The findings come from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, which highlights how demographic trends have reshaped global urban rankings.
Jakarta (Indonesia), November 25, 2025, BNN Web Staff: Jakarta has officially overtaken Tokyo as the most populous urban area in the world, according to newly released data from the United Nations.
The Indonesian capital now hosts nearly 42 million residents, making it the globe’s biggest metropolitan centre.
Tokyo, which held the top position in 2000, has seen its growth slow significantly over the past 25 years. This has allowed both Jakarta and Dhaka—Bangladesh’s capital with close to 37 million people—to move ahead.
The findings come from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, which highlights how demographic trends have reshaped global urban rankings.
The report also projects that Dhaka could become the world’s largest city by 2050, while Tokyo’s population is expected to shrink further due to Japan’s ageing and declining population.
According to the UN analysis, nine of the world’s ten most heavily populated cities are located in Asia, with Cairo being the only exception outside the continent.
Elisa Sutanudjaja, head of the Jakarta-based Rujak Centre for Urban Studies, said the data reflects what city planners have observed for years — that the greater Jakarta metropolitan region has already been more populated than Tokyo.
She noted that Jakarta’s immense population brings significant governance challenges, especially due to weak coordination among local administrations.
