According to the United Nations’ World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 report, Jakarta has officially surpassed Tokyo to become the world’s most populous city. With an estimated population of 42 million, the Indonesian capital is now at the forefront of rapidly expanding Asian megacities.
This significant change in rankings is attributed to the UN’s revised criteria, which strive for a more standardized and globally comparable framework for measuring urban populations. The report reflects ongoing changes in urbanization, migration, and demographic growth, making it an essential resource for policymakers and urban development scholars.
Tokyo previously held the top position in earlier rankings, including the 2018 UN report. Despite its global significance, it has now fallen to third place.
The change in rankings is largely due to the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs revising its urban delimitation criteria. Past assessments often relied on varying national definitions of city boundaries, which favored cities like Tokyo with extensive administrative coverage. The new methodology enhances:
This updated approach allows for a more accurate comparison of urban areas based on similar population density and spatial data, giving cities like Jakarta and Dhaka a clearer representation of their urban size.
The report indicates a significant trend in global urbanization. In 1950, only 20% of the world's population resided in cities. By 2025, it is projected that nearly half of the world’s 8.2 billion people will live in urban areas. Furthermore, by 2050, two-thirds of global population growth is expected to occur in cities, with the remainder in towns.
The number of megacities (cities with a population of 10 million or more) has risen from just 8 in 1975 to 33 in 2025, marking a fourfold increase in five decades.
Currently, nine of the ten most populous cities globally are located in Asia, highlighting the region’s dynamic economic growth and urban migration patterns. The cities include:
The only city outside Asia in the top ten is Cairo (Egypt).
Despite its drop in global rankings, Tokyo remains a significant metropolitan hub. Its 33 million residents are spread across the Greater Tokyo Area, which includes Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa prefectures, the latter housing Yokohama with a population of 3.7 million.
However, the region has experienced a gradual population decline, reflecting broader demographic challenges in Japan. Interestingly, “Tokyo proper,” defined as the 23 special wards and surrounding cities, has seen its population increase over the past decade, now exceeding 14 million, primarily due to youth migration for work and education.
Q1. What has caused Jakarta to become the most populous city?
Answer: Jakarta's rise to the most populous city is attributed to the UN's revised criteria for measuring urban populations, reflecting more accurate population data and urban growth metrics.
Q2. How does the UN's new methodology impact city rankings?
Answer: The UN's updated methodology provides consistent population and geospatial criteria, allowing for a more accurate representation of urban areas' sizes and dynamics.
Q3. What trends are observed in global urbanization?
Answer: Global urbanization is increasing, with projections indicating that nearly half of the world’s population will reside in cities by 2025, highlighting rapid urban growth.
Q4. Which cities are currently the most populous?
Answer: As of 2025, the most populous cities are Jakarta, Dhaka, and Tokyo, with populations of 42 million, 37 million, and 33 million, respectively.
Q5. Why is Tokyo's population declining despite being a major urban center?
Answer: Tokyo's population decline is part of a broader demographic challenge in Japan, despite an increase in the population of Tokyo proper driven by youth migration.
Question 1: What city has overtaken Tokyo as the most populous city in 2025?
A) Dhaka
B) Jakarta
C) Shanghai
D) Manila
Correct Answer: B
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