Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has risen to second place with a population of almost 37 million and is projected to become the world ’s largest urban center by 2050.

Experts note that the shift highlights the rapid population expansion in parts of South and Southeast Asia , where cities are swelling at unprecedented rates.

According to the UN report, the number of megacities — defined as having populations exceeding 10 million — has quadrupled from just eight in 1975 to 33 in 2025. The majority of these are concentrated in Asia.

In 1950, only around 20% of the global population lived in cities; today that figure has risen to 45%. By contrast, Dhaka and Jakarta have expanded at more than seven and five times the pace of Tokyo’s growth since 2000.

Projections suggest Dhaka will continue its upward trajectory, reaching more than 52 million inhabitants by 2050, narrowly edging out Jakarta by around 300,000 people . Tokyo, meanwhile, is expected to drop to seventh place, overtaken by rapidly expanding cities such as Shanghai and New Delhi.

While the total number of megacities worldwide is expected to rise from 33 to 37 by 2050, none of the new entrants will be European. London, Istanbul and Moscow are set to remain the continent’s only megacities, with London ranking 33rd globally.

London’s population is forecast to increase by around 1.5 million over the next quarter century, but the UN highlights that the capital is an outlier. Most British cities fall within the global norm of small to mid-sized urban centres.

Despite the dominance of sprawling megacities in headlines, the report emphasises that the vast majority of urban areas remain relatively small: 96% have fewer than one million residents, and 81% fewer than 250,000. 

Worldwide, 36% of people live in towns and 19% in rural communities.

“The financial picture is equally stark. At a moment of rising need, net official development assistance fell by 7.1% last year. Meanwhile, developing countries paid a record 1.4 trillion US dollars just to service external debt in 2023,” she added. 

Baerbock, however, said some progress should not be overlooked. 

“We have made some progress,” she said. “Child mortality has been halved compared to the start of the millennium. Clean energy now generates more than 40% of the world ’s electricity, part of an urgently needed shift to renewables. Nearly a billion people have gained access to safe drinking water since 2015. Social protection now reaches over half of humanity, up from less than 43% a decade ago.”

Even so, she argued that technical solutions already exist for many of the challenges the world faces. 

“The gap towards 2030, our challenge is not a lack of solutions,” she said. “It is a lack of political will and – sometimes intentionally, it is a lack of resources.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed that sentiment, insisting that momentum on the goals could still be harnessed. But Guterres also highlighted the stark contrast between military expenditure and development finance. 

“In all we do, we must make peace a priority. In 2024 global military spending was thirteen times official development assistance. That is equivalent to the entire GDP of the African continent. In other words, this is not a question of resources – it is a question of choices,” he said. 

Queen Mathilde of Belgium, serving as one of the UN’s SDG Advocates, called for renewed determination rather than resignation. 

“We cannot afford to be defeatist,” she said. “It is all the more crucial at a critical time like this to take responsibility to pool our efforts so as to realize the goals and values we signed up to in 2015.”

But this population surge is a double-edged sword that brings with it both opportunities and great challenges.

India’s urban centres, such as Mumbai, are the bedrock of its economic transformation. With over 28,000 people per square kilometre, Mumbai exemplifies the density and dynamism that define India's cities.

According to government forecasts, urban areas are expected to contribute 75% to India’s GDP by 2036 , and urban population figures could swell to 600 million.

This urban explosion presents an immense opportunity for India to fuel manufacturing, digital services, logistics, and construction. According to K.T. Ravindran, an urban planning expert, such growth must be met with targeted investments in infrastructure .

"The focus should move towards food security, water security, energy security, and security from waste management," he told CGTN.

But that transformation is already colliding with real-world pressures.

India's unemployment rate climbed to 5.6% in May 2025, with a notable rise among young people.

Millions migrate to cities in search of work , often fleeing rural distress and climate-induced displacement, only to find themselves stuck in low-wage, low-skill jobs in sectors like e-commerce delivery or informal construction.

"They have to be skills which are required by industries… Otherwise, disparity will remain," warns Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist at Bank of Baroda.

India’s educational and skilling systems have struggled to keep up with the pace of change. While programmes exist to boost employability, many lack alignment with industry needs.

The result? A growing class of underemployed youth and a missing middle in the labour market.