Jakarta has overtaken Tokyo as the world’s most populous city with 42 million residents, jumping from 33rd place in 2018, according to the United Nations’ World Urbanization Prospects 2025 report released November 18.

The dramatic shift stems from a revised UN methodology that now includes densely populated informal settlements previously excluded from official counts, identifying approximately 30 million additional residents in Jakarta’s kampung neighborhoods.

The report projects Dhaka, currently second with 37 million people, will become the world’s largest city by 2050, while Tokyo is expected to experience population decline.

hashtag#AsiaFiles