Tokyo has misplaced its long-held title because the world’s most populous megacity and now ranks third, in accordance with a brand new report.
Jakarta, in Indonesia, has taken the highest spot and is predicted to maintain it till 2050, when the rise of Dhaka is predicted to see the Bangladeshi capital high the tables.
A brand new report from the United Nations exhibits the variety of megacities – cities with a inhabitants of 10 million or extra – quadrupled from eight in 1975 to 33 in 2025, they usually’re predominantly positioned in Asia.
The report, which makes use of UN estimates and is an replace of the organisation’s 2018 information, highlights the dramatic enhance in metropolis residing, a comparatively new phenomenon.
As not too long ago as 1950, residing in a metropolis was extremely uncommon – with solely 20% of the world’s inhabitants residing in a single.
Tokyo, which has held the title of the world’s most populous metropolis for many years, has seen its inhabitants enhance progressively over the past 25 years.
Whereas 33.4 million individuals name the Japanese capital their house, it has been handed by Jakarta and Dhaka.
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Jakarta now boasts a inhabitants of 41.9 million. Pic: Reuters
The 2 cities have seen their populations develop at greater than 5 and 7 instances the speed of Tokyo’s since 2000, respectively.
At this time, Jakarta’s inhabitants stands at practically 42 million, adopted by Dhaka with nearly 37 million.
By 2050, Dhaka’s inhabitants is predicted to achieve 52.1 million, beating Jakarta to the highest spot by simply 300,000.
Tokyo will proceed to fall down the rankings to seventh place by 2050, being overtaken by cities corresponding to Shanghai and New Delhi.
London to stay considered one of Europe’s solely megacities
Whereas the variety of megacities is predicted to extend from 33 to 37 by 2050, not one of the new ones will probably be in Europe.
London, Istanbul and Moscow will stay the continent’s solely megacities.
In response to the UN information, London will see its inhabitants develop by nearly one million and a half by 2050 – which means it should retain its title because the world’s thirty third largest metropolis.
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The Motijheel neighbourhood in Dhaka. Pic: iStock
The English capital will stay the smallest of Europe’s megacities, with Istanbul retaining its main place and Moscow coming in a detailed second.
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London will retain its rating on the world’s thirty third largest metropolis by inhabitants. Pic: Reuters
What concerning the UK’s different cities?
Whereas London receives essentially the most consideration within the report, it’s an outlier, with most different UK cities – corresponding to Cardiff and Inverness – being the norm.
The report emphasises how, regardless of the variety of cities worldwide greater than doubling between 1975 and 2025, 96% of cities have fewer than 1 million inhabitants.
Most cities are smaller nonetheless, with 81% having a inhabitants of 250,000 or fewer.
Globally, 45% of us now reside in cities, with 36% of individuals residing in cities and the remaining 19% residing in rural communities.
