UN reclassification crowns Jakarta world’s largest city, beating Tokyo

JAKARTA: Jakarta has been ranked the world’s largest city after the United Nations revised its methodology for measuring major urban areas, significantly expanding the boundaries used to calculate population size. The new approach includes vast surrounding satellite towns, pushing the capital’s estimated population to nearly 42 million and placing it ahead of greater Tokyo.

The change highlights the scale of daily commuting into the capital, with millions travelling long hours from outer districts due to uneven development and job concentration in the city centre. While the Indonesian government and several urban planning experts dispute the UN definition, they acknowledge the ranking underscores urgent challenges.

Jakarta

Jakarta faces severe congestion, air pollution and land subsidence, with parts of the city sinking by up to 20 centimetres annually. Authorities say the ranking should serve as a catalyst to improve infrastructure, expand public transport and strengthen connectivity with neighbouring cities.

Plans are in place to allocate a significant share of the city budget to transport and infrastructure upgrades, although funding constraints may slow progress. Despite the pressures, Jakarta remains Indonesia’s political and economic hub, contributing a substantial share to national output and continuing to attract commuters.

Business News