Jakarta (Indonesia) Presidents in 2025 classification The most populous cities in the world, with approx 42 million peopleThis is done by merging the administrative region and its neighboring cities. They follow him Dhaka (Bangladesh)with 40 millionand Tokyo (Japan)which falls to third place with 33 million. The Japanese capital lost more than four million people compared to 2024, when it topped the list with 37.27 million people.
United Nations Organization The report has been published World urbanization forecast 2025Prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. This document annually updates global estimates on the growth of urban and rural agglomerations, and provides a detailed view of how population distribution in the region has evolved and what its implications are for sustainable development.
This year, the report A New methodology Which completely redefines the global map. The “urbanization score” method uses satellite images and population grids to identify only dense, contiguous and truly urbanized areas, avoiding discrepancies between national definitions of “urban area.” By this standard, Tokyo It appears as a more compact city than expected, whereas Jakarta and Dhaka Revealing wider and more interconnected urban sprawls.
Using this new calculation method, Jakarta’s population is growing at a rate of approx 30 million people. If only the urban center is taken into account, in 2025 the city will also be 11,634,000 peoplewhich represents A An increase of only 1.73% Regarding 2024.
In general, the report confirms this 45% of the world’s population 8.2 billion people already live in cities, more than double the number in 1950. Projections indicate that 2050Hardly Two-thirds of the world’s population They will reside in urban environments. And also a number Major cities – those with a population of more than 10 million – have departed from 8 in 1975 to 33 in 2025and it may rise to 37 in the next two decadesWith strong growth expected Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Hajipur and kuala lumpur.
Furthermore, the report also highlights the importance of Small and medium citiesIt hosts more people than major cities and is growing at a faster rate, especially in Africa and Asia. Of the 12,000 cities analysed, 96% have fewer than 1 million residents and 81% have fewer than 25,000 residents. The new analyzes also show that the total number of cities in the world More than doubled between 1975 and 2025By 2050 it could exceed 15,000 people, most of them less than 250,000 people.
However, some cities are losing population despite overall population growth in their countries, while others continue to expand despite national population declines. Most shrinking cities had populations of less than 250,000 in 2025; More than a third were in China and 17% in India. However, declines were also recorded in large cities e.g Mexico City (Mexico) and Chengdu (China).
Rural areas still predominate
Cities—defined as settlements with a population of at least 5,000 and a density of at least 300 people per square kilometer—are the most common type of nucleus in 71 countries As diverse as Germany, India, Uganda and the United States. They play an essential role in communication between… rural and urban areas, Providing basic services and sustaining local economies.
For their part, Rural areas The settlement type remains prevailing in 62 countries, compared to 116 in 1975. It is estimated that this number will continue to decline until it reaches 44 countries by 2050. Rural settlements still constitute the majority in some European countries – such as Austria, Bulgaria, Finland and Romania – and in many sub-Saharan African countries, such as the Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Mozambique and Zambia, among others. This region is actually the only region in the world inhabited by rural people It continues to grow Significantly, it is expected to focus practically all future rural growth.
Ranking of most populous cities 2025
Jakarta I (Indonesia) 41,900,000 people (2025) – 30,000,000 people (2024)
Dhaka II (Bangladesh) 36,600,000 people (2025) – 23,900,000 people (2024)
Tokyo III (Japan) 33,400,000 people (2025) – 37,270,000 people (2024)
New Delhi IV (India) 30,200,000 people (2025) – 33,800,000 people (2024)
Shanghai 5th (China) 29,600,000 people (2025) – 29,800,000 people (2024)
Guangzhou VI (China) 27,600,000 people (2025) – 14,600,000 people (2024)
7th Cairo (Egypt) 25,600,000 people (2025) – 22,600,000 people (2024)
8 Manila (Philippines) 24,700,000 people (2025) – 14,940,000 people (2024)
Kolkata 9th (India) 22,500,000 people (2025) – 15,570,000 people (2024)
10 Seoul (South Korea) 22,500,000 people (2025) – 9,330,000 people (2024)