what is the world's most populous city?

if you've ever wondered what the most populous city in the world is, the answer is Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, according to the World Urbanization Prospects 2025 report from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

what's interesting is that the UN report doesn't just count the population of a city by its administrative boundaries, but also by the population of the city's living area, which includes the densely populated neighborhoods surrounding the city. It measures the true size of the city, where people commute to work and share daily life together.

why Jakarta is so populous

jakarta's metropolitan area is home to nearly 42 million people. How did so many people end up in one city?

indonesia is a country made up of five large islands - Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, and New Guinea - with a total population of about 280 million people, making it the fourth most populous country in the world, but more than half of the population is concentrated on one island, Java.

this is a classic case of urbanization in action, with people moving to the capital city of Jakarta in search of work. Over the decades, this has led to Jakarta becoming the most populous city in the world with the largest concentration of economic opportunity.

population ranking of the world's largest cities in 2025

let's take a look at how the world's cities are ranked according to the United Nations Urbanization Report.

ranking city country living Area Population 1st jakarta indonesia approximately 42 million people 2nd dhaka bangladesh approx. 40 million 3rd place tokyo japan approx. 33 million 4th new Delhi india - 5th shanghai china - 10th seoul south Korea about 22.5 million people

the gap between Jakarta and second-place Dhaka is about 2 million people. Third-place Tokyo has long been known as the world's largest city, but has been pushed down the list by the rapid growth of cities in emerging Asia. Seoul, South Korea, comes in at number 10, with about 22.5 million people.

megacities in 2050

the UN report also provided projections for 2050 to see how the world's urban population will change in the future.

the most striking change is the prediction that Dhaka, Bangladesh, will become the world's number one city, overtaking Jakarta, which is currently number two, due to its rapid population growth.

megacities are large cities with more than 10 million people. By 2050, new megacities are expected to emerge, including Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Hyderabad, India; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

while growth in African and Southeast Asian cities is strong, East Asian cities have a different story.

population changes in Seoul and Tokyo

tokyo, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea, are expected to lose population in the coming years, driven by declining birthrates and aging populations.

tokyo is likely to drop to the seventh most populous city in the world by 2050, a significant drop from its current third place, and Seoul could drop out of the top 10.

the declining population of East Asian countries will be reflected in the rankings, while cities in Africa and South Asia with growing populations will rise.

for a broader perspective, check out our related articles on the impact of population decline on real estate markets, how the world's economic centers are shifting, and South Korea's rural decline.

frequently asked questions

what is the world's most populous city?

the world's most populous city in 2025 is Jakarta, Indonesia. According to the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects report, the Jakarta metropolitan area is expected to be home to 42 million people.

what is a megacity?

a megacity is a large city with a population of more than 10 million people. Seoul, Tokyo, and New York are examples of megacities.

where does Seoul rank in terms of population?

seoul is ranked 10th in the world with about 22.5 million people, but it could fall out of the top 10 by 2050.

what will be the world's largest city in 2050?

according to UN projections, Dhaka, Bangladesh will be the world's largest city in 2050.

why is Tokyo falling in the rankings?

japan's declining birthrate and aging population will cause Tokyo to drop to seventh place in the world by 2050.

wrapping up

we've seen changes in the global city rankings, including Jakarta, the world's most populous city, and we're looking forward to the growth of emerging cities in Asia and Africa. If you're interested in urbanization trends, let us know what you think in the comments, and if you enjoyed this article, please subscribe and like it.