UN Projects 10 Most Populous Cities in the World by 2050, Jakarta Included

The latest report from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) projects that Dhaka will become the world's most populous city by 2050 with 52.1 million inhabitants.

Along with Shanghai, Dhaka is expected to experience the fastest population growth among the 10 most populous cities by 2025, with projections nearing 5% per year between 2025 and 2050.

“By mid-century, Dhaka is projected to overtake Jakarta as the world's largest city, while Shanghai is expected to rise from fifth to third place,” explained UN DESA in its World Urbanization Prospects 2025.

As for Jakarta, it is ranked second. Although it dropped from the first rank in 2025, the population of Jakarta is projected to increase in 2050, from 41.9 million inhabitants to 51.8 million inhabitants.

According to UN DESA, Karachi is also projected to experience rapid population growth until 2050. This Pakistani city is expected to enter the list of the world's 10 most populous cities by mid-century.

“The city could rise to fifth position, surpassing Cairo, Tokyo, Guangzhou, Manila, and Kolkata,” UN DESA stated.

Meanwhile, Tokyo's population is expected to shrink from 33.4 million inhabitants in 2025 to 30.7 million inhabitants by mid-century.

Here are the projected populations of the world's 10 most populous cities in 2050, according to UN DESA:

1. Dhaka (Bangladesh): 52.1 million inhabitants
2. Jakarta (Indonesia): 51.8 million inhabitants
3. Shanghai (China): 34.9 million inhabitants
4. New Delhi (India): 33.9 million inhabitants
5. Karachi (Pakistan): 32.6 million inhabitants
6. Al-Qahirah/Cairo (Egypt): 32.4 million inhabitants
7. Tokyo (Japan): 30.7 million inhabitants
8. Guangzhou (China): 29.2 million inhabitants
9. Manila (Philippines): 27.1 million inhabitants
10. Kolkata (India): 23.8 million inhabitants

UN DESA also projects that the number of megacities (cities with 10 million inhabitants or more) will increase from 33 cities in 2025 to 37 cities in 2050.

“By then, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Hajipur (India), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) will surpass the 10 million population threshold,” it explained.