Jakarta: The New Largest City in the World

The world has a new most populous city, with Jakarta taking the lead in the latest United Nations report. The Indonesian capital, Jakarta, has climbed to the top of the rankings, overtaking Dhaka and Tokyo. With a population estimated at nearly 42 million, Jakarta has seen a significant rise from its previous 33rd place position in 2018. Dhaka follows closely behind with 36 million residents and is projected to become the largest city in the world by mid-century. This shift highlights the trend of rapidly growing megacities around the globe, with nearly half of the world’s population now residing in urban areas, as indicated by the ‘World Urbanization Prospects 2025’ report.