Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, has overtaken Dhaka and Tokyo to assert the highest spot in a brand new United Nations report, underscoring the speedy tempo of urbanization throughout Asia. With an estimated inhabitants of almost 42 million residents, Jakarta has soared from thirty third place within the 2018 rankings, when Tokyo held the crown, to primary in 2025. (Picture: Pexels)
Jakarta’s rise highlights the extraordinary demographic shifts reshaping world cities. Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, follows carefully with 36 million individuals and is projected to grow to be the world’s largest metropolis by mid‑century, with greater than 52 million residents. Tokyo, as soon as the undisputed chief, has slipped within the rankings as Japan grapples with an growing old inhabitants and declining beginning charges. (Picture: Pexels)
The World Urbanization Prospects 2025 report notes that almost half of the planet’s 8.2 billion individuals now stay in cities, a determine that has doubled over the previous 75 years. Asia dominates this city panorama, with 9 of the ten most populated cities situated on the continent. Cairo, Egypt’s capital, is the lone exception, rating seventh with 25 million residents, greater than double the inhabitants of New York Metropolis. (Picture: Pexels)
The remainder of the highest ten contains New Delhi (30.2 million), Shanghai (29.6 million), Guangzhou (27.6 million), Manila (24.7 million), Kolkata (22.5 million), and Seoul (22.5 million). Collectively, these megacities illustrate the dimensions of Asia’s city transformation, the place dense populations are reshaping economies, infrastructure, and social dynamics. (Picture: Pexels)
“Urbanization is a defining pressure of our time. When managed inclusively and strategically, it could actually unlock transformative pathways for local weather motion, financial progress, and social fairness,” stated Li Junhia, United Nations undersecretary‑common for financial and social affairs. He emphasised the necessity for built-in nationwide insurance policies that align housing, land use, mobility, and public providers to realize balanced growth throughout city and rural areas. (Picture: Pexels)
The report additionally highlights the explosive progress of megacities, outlined as city areas with populations exceeding 10 million. In 1975, there have been simply eight such cities worldwide. By 2025, that quantity has expanded to 33, with 19 situated in Asia. Los Angeles and New York Metropolis stay the one megacities within the US. Trying forward, the UN tasks that by 2050 there may very well be greater than 15,000 cities globally, most with populations underneath 250,000, reflecting each the unfold of urbanization and the range of metropolis sizes. (Picture: Pexels)
Jakarta’s new standing comes with challenges. Town is overcrowded, polluted, and susceptible to pure disasters similar to earthquakes and flooding. It is usually sinking at an alarming fee because of extreme groundwater extraction and rising sea ranges. Recognizing these vulnerabilities, former Indonesian President Joko Widodo introduced in 2019 that the nation’s capital could be relocated to Nusantara, a deliberate metropolis in Borneo situated 1,200 miles away. Nusantara, envisioned as a sustainable hub surrounded by wealthy biodiversity, was meant to ease the burden on Jakarta. (Picture: Pexels)
Nonetheless, the relocation venture has confronted important setbacks, together with development delays, restricted international funding, and land administration points. Consequently, Jakarta continues to shoulder the load of being each Indonesia’s political middle and the world’s most populous metropolis. (Picture: Pexels)
The UN’s findings underscore the urgency of addressing the pressures of city progress. Whereas megacities like Jakarta and Dhaka symbolize financial alternative and cultural dynamism, in addition they spotlight the dangers of unchecked enlargement. How governments reply, by way of infrastructure, environmental safeguards, and inclusive insurance policies, will decide whether or not urbanization turns into a driver of prosperity or a supply of disaster within the a long time forward. (Picture: Pexels)
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