growing fastest, particularly in Africa and Asia. The findings were linked to COP30 climate discussions and a call for integrated urban planning.

08:34 AM, 11/26/2025Society
Jakarta Overtakes Tokyo — Now the World’s Largest City with About 42 Million Residents

Jakarta has surged to become the world’s largest city, now home to roughly 42 million people, according to the United Nations' World Urbanization Prospects 2025. In just seven years the urban area moved from the 33rd-largest ranking to the top spot.

The 22nd edition of the U.N. population and settlement analysis provides harmonized estimates and projections for more than 8.2 billion people across 237 countries and areas and examines data from over 12,000 cities.

Top-ranked cities and megacity growth

Using a "degree of urbanization" methodology to improve comparability, the report lists the three largest urban areas as Jakarta (~42 million); Dhaka, Bangladesh (nearly 40 million); and Tokyo (about 33 million). Cairo is the only non-Asian city in the top 10.

Megacities have grown dramatically — from eight in 1975 to 33 in 2025, more than half of them in Asia. The U.N. projects this number will reach 37 by 2050 as cities in Ethiopia, the United Republic of Tanzania, India and Malaysia are expected to surpass the 10 million mark.

Smaller cities and the urban horizon

Despite the prominence of very large urban areas, most cities remain small: the report finds that 81% of analyzed cities have fewer than 250,000 residents. Small- and medium-sized cities already host more people than megacities and are growing faster, particularly across Africa and Asia.

"Urbanization is one of the most significant demographic shifts in human history, fundamentally altering how and where people live and build communities," researchers at the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs wrote, noting the new framework improves the report's usefulness and comparability across cities, towns and rural areas.

The 2025 urbanization data were also discussed alongside international climate efforts at COP30, attended by representatives from 170 countries. U.N. under-secretary-general Li Juhua emphasized both the opportunities and responsibilities that come with rapid urban growth.

"When managed inclusively and strategically, it can unlock transformative development, economic growth and social equity. To achieve balanced territorial development, countries must adopt integrated national policies that align housing, land use, mobility and public services across urban and rural areas," Li said.

As cities expand, the report underscores the need for forward-looking investment and integrated planning to make urban growth sustainable, equitable and resilient to climate risks.

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