When people think of the world’sbiggest cities, names likeLondon,TokyoandIstanbulusually come up first. All three are huge global hubs with millions of residents. But none of them currently hold the title of the world’s largestmega-city.
That title now belongs to a capital inSoutheast Asia. According to 2025 UN estimates and data cited by the World Cities Culture Forum,Jakartahas now officially overtaken Tokyo as the world’s most populous metropolitan area.
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While the city ofJakartaitself has a population of around 10.5 million, the “world’s largest” label refers to the wider Greater Jakarta region, known as Jabodetabek.
That urban area is now home to around 42 million people. By comparison,Tokyo’smetropolitan population has fallen to around 33 million,Istanbulstands at roughly 16 million andLondonat about 9.7 million.
Jakarta’s quick growth has been driven by a combination of factors. It isIndonesia’spolitical, economic and cultural centre, generating an estimated 17% to 20% of the country’s total GDP.
Millions of people have moved there from across Indonesia’s 17,000-plus islands in search of work in manufacturing, finance and services.
As a result, over time, Jakarta has physically merged with surrounding cities such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, creating one continuous urban area that stretches across western Java.
However, that scale has unsurprisingly brought serious challenges. Jakarta is widely described as one of the fastest-sinking cities in the world.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
