Jakarta becomes world's most populous city as urbanization rises

New demographic data from the United Nations and World Population Review reveals significant shifts in global urbanization. Jakarta, Indonesia, has emerged as the world's most populous city with approximately 41.9 million residents, surpassing Tokyo, Japan, which follows with 33.4 million. Dhaka, Bangladesh, ranks second with 36.6 million people.

Other major megacities include Delhi, India (30.2 million), and Shanghai, China (29.6 million). Istanbul, Turkey, is ranked 18th globally with a population of approximately 15 million.

The reports highlight a rapid increase in global urbanization, particularly across Asia and Africa. While approximately 55% of the world's population currently lives in urban areas, this figure is projected to rise to 68% by 2050. The number of megacities with populations exceeding 10 million has grown from 8 in 1975 to 33 in 2025.