Jakarta — Currently the World’s Largest Megacity

According to the latest annual report by the United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects 2025, the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta (including the city and its extended metropolitan area), has become the world’s most populous city. The population of the agglomeration has reached 42 million — making it the largest megacity in the world by population.

Previously, the leader, Tokyo, now ranks only third, with a population of approximately 33–34 million.
Second place goes to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, with around 37 million residents.

Experts cite the following reasons for this global-level growth:

• Rapid urbanization — people are moving to Jakarta from wide regions and surrounding areas for work, education, and infrastructure.

• Expansion of the agglomeration — including suburban areas linked to the city accurately reflects the real population.

• Demographic distribution in developed countries — in Japan, the population is aging and natural growth is low, whereas in Indonesia it is growing rapidly.

Thus, Jakarta has officially been recognized as not only the largest city in Asia but also in the world.

According to UN data:

• The number of megacities worldwide (with populations over 10 million) increased from 8 in 1975 to 33 in 2025;

• By 2050, over 70% of the world’s population is expected to live in cities;

• Urban growth has now become a global, not just regional, trend.

The government of Indonesia has confirmed the construction of a new capital, Nusantara, to reduce demographic pressure on Jakarta.