According to the United Nations, the world’s urban population is projected to increase by more than 1.7 billion people by 2050, reaching roughly 6.5 billion. In 2025, about 4.8 billion of the planet’s 8.2 billion inhabitants lived in towns or cities – around 58% of the global population. By mid-century, this share is expected to rise to 67%.
Currently, 33 cities across the globe have populations exceeding 10 million. Most of these megacities are located in Asia (19), followed by Latin America (5) and Africa (4). Today’s largest urban agglomeration is Jakarta, Indonesia, with 41.9 million residents, followed by Dhaka, Bangladesh (36.6 million), and Tokyo, Japan (33.4 million). UN projections suggest that by 2050 the number of megacities will grow to 37, with Dhaka becoming the world’s most populous city, at an estimated 51.1 million residents.
For more data on urban population trends, please consult the UN Population Division’s World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
| Rank | Urban agglomeration | Country | 2025 | 2050 | Change 2025 to 2050 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in million | in % | ||||
| 1 | Jakarta | Indonesia | 41.9 | 51.8 | 23.6 |
| 2 | Dhaka | Bangladesh | 36.6 | 52.1 | 42.3 |
| 3 | Tokyo | Japan | 33.4 | 30.7 | -8.1 |
| 4 | New Delhi | India | 30.2 | 33.9 | 12.3 |
| 5 | Shanghai | China | 29.6 | 34.9 | 17.9 |
| 6 | Guangzhou | China | 27.6 | 29.2 | 5.8 |
| 7 | Al-Qahirah (Cairo) | Egypt | 25.6 | 32.4 | 26.6 |
| 8 | Manila | Philippines | 24.7 | 27.1 | 9.7 |
| 9 | Kolkata | India | 22.6 | 23.8 | 5.3 |
| 10 | Seoul | Korea, Republic of | 22.5 | 21.2 | -5.8 |
| Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2025, projections | |||||